Cold chain EPC marketplace — vetted engineering, procurement & construction partners

EPC (single turnkey contract, GMP): fastest delivery, single accountability, best cost certainty — default for greenfield cold storage above US$ 10 M. EPCM (Engineering-Procurement-Construction-Management): owner keeps procurement and contracts, EPCM manages — better where the owner has in-house engineering. Design-bid-build: separate architect, contractor and mechanical bids — 15–25% longer, interface risk, only wins when a procurement code mandates it.

Six-gate screen: (1) tonnage / m² experience at your scale in your temperature band, (2) refrigerant certification (IIAR for NH3, F-Gas / EPA for HFCs, PED / ASME for pressure vessels), (3) safety record (TRIR, LTIR, PSM/RMP for NH3), (4) financial stability (audited balance sheet, bonding capacity), (5) in-country coverage and service arm, (6) reference projects with owner-verifiable outcomes on CAPEX, schedule and post-Cx energy performance.

3–5 — enough for a real competitive spread, few enough that each invests serious engineering time. Beyond 5 bidders, quality of proposals drops (contractors won't spend if win probability is < 20%). Under 3, you lose competitive tension. ColdMatch structures the RFQ so all bidders see the same technical brief, deadlines and evaluation criteria.

Site work, foundations, structure, envelope + insulation panels, doors, dock levellers, refrigeration plant (compressors, condensers, evaporators, valves, piping, insulation, controls), electrical, fire protection (dry pipe / gas suppression), racking, WMS integration, commissioning (Cx), IQ/OQ/PQ for pharma, operator training, spare parts, 12–36 month warranty and PPM contract. Missing items become owner change-orders — protect against this with a common ColdMatch spec.

One technical brief, one bill of quantities structure, one evaluation matrix. Bidders must respond in the same schema so you can compare on CAPEX line-by-line, schedule, kW/TR at design condition, kWh / m³ · yr projection, refrigerant charge and GWP, warranty scope, exclusions and lifecycle service cost. Non-conforming bids are rejected — not renegotiated line-by-line.

Reference names include GEA, Johnson Controls / York, Mayekawa, Carrier / Kidde, BITZER, Danfoss, Star Refrigeration, Baltimore Aircoil, Trane Technologies plus regional EPCs and design-builders. ColdMatch is OEM- and EPC-agnostic — we shortlist based on your project fingerprint, not a fixed vendor list.

For cross-border and DFI-financed projects, EPC selection is often gated by lender requirements: ECA-eligible OEMs, environmental & social safeguards (IFC PS, EBRD PRs), local content thresholds, and lender's engineer approval of the EPC. ColdMatch coordinates the EPC and financing procurement in parallel so the two don't misalign — see the Financing Hub.