Barcelona tenders the concession for boats at the Ciutadella lake

The Barcelona City Council has initiated the tender for the concession of the private use of a municipal public domain space intended for boats on the lake of the Ciutadella Park. The decision, adopted by the delegated councillor of the Institute on August 31, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona (BOPB) on September 8, 2026, with the official reference CVE 202610136826.

Interested operators have 26 calendar days to submit their offers, counting from the day after the publication of the tender announcement. The processing corresponds to the Area Management of Urban Services and Maintenance of Public Space, through the Directorate of General Services and the Department of Legal Advice and Processing, under file 26PIJ007CD.

Object of the concession

The object of the concession is the private use of a municipal public domain space for the operation of boats on the lake of the Ciutadella Park, one of the city’s emblematic spaces. This is a “concesión demanial” (public domain concession), meaning the granting of a right of private use over a publicly owned asset for a specific economic activity.

The sought-after bidder profile is that of leisure and catering operators capable of operating the boat activity on the lake, a service historically associated with the recreational use of the park. The resolution does not detail the economic or technical conditions of the operation in this announcement, which will be specified in the tender specifications.

Deadlines and publicity

The procedure is structured with a tight schedule for interested parties:

• 26 calendar days for the submission of offers, from the day after the publication of the announcement.
• Publication of the announcement in the BOPB and on the Public Procurement Services Platform of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
• Resolution to initiate the tender signed on August 31, 2026, by the delegated councillor of the Institute.
• Announcement dated Barcelona, September 1, 2026.

Signature and processing

The announcement is signed by the delegated secretary of Parks and Gardens, Álvaro Comajoan Gutiérrez, representing the area responsible for the management of municipal green spaces. The legal processing of the file falls to the advisory department of the area management, which ensures the correct application of procurement and public domain regulations.

The concession is part of the ordinary management of municipal heritage, which requires the granting of private uses of public domain assets when an economic activity occupies a part of them exclusively.

Impact for readers

The tender opens a window of opportunity for leisure and catering companies wishing to operate one of the most traditional services of the Ciutadella park, in an environment with a high influx of visitors and residents. For the citizens, the concession determines the continuity and quality of a historic recreational service, which must be maintained within the protection framework of a listed park. Interested parties have just over three weeks to prepare their proposals.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona, no. 8-9-2026, local administration section, p. 1-1 (official reference: CVE 202610136826).