- ColdMatch works for the buyer — not for suppliers, EPCs or manufacturers.
- One structured RFQ is delivered to shortlisted, vetted suppliers who compete on price, delivery and technical fit.
- We do not resell equipment and we do not receive a percentage of the equipment price, so we have no incentive to inflate scope.
- Buyers keep full control of supplier selection, contracts and payments. We never sit between the buyer and the supplier.
- Our sourcing service is free for qualified buyers; suppliers pay to be part of the network only after passing due-diligence checks.
The four principles behind every project
1. Supplier-neutral by design
We are not a dealer, distributor or agent for any refrigeration brand. Every shortlist is built from the technical fit of the project, not from commercial relationships.
2. Buyer-aligned incentives
Our success is measured by whether the buyer's project is delivered on scope, on schedule and on budget — not by which brand is selected.
3. Transparent competition
The same specification is sent to multiple qualified suppliers, so buyers can compare on identical scope instead of trying to normalise incompatible quotes.
4. Long-term relationships
Cold-chain assets run for 20–25 years. We optimise for a partnership that survives commissioning, warranty, spares and expansion — not a one-time sale.
Why supplier-neutral procurement produces better decisions
In industrial refrigeration, the difference between a good and a bad procurement decision is not the sticker price — it is the total cost of ownership across 20 years of energy, maintenance, refrigerant compliance and downtime risk. When the party recommending equipment also sells it, that TCO analysis is compromised by definition.
Recognised procurement standards (ISO 20400, CIPS, World Bank procurement guidelines, EU Directive 2014/24) all converge on the same principle: competitive tendering against a neutral technical specification consistently produces lower prices and lower risk than sole-source or dealer-led procurement. ColdMatch simply operationalises that principle for cold-chain projects, which are usually too specialised for a buyer's in-house procurement team to run alone.
Because we do not carry a product line, we can honestly compare ammonia against CO₂ against propane against HFO, or a European EPC against a Turkish or Indian contractor, without any commercial pressure to steer the outcome.
How a real procurement project flows through ColdMatch
- 1
Structured RFQ intake
We help the buyer capture temperature zones, capacity, site constraints, regulatory context (GDP, HACCP, BRCGS, halal, EU 853, WHO PQ) and financing status in a single reusable specification.
- 2
Neutral supplier shortlist
The specification is matched against our vetted network of refrigeration EPCs, equipment manufacturers, panel suppliers and controls integrators. Shortlists are based on proven scope in that industry, country and capacity range.
- 3
Parallel competitive quotations
Multiple suppliers quote against the identical scope, in a standard format that lets the buyer compare capex, opex, refrigerant, warranty terms and delivery timeline side by side.
- 4
Objective technical review
We flag scope gaps, unrealistic timelines and refrigerant compliance issues without recommending a specific supplier — the decision stays with the buyer.
- 5
Contract, financing and delivery
Buyers contract directly with the selected supplier. When needed, we introduce project-financing partners (ECA, DFI, leasing, green funds) at arm's length, with no commission on the loan.
Traditional supplier route vs ColdMatch
Most buyers start by calling one or two known suppliers. Here is what that misses versus a structured, supplier-neutral process.
| Dimension | Direct supplier route | ColdMatch (buyer-side) |
|---|---|---|
| Whose interest is optimised | The supplier's margin and pipeline | The buyer's project outcome and TCO |
| Number of comparable quotes | 1–2, often on different scopes | 3–5, on identical scope |
| Refrigerant technology | Whatever the supplier sells | Neutral comparison (NH₃, CO₂, HFO, R290, HFO blends) |
| Scope-creep risk | High — supplier writes both spec and quote | Low — buyer-side spec is defined first |
| Financing options | Rarely surfaced | Introduced when appropriate, no commission on loan |
| Post-award support | Depends on supplier goodwill | Documented handover, spare-parts and warranty tracking |
| Cost of the sourcing service | Bundled into equipment margin | Free for qualified buyers |
- Do I have at least three comparable quotations on identical scope?
- Is the refrigerant compliant with F-gas / Kigali / local regulations for the next 15 years?
- Is the specific energy consumption (kWh/m³·yr) explicitly guaranteed?
- Are commissioning, mapping and validation included in the price?
- Are spare-parts availability and response time contractually defined?
- Is the warranty aligned with the finance term (typically ≥ 24 months)?
- Have I checked references for projects of similar capacity in this country?
- Are payment milestones tied to verifiable technical milestones?
- Is the EPC or supplier financially strong enough for the project size?
- Is my procurement decision documented for audit and lender scrutiny?
Use our structured RFQ template — the same one used on live projects — to send an identical technical specification to every supplier. You do not need an account: open the guided builder, fill in your project, and export a branded PDF or Word document you can send to any supplier, with or without ColdMatch.
Open the RFQ builderFrequently asked
Is ColdMatch really free for buyers?
Yes. Qualified buyers pay nothing to submit an RFQ, receive supplier quotations, or use our engineering-review services. Suppliers pay to be part of the vetted network only after passing due-diligence checks. This is why we can stay supplier-neutral.
Do you sell refrigeration equipment?
No. ColdMatch does not sell, resell, distribute or represent any equipment brand. That is a deliberate structural choice — the moment a platform earns margin on the equipment, its recommendations stop being neutral.
How do you choose which suppliers to include?
Suppliers must pass legal, financial and technical due diligence: valid trading history, references on comparable projects, insurance, and compliance with the refrigerant and safety regulations of the destination country. We continuously score suppliers on delivery performance from real projects.
Do you take a percentage of the equipment price?
No. We do not take a percentage of capex. If we did, we would have an incentive to recommend larger, more expensive scope — which is exactly what buyer-side procurement is designed to prevent.
Can I keep working with a supplier I already know?
Absolutely. Many buyers ask us to benchmark an incumbent supplier's quote against 2–3 comparable ones. That benchmarking alone typically pays for itself many times over — even when the incumbent ultimately wins the contract.
What size of project does ColdMatch serve?
We focus on commercial and industrial cold-chain projects from about USD 250,000 to over USD 100 million: cold stores, food-processing refrigeration, pharma warehouses, port cold hubs, aquaculture and meat/poultry infrastructure.
Can you help arrange project financing?
When appropriate, we can introduce buyers to independent project-financing partners — export credit agencies, development finance institutions, leasing houses and green funds. We do not receive commission on loans; introductions are made at arm's length.
Who owns the relationship with the supplier?
The buyer. Contracts, payments, warranties and long-term relationships are always directly between the buyer and the selected supplier. ColdMatch is a sourcing and engineering-review layer, not an intermediary in the transaction.