SEVEN SISTERS © Maritime Photographic

Dieppe–Newhaven route put out to tender for new five-year concession

FerrySMPAT (Syndicat Mixte de Promotion de l’Activité Transmanche) has issued a new tender worth EUR 271 million for the Dieppe–Newhaven route between France and the UK.

The tender covers a five-year concession starting on 1 January 2028, requiring at least 845 round trips annually.

DFDS holds the current concession, which also covers a five-year period. The Danish ferry operator has served the route under the Transmanche Ferries brand since 2012, using the RoPax ferries SEVEN SISTERS and CÔTE D’ALBATRE, chartered from SMPAT. The deadline for applications is 6 November 2026.

In May 2025, Brittany Ferries launched legal proceedings against DFDS, claiming that the subsidies received by DFDS to operate the loss-making Dieppe–Newhaven route had cost Brittany Ferries GBP 125 million since 2013.

However, the court subsequently stayed the proceedings pending the European Commission’s assessment of the public compensation paid by SMPAT to DFDS for operating the route. The stay may last no more than 24 months from the ruling, until 12 June 2028. Brittany Ferries requested the stay, while DFDS opposed it.

okt 08 2026