It's been confirmed eight ferry operators have said they may be interested in running the Island's ferry services.
They had responded to the Department of Infrastructure's prior information notice (PIN) by the midday deadline.
A PIN is a way of testing the market to see if there are any credible interested parties.
The department says it won’t be announcing the names of the respondents, on the grounds of commercial confidentiality.
Next, the DoI will have to decide if an official tender process is appropriate.
If so, the ferry operators who responded to the PIN will be contacted and invited to submit a formal bid against a full set of requirements.
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