Cold Storage RFQ Template (With a Worked Refrigeration Example)
This cold storage RFQ template follows the same six-part brief real buyers use: fixed design basis, named exclusions register and one comparison sheet. Copy the structure below, download the editable template, or build the RFQ online.
A supplier-ready cold storage RFQ has six parts: project identification, design basis, scope of supply, exclusions register, commercial and evaluation requirements, and required bid documents. Fixing the design basis before supplier contact is what makes the returned quotations comparable.
1. Cover page
Buyer name, project name, RFQ reference number, issue date, submission deadline, primary contact and preferred submission format (PDF + Excel).
2. Project background
150–250 words explaining the business rationale, existing operations, expansion plan or replacement trigger. Include product mix and throughput.
3. Scope of supply
Bulleted list of everything the supplier must deliver: equipment, spares, controls, engineering, freight, installation, commissioning, training, documentation.
4. Technical specification
Capacity (m³, pallet positions, kW cooling), temperature classes, refrigerant, insulation thickness, doors, racking, controls, monitoring, backup power.
5. Site conditions
GPS or address, ambient design temps, altitude, seismic zone, wind load, floor loading, existing utilities, access constraints.
6. Commercial requirements
Incoterms 2020, currency, payment schedule (typical 20/30/40/10 milestones), performance bond, warranty (12–24 months), spare parts package, LDs.
7. Evaluation criteria & weights
Publish the scoring rubric — technical compliance %, lifetime cost %, delivery risk %, commercial terms %.
8. Submission instructions
Deadline, format, contact, mandatory attachments (company profile, references, certifications, priced BOQ, project schedule).
Copy this checklist into your project workspace
- Reference number and issue date
- One-paragraph project rationale
- Complete bill of quantities
- Site GPS + ambient design conditions
- Refrigerant preference or 'supplier to propose'
- Incoterms 2020 and payment milestones
- Warranty and spares package
- Evaluation weighting published
- At least 4 qualified suppliers invited
Frequently asked questions
How ColdMatch Group works — independent B2B procurement and sourcing platform — ColdMatch Group is an independent B2B procurement and sourcing platform for industrial refrigeration, cold storage and cold-chain projects from USD $250K+, connecting buyers with qualified third-party suppliers, EPC contractors and independent financing providers.
Cold storage RFQ example and refrigeration RFQ template
This is the structure the buyer in the case study used: a design basis fixed before supplier contact, a named exclusions register and one comparison sheet. Download it, replace the bracketed fields with your project data and issue the same pack to every bidder. No email required.
- Project name: [New chilled store — 600 pallet positions]
- Buyer / end user: [Legal entity name]
- Site address and country: [Street, city, country]
- Project type: [New build / extension / replacement]
- Indicative budget band (USD): [$900,000 – $1,600,000]
- +2 more in the download
- Room dimensions: [40 m x 27.5 m x 9 m clear height] — [1,100] m²
- Target room temperature: [+2 °C], tolerance [±1.5 K]
- Design ambient: [32 °C dry bulb / 55% RH summer]
- Insulation assumption: [120 mm PIR walls, 160 mm roof, insulated floor]
- Product and daily throughput: [dairy, 18 t/day inbound at +8 °C]
- +5 more in the download
- Refrigeration plant, evaporators, condensers, pipework and insulation
- Control system, alarms and temperature monitoring with data logging
- Panels, doors, floor build-up: [included / by others]
- Installation, commissioning and performance test
- Operator training and O&M documentation
- +1 more in the download
- Electrical infeed, transformer and main switchboard: [by buyer / by supplier]
- Civil works, foundations and floor heating: [by buyer / by supplier]
- Racking, dock levellers and internal fit-out: [by buyer / by supplier]
- Condensate and defrost drainage
- Permits, F-gas / ammonia safety documentation and local approvals
- +1 more in the download
- Price breakdown: equipment / installation / commissioning / spares / service
- Currency, validity period and payment milestones
- Delivery lead time and installation programme in weeks
- Modelled annual energy consumption (kWh/year) at stated design conditions
- Local service coverage: nearest engineers and response time
- +2 more in the download
- Heat-load calculation supporting the offered duty
- P&ID / schematic and equipment list with makes and models
- Electrical load schedule (kW and starting current)
- Commissioning and performance-test protocol
- Compliance statement (pressure equipment, refrigerant safety, local codes)
- +1 more in the download
- 1. Fix the design duty before contacting suppliers — Model the cooling load from room size, temperature, insulation, ambient and throughput. Without a written duty each bidder sizes a different plant and the prices cannot be compared.
- 2. Write the scope and the exclusions in the same document — Most price spread comes from scope, not equipment. Name electrical infeed, civils, floor heating, racking, drainage and commissioning explicitly.
- 3. Pre-qualify a short list — Three to six suppliers with references in the same temperature class and application. More bidders rarely improve the outcome.
- 4. Issue one identical pack to everyone — Same annex, same deadline, same response format so proposals arrive in a comparable structure.
- 5. Answer clarifications once, in writing, to all bidders — Keeps the comparison like-for-like and protects the tender from informal side agreements.
- 6. Normalise before comparing — Price missing scope back onto one common baseline, then compare lump sum, annual energy and 10-year cost together.
Templates are planning documents for buyers and consultants. They are not engineering designs, quotations or compliance certification; final duty, refrigerant selection and code compliance must be confirmed by the selected manufacturer and your engineer.
Next steps for your project
Wherever your project stands — early feasibility, budget approval or supplier selection — these are the practical next steps. Every stage is supported by our human expert team, and requesting quotes is free and supplier-neutral for buyers and project owners.