ACI Europe has published a fully updated version of its Tender Code, the industry guidance on how airports run tenders for retail, food and beverage and other commercial concessions. It is the first comprehensive rewrite since the Code first appeared in 2001.
The new Code was launched on November 12. ACI Europe says it is meant to help airports plan tenders around the value a concession delivers over its whole life, not just the offer on the day it is awarded.
Why now?
ACI Europe says airport finances can no longer be assumed to grow automatically as passenger numbers rise. As that gap widens, it says, airports need to put more weight on diversifying income, raising revenue per passenger and getting more from non-aeronautical activities such as retail, food and beverage, real estate, parking and advertising.
The 2001 Code was followed by a Best Practice Charter in 2005. ACI Europe says the commercial landscape has changed significantly since then, with new digital channels, more complex retail categories and operating models, and rising passenger expectations. It also points to the Covid-19 pandemic which showed why commercial structures need to be able to adapt.
What the Code covers
The Code runs through the full tender process, from preparation and market engagement to evaluation, contracting, implementation and ongoing performance management. ACI Europe lists several priorities:
- more transparency on tender objectives, data, evaluation criteria and scoring;
- a better balance between technical quality and financial value, including dual-envelope evaluation where appropriate;
- more data sharing so bidders can build realistic proposals;
- concession lengths and investment horizons that match the capital required;
- flexibility where passenger volumes, traffic mix or market conditions change;
- a range of commercial structures, including conventional concessions, variable guarantees, profit-sharing and joint ventures;
- KPIs and service levels covering commercial performance, passenger experience, operations and sustainability; and
- better planning of handovers between outgoing and incoming operators.
On passenger experience, the code suggests airports could use measurable indicators, such as relevant ACI Airport Service Quality results, alongside commercial and operational KPIs.
ACI Europe says the code does not prescribe a single contractual or financial model. Airports are expected to choose the approach that fits their size, passenger profile, ownership structure, category and commercial strategy.
Beyond the highest bid
Philipp Ahrens, chair of the ACI Europe Commercial Forum and senior vice president center management at Vienna Airport, said, “The tender itself is not the end point. What matters is whether the resulting commercial partnership continues to create value for the airport, the operator and, importantly, our guests throughout the life of the concession.
“With this update, we want to help airports combine commercial ambition with realism: better data, greater transparency, an appropriate balance between quality and financial value, and contractual structures that support investment and performance over time. It is a practical framework, not a one-size-fits-all solution.”
Jens Degner of Zurich Airport, who chaired the Tender Code Working Group, said the guidance is aimed at airports that want the best bidder, not just the highest one: “Long-term partnerships between airports and concessionaires are based on trust, reliability and a common understanding of a commercially driven passenger journey. For airport authorities looking to identify the best bidder, rather than simply the highest bidder, the updated Code provides practical guidance to help achieve that.”
Degner also said strong commercial performance and competitive processes remain the goal: “But sustainable outcomes also require realistic assumptions, quality propositions and partners that are able and willing to keep investing throughout the concession period.”
Tender design as a strategic decision
Martijn Steur, vice-chair of the ACI Europe Commercial Forum and managing director of Kinetic Consultancy, coordinated the working group and led the drafting. Kinetic Consultancy coordinated the stakeholder research and the synthesis of industry input behind the code.
Steur said, “For an airport board or executive team, a major commercial tender is ultimately a long-term value decision. It can shape revenues, investment, passenger experience and the allocation of risk for the next five, seven or 10 years. That makes tender design part of commercial strategy, not simply a procurement exercise.”
On commercial models, he said, “The strategic decision is not simply whether to use a MAG, revenue share or another commercial structure. It is about understanding what behavior, investment and allocation of risk the airport wants that model to create.”
Airports and retailers at the table
The Tender Code was developed under ACI Europe leadership with airports, airport investors, the European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC), brand representatives and major travel retailers, including Avolta and Gebr. Heinemann. ACI Europe also consulted wider stakeholders through engagement sessions and an industry survey.
According to ACI Europe, the work built on a 2025 study commissioned by ETRC and carried out by the University of Stirling’s Institute for Retail Studies, titled Exploring and Testing the Prevailing Business Models in Travel Retail. ACI Europe says the research supported several principles in the code: that no commercial model is best everywhere, that airports differ widely, and that flexibility, transparency and collaboration can improve long-term performance.
Julie Lassaigne, secretary general of ETRC, said the industry has talked about the need for more resilient models for years. “The travel retail industry has been discussing the need for more resilient and sustainable commercial models for many years. The pandemic made the weaknesses of overly rigid structures particularly visible, but the issue goes much wider than crisis management,” she said.
“What matters is creating the conditions for investment, innovation and better customer engagement over time. We therefore welcomed the opportunity for ETRC and major travel retailers to contribute directly to the development of the updated Tender Code.”
Steur said that bringing different interests into the process helped: “Airports and retailers do not always view risk, investment or tender structures in exactly the same way. Working through those differences rather than avoiding them is one of the reasons the final guidance is stronger.”
Availability
The Code is a digital publication. It will be available through ACI Europe’s online resources at aci-europe.org/industry-topics/all-resources.html.
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