The municipality wants the dialogue to inform how it designs the final allocation process. It is asking about market interest and how much time operators need between a public notice and the bid deadline. It is also asking how long operators need between award and the start of operations. Other factors that affect competition and feasibility are also covered, including vessel availability, investment needs, quay and terminal capacity, environmental requirements and the public permits needed.

"We want a realistic picture of the time and conditions the market actually needs. It is better to have that knowledge now than to discover later that the requirements we have set cannot be met in practice," says Anne Mette Løvaas, who is leading the process for Sandefjord municipality.

The responses could change when the public notice is issued, how long the bid period lasts and how much time is allowed between award and start-up.

Not a tender

The dialogue is not a competition or an application process. Taking part is voluntary and responses are not binding. Choosing to respond or not will not affect a company's chances in any later process, and the municipality will not pay for the cost of responding. It wants to hear from possible bidders and from other market players with relevant commercial, technical or operational knowledge.

"No operator has been pre-selected, and the requirements have not been set. Everyone with an interest will have equal access to information along the way," says Løvaas.

Today's route

Sandefjord lies on the Oslofjord in Vestfold, about 120 kilometres south of Oslo. Ferries have served the town since the 1960s, and the berth sits in the inner harbour close to the town centre.

Color Line runs the route between Sandefjord and Strömstad in Sweden, with two daily departures in each direction and a crossing time of about two and a half hours. The route is served by COLOR HYBRID. When she was delivered in 2019 she was the world's largest plug-in hybrid vessel, and she runs on battery power in and out of the Sandefjord fjord. The RoPax can carry about 2,000 passengers and 500 vehicles.

According to the Port of Sandefjord, the route carries about 1.3 million passengers, 500,000 cars and 18,000 freight vehicles a year. It is an important link between Norway and Sweden for cross-border trade, tourism and freight.

Next steps

The municipality will publish a combined status report on the market input and technical studies in November 2026. The main principles for the allocation will go to the politicians in the second quarter of 2027, and the allocation process itself is planned for the third quarter of 2027. This timetable is preliminary and may change if the dialogue and studies bring new information.

Facts: the market dialogue 

• Concerns the allocation of sailing slots for ferry services to and from the Port of Sandefjord. 
• Planned start of operations for the new allocation period: 1 January 2031. 
• Deadline for questions: 8 October 2026, 14:00 (CEST). Deadline for responses: 15 October 2026, 14:00 (CEST). 
• Invitation, questions and submission: the HYYR portal: https://www.hyyr.no/marketdialog/cmtv9mbyv000804lcgyr7jnjm 
• The final structure, requirements, terms and timetable have not been decided. 

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