dge on the product as well as on the suppliers, it is recommended to seek
technical advice to assist in the decision making process.
1.1 Step 1: Invitation to tender
Approach at least three of the cold room suppliers (listed at the end of this chapter) in
order to get a selection of competitive tenders. Each supplier should submit a design and
draw up a tender on the basis of information you provide. Refer to the sample attachments
below as a guide: Attachment 1 lists information which the supplier must provide with the
tender ; Attachment 2 outlines information which the buyer must submit.
It may also be helpful to make a rough sketch of any existing buildings near or at the
proposed location and include it with the initial letter. The sketch should show approximate
position and size of buildings, means of access, ceiling height/clearance, services available,
proposed vaccine packing area, cold box storage area, etc.
As a further guide to estimating requirements, see the general information on
Vaccine
Storage Volumes . 2
Product Information Sheets, 1997
Sample Attachment 1
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR SUPPLIER
1. What is the price (FOB and CIF)? What currency will be used?
2. What will be the period of delivery, from date of firm order?
How much time will be required for installation and commissioning after site has
been prepared?
3. What is the name and address of suppliers local or nearest agent.
4. Will the suppliers own technicians or local contractors be responsible for
installation, commissioning and service work?
5. What advance preparations is the client required to do in preparing the site for
installation? For example:
What is the thickness, size and type of concrete base
needed?
Is insulation required in the base?
What size access doors and passage ways are needed to the site?
What are the overall dimensions, ceiling clearances etc. needed at the site?
What is the space required for control panel and machinery; should this be located
inside or outside? etc.
6. What refrigerant is proposed for the system?
7. Are hermetic, semi or open type compressors proposed? (Note: Open type are
preferred wherever practicable.)
8. What is the estimated total
starting current per phase of the proposed system?
What is the estimated total
running current per phase of the proposed system?
9. What is the estimated system running time per 24 hours, based on stated conditions
with four x 5 minute door openings? (Note: Maximum is 75%.)
10.What is the estimated insulation heat leakage rate? (Note: The maximum is
0.22 W/m
2
per �C.)
11.What are the conditions of the proposed service contract? For example, frequency
and number of maintenance visits, extent of spare parts and labour included for
routine maintenance, conditions for emergency maintenance, currency of billing, etc.
12.What are the type and quantity of proposed spare parts included in the quotation? 3
WHO/EPI/LHIS/97.01
Sample Attachment 2
OUTLINE SPECIFICATION FOR VACCINE COLD STORE
(Information to be provided by the buyer)
For central/regional/district* level vaccine storage, to be located in
city/town/country*. To be constructed of sectional, prefabricated panels, and mounted on a flat, solid
concrete base. The vaccine cold store must provide total, 24-hour, all-season
reliability under all conditions for the stored materials. All refrigeration machinery must be provided with 100% standby capacity, with
duplicate, independent controls, pipework, instrumentation and machinery, to
provide against failure of the primary system. Automatic changeover and starting of
the secondary system is to be provided, activated by thermostatic or electrical
control*. Recommended spare parts to provide for 2 years normal operation, provision of a
service contract covering routine and emergency maintenance requirements, and
details of installation commissioning and guarantee period charges are each to be
stated as separate items in the tender price quoted.
Technical requirements:
1. Vaccine storage volumes : refrigeration at +6�C .... m3; freezing at -20�C.... m3.
2. Mean ambient conditions** :
normal maximum temperature ....�C at humidity .... %RH
normal minimum temperature .... �C at humidity ... % RH
3. Cold store to be located inside/outside* an existing building, having
good/limited/nil* ventilation.
4. Local electrical supply (quote 3 phase supply conditions if available):
(volts) .... v; (phase) .... ph; (cycles) .... hz. With reliability*: good (no
interruptions); limited (occasional failures); poor (frequent failures).
5. Standby diesel-electric generator with automatic/manual* starting to be provided, to
carry full load of store, which will be located at altitude of
... (store elevation)
metres above/below* sea level.
6. Temperature monitoring on each cold room to be provided, with large scale external
dial thermometers/7 day dual-pen chart recorders* on each room.
7. Cold store to be fitted with audible alarm system to warn of high or low storage
temperature (outside predetermined limits) and of power failure to cooling
machinery.
8. Condensing unit(s) to comprise compressor, forced air condenser, oil separator,
liquid receiver to carry full charge, filter/dryer with flare connections, service and
isolating stop valves, high and low pressure dial gauges and oil level sight glass.
/continued 4
Product Information Sheets, 1997
Sample Attachment 2 (continued):
9. Storage conditions to be maintained at 6�C �2�C and -20�C �5�C continuously,
control by thermostat on each cold room, condensing unit(s) fitted with high and low
pressure cutouts, time operated electric defrost control and compressor motor
overloads.
10.Cold room(s) to be fitted with locally made/manufacturer
supplied* shelving approximately 600 mm wide x 600 mm pitch fitted on all walls;
shelving to carry vaccine vials in packages.
11.Evaporators to be forced-draught, electric defrost, ceiling mounted units with fitted
condensate drip tray and drain connection..
12.Door(s) to cold rooms to be lockable with 100% fail-safe provision for opening from
inside.
____________________
* Delete as necessary to suit requirements and conditions.
** Annual day/night mean figures should be used where available, otherwise best estimates of highest and
lowest temperatures and humidity at proposed location.
1.2 Step 2: Evaluation of tenders
Once you receive the tender, together with complete information from the supplier, the next
step is to evaluate the tenders with a view to making a final choice -- not only on the basis
of the lowest price but also on the availability of maintenance facilities, spare parts, etc.
Recent costing studies demonstrate that purchase and installation costs constitute a small
proportion of the overall costs which accumulate over the working life of cold chain
equipment. Buyers should therefore give serious consideration to the purchase and
installation costs as well as the recurrent running costs for repairs, energy consumption and
spare parts. This could mean that the selected equipment is more expensive initially but
cheaper to run in the long term.
A tender should include the initial cost of the equipment, the installation costs, the expected
running costs and the costs of a maintenance contract.
Narrowing the selection :
However many tenders you receive from the initial invitation, it is fairly easy to eliminate
the majority and arrive at two or three for final evaluation.
Reject tenders which:
do not conform to the general requirements of the
Outline Specifications
(Attachment 1), e.g. quotations which do not have duplicate standby systems, etc.
do not conform to the technical requirements of the
Outline Specifications, e.g. cold
rooms which are too large or too small or have wrong electrical specifications, etc.
do not supply the full information required in the
Questionnaire (Attachment 2), e.g.
no service contract price, no delivery or installation period, etc. 5
WHO/EPI/LHIS/97.01
Carefully study the following points:

Price: Although some agencies require very specific justification for accepting
other than the lowest bid, the final choice may depend on factors which more
than justify a higher initial contract price, such as the availability of a local
agent, the use of an open compressor system, or an installation with a
substantially lower running time per 24 hours.
Treat quotations which are more than 10-15% lower than the majority with great
caution. Study the small print conditions carefully as low prices often indicate
that unacceptable economies have been made in the specification.

Timing: Although in many cases installation will be required as soon as possible,
other factors may dictate the ideal schedule, such as completion of the site, civil
work or allocation and release of budgets. In this context, examine the suppliers
response to question 3 (name and address of local agent) in the
Questionnaire.
This may also be a factor in the final ranking of suppliers.

Technical details: Consider the details of the design once you have arranged the
most likely suppliers in order of preference and discuss the following points with
a technical representative from the potential suppliers:
-
Final position/orientation of store, means of access for personnel and vehicles,
lighting, ventilation, packing, loading and despatch arrangements.
-
Position, access and security of the control panel, monitoring equipment, alarm
units, servicing needs, etc.
-
Location and arrangement of standby generator, fuel tanks, exhaust outlets,
silencing requirements, etc.
-
Details, capacity, control and operation of standby generator, anti-vibration
mounts, v