Go to the main content

Commercial notice

“BEAUTY CONTEST” FOR THE SUB-CONCESSION OF A SPACE, LOCATED ON THE FIRST FLOOR LANDSIDE, FOR THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE BUSINESS LOUNGE AND “MEET&GREET” SERVICES AT BOLOGNA’S “GUGLIELMO MARCONI” AIRPORT

Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi di Bologna S.p.A. (hereinafter “AdB”) shall hold a “beauty contest” for the awarding, as a sub-concession, of a space for the design, construction and management of the new business lounge and “meet and greet” services. The space is located on the 1st floor of the passenger terminal, landside and has a total area of approximately 550 square meters. A room of approximately 10 square meters for storage use located in the basement will also support the activity.

General information

Duration of the contract: The duration of the sub-concession contract is set at 8 (eight) years, starting from the date of delivery of the agreed spaces - indicatively between the second and third two-month periods of 2025, having in any case obtained the necessary approvals of the executive project from AdB.

Social clause: The offer, following any invitation to the “beauty contest”, must include a commitment to proposals for the hiring of the staff currently employed at the Business Lounge, maintaining the existing overall salary level, with the goal of bringing a minimum of 40% of those who accept the proposal into its workforce. Should the number of interested parties exceed this percentage, the operator will proceed to identify those to be hired through a selection process conducted in good faith and honest cooperation with all stakeholders, subject to the above percentage commitment. Of course, where there are no employees interested in the transfer, no obligation to hire will exist on the part of the operator.

Surety guarantee: The contract shall include an on-demand bank surety with a value equal to the Guaranteed Annual Minimum offered by the contracting sub-concessionaire to guarantee the regular payment of the contractual fees.

Area delivery status: The areas will be made available to the successful bidder in their current state. Further details shall be provided as part of the subsequent stages of this procedure. The sub-concessionaire - it is currently expected - will have to submit the executive design of the new business lounge, in line with the renderings to be provided during the “beauty contest”, no later than 60 days subsequent to the award notice, for subsequent approval by AdB.

Requirements for expressing interest in the invitation to the “beauty contest”

Italian and international operators (including non-EU, subject to the demonstration of reciprocal rights and commercial agreements of establishment and exercise of commercial activity) able to demonstrate significant activities and experience in the field of the management of VIP & BUSINESS LOUNGES at international airports, which may be replicated at the "Marconi" airport, may submit expressions of interest, and, specifically those with:

  1. Average annual turnover from the operation of their various VIP & BUSINESS LOUNGES at international airports during the last fiscal year ending 31/12/2023, of at least Euro 3,200,000.

    Operators are requested, in this regard, to produce a brief report - signed by the legal representative or authorised proxy - in which the VIP & BUSINESS LOUNGES operations within which the turnover meeting the above terms was achieved are identified and described, with specific indication of the context and the average annual turnover developed. For each of them, photographic images illustrating the format and specific features of the services and products rendered to the users of the LOUNGES should be provided, as well as a precise indication of the turnovers respectively developed therein. The report should be submitted in a format not exceeding 5 sheets of A3 paper and accompanied by a maximum of 10 photographic images (in total and not per individual LOUNGE).
  2. Management, directly or through Group companies, of at least 1 (one) VIP & BUSINESS LOUNGE within a European airport.

    Operators are requested, in this regard, to produce a brief report - signed by the legal representative or authorised proxy - with a description of the format and specific features of the services and products rendered to the users of the European airport's LOUNGE, while also indicating the ESG rating, if available, and/or a description of any stated policies, actions or objectives within the environmental, social and governance fields. The report should be submitted in a format not exceeding 3 sheets of A3 paper and must be accompanied by a maximum of 4 photographic images (total).

Together with the expression of interest and the above documentation - both signed by the legal representative or authorised proxy - the substitute declaration of the meeting of the “general” requirements should be sent, also made by the legal representative or authorised proxy, pursuant to Articles 46 and 47, Presidential Decree 445/2000, certifying:

  1. that they are not in a state of bankruptcy, compulsory liquidation or under an arrangement procedure, nor are proceedings for the declaration of any of these situations pending:
  2. that they have not committed violations, definitively declared, with respect to obligations relating to the payment of taxes and duties, according to Italian law or that of the State in which they are established;
  3. that they have not committed serious violations, definitively declared, of the social security and welfare contribution rules, according to Italian law or the law of the state in which they are established;
  4. that they have no criminal convictions and are not the recipient of measures concerning the application of preventive measures, or, alternatively, an indication in which criminal convictions have been reported.

Having verified the presence of the substitute declaration on the meeting of the “general” requirements pursuant to Articles 46 and 47 of Presidential Decree No. 445/2000, AdB shall therefore, on the basis of the activities and experience as documented above, carry out a discretionary assessment, albeit reasoned, whose outcome shall identify the operators who will be invited to the “beauty contest” in order to propose to AdB a project for the redevelopment of the current Business Lounge that reflects high quality standards, such as to ensure a pleasant stay for guests and in line with international best practices, and that also demonstrates adequate elements of sustainability, which will be better indicated by AdB in the invitation to the contest. The invitation to the contest for the awarding of the sub-concession will also be to propose the best financial offers, both in terms of guaranteed minimum annual consideration, and as a percentage of turnover, in lieu of the aforementioned guaranteed minimum, where it is of greater value to the grantor AdB.

The means and deadlines for sending the expression of interest: the expression of interest and all the above-mentioned documents must be received via certified email (PEC) (or registered mail with return receipt or courier) at the address specified below, and must include, as the subject (or envelope header), the following wording "Expression of interest for the “beauty contest” - New Business Lounge”.

The expression of interest in participating in the above selection, complete with all accompanying documentation, must be received no later than 12PM on July 29, 2024 at the certified email (PEC) aeroporto.marconi@pec.bologna-airport.it or via registered mail with return receipt or courier to the address Aeroporto G. Marconi di Bologna Spa, Via Triumvirato 84, 40132 Bologna attn. Direzione Generale.

This notice is in no way binding on AdB, which reserves the widest autonomy regarding any decision and choice to be made in this regard.

Bologna, July 5, 2024

Always bring BLQ with you