The present call for tenders concerns the conclusion of a framework agreement with one company for technical advice in connection with a further analysis of current, navigation and selected environmental conditions in connection with the establishment of a forward ferry port at Tars, focusing in particular on the hydrographic aspects of the project, including separate and cumulative effects linked to the water flow in the transition area between the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea ("the Framework Agreement"). The technical advice will form part of the overall basis for the project.

The starting point for the project is the possibility of achieving half-hourly operation for the ferry crossing Spodsbjerg – Tårs by establishing a forward ferry port at Tårs.

The present task, which is carried out by Sund & Bælt Holding A/S, is follow-up analyses based on a screening study carried out by the Client in 2018. The screening study from 2018 documented that the current, wave and water exchange in the area will be crucial for the technical design and possible realisation of the project, including associated renewable energy plants, and that the project's impact on the mentioned hydrographic conditions may have a significant impact on the marine and coastal environment both locally and regionally. The 2018 study is attached as Appendix 3b.

The primary analysis work is expected to be carried out in 2024, and with its focus on the hydrographic aspects of the project, it will constitute an important prerequisite for deciding whether to initiate an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the overall project. Other tasks under the Framework Agreement, including further analyses in relation to a possible Environmental Impact Assessment, may be initiated throughout the duration of the Agreement.

The framework agreement runs for 4 years and does not contain options. The expected tasks under the Framework Agreement are described in more detail in Appendix 3 – Service description.

Pursuant to section 49 of the Danish Public Procurement Act, the contracting entity has further considered whether the Framework Agreement can be divided into lots, but has considered it most appropriate not to make such a further subdivision. It is the Contracting Entity's assessment that splitting the Framework Agreement into several lots will result in disproportionate administrative burdens, both in relation to the procurement process and in relation to ongoing contract management, including the ongoing management of the tasks under the Framework Agreement.