SUPPLY DIVISION COLD CHAIN

SUPPORT PACKAGE

PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES

GENERAL PROCUREMENT
GUIDELINE FOR COLD
CHAIN EQUIPMENT
General Procurement Guideline for Cold
Chain Equipment

Key information for UNICEF staff and partners, ensuring the effective and
efficient procurement of Cold Chain equipment.

This module gives general guidance to the procurement of Cold Chain

Equipment.

Always make sure that you have the latest version

of this document by checking the CCSP website.

Document Update: October 23, 2020

Suggestions and feedback: [email protected]

Contents

1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 1
2 UNICEF SUPPLY CATALOGUE .............................................................................................................................. 1
3 WHO PRE-QUALIFICATION ................................................................................................................................. 1
4 HOW TO ORDER ................................................................................................................................................. 2
4.1 THE ORDERING PROCESS ......................................................................................................................................... 2
4.2 HOW TO USE PROCUREMENT SERVICES ...................................................................................................................... 3
5 WHEN TO ORDER ............................................................................................................................................... 3
5.1 FORWARD PLANNING .............................................................................................................................................. 3
5.2 DELIVERY LEAD TIMES ............................................................................................................................................. 3
6 FREIGHT ESTIMATION ........................................................................................................................................ 5
7 ESTIMATION OF ARRIVAL DATE .......................................................................................................................... 5
8 LONG TERM ARRANGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 5
9 DIRECT ORDER ARRANGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................ 6
10 LOCAL PROCUREMENT AUTHORIZATION ........................................................................................................... 6
11 EMERGENCY ITEMS ............................................................................................................................................ 6
12 NON-STANDARD ITEMS ...................................................................................................................................... 6
13 IN-COUNTRY TRANSPORT................................................................................................................................... 7
14 INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING ............................................................................................................... 7
15 COMPLAINTS HANDLING .................................................................................................................................... 7
16 WARRANTY ........................................................................................................................................................ 8
ANNEX 1: UNICEF SD COMPLAINTS & CLAIMS FORM ............................................................................................................... 9
ANNEX 2: RECORD OF REVISIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 11
Acronyms
CCSP Cold Chain Support Package
CO Country Offices
DOA Direct Order Arrangement
EMP Essential Medicines and Health Products
LTA Long Term Arrangement
PQS Performance Quality and Safety
PQT Prequalification Team
PO Purchase Order
PS Procurement Services
PQT Pre-Qualification Team
SD Supply Division (UNICEF)
TAD Target Arrival Date
WHO World Health Organization
WIC Walk-In Cold Room
WIF Walk-In Freezer Room
 General Procurement Guidelines

1 Introduction
Before implementing immunization programmes, a fully
functional Cold Chain system for receiving, storing and
delivering the vaccines must be ensured. General information
about the role of Cold Chain in immunization programmes can
be found here1. The UNICEF Supply Division (SD) provides
commercial and technical guidance to Country Offices (COs)
and Procurement Service (PS) partners on Cold Chain
equipment to support efforts to:

© UNICEF/DENM2013-00161/Thoby
▪ Ensure that safe and potent vaccines are delivered and UNICEF SD responds to emergencies by packing and
administered to children and mothers; airlifting health, medical and shelter equipment and
supplies from its Copenhagen Warehouse. Cold Chain
▪ Reduce country cost for the procurement of vaccines equipment is shipped directly from suppliers to
for the EPI Programmes by minimizing vaccine countries.

wastage;
▪ Minimize downtime of Cold Chain equipment by supplying sufficient spare parts;
▪ Sensitize countries on the necessity for Cold Chain equipment inventories at all levels; and
▪ Keep abreast with new technologies and innovations in cold chain equipment.

All UNICEF procurement of Cold Chain products is to be done through UNICEF Supply Division. Eligible
partners can use the Procurement Services mechanism to procure Cold Chain equipment. For more details
on this mechanism please refer to the Procurement Services website.

This Procurement Reference Guide provides guidance that applies to procurement of Cold Chain products
and services in general. More details, both commercial and technical, can be found in the product-specific
procurement guidelines.

2 UNICEF Supply Catalogue

The UNICEF Supply Catalogue includes a list of available Cold Chain products with corresponding material
numbers. The Catalogue is designed to help countries identify the most appropriate supplies for their
programmes, assist in procurement planning, delivery and monitoring, and help maximizing collaboration
with UNICEF Supply Division.

3 WHO Pre-qualification
UNICEF SD procures pre-qualified equipment that conforms to the WHO guidelines for programme
countries. The WHO Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products (EMP), Prequalification Team
(PQT) sets standards and prequalifies vaccines and related products, including a range of Cold Chain
equipment. These standards are documented in the WHO PQS (Performance, Quality and Safety) manual,
which is being updated on a continual basis. The WHO PQS Catalogue is accessible online.

1
UNICEF public website ‘What is a cold chain?’

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 General Procurement Guidelines

Except for ultra-low temperature freezers, blood bank and laboratory refrigerators & freezers, all other
commodities procured by SD’s Cold Chain Unit (CCU) are under WHO/PQS listing. In cases where the
equipment needs cannot be fulfilled by SD, Country Offices can opt for local procurement following the
guidance provided under section 10 “Local Procurement Authorization”.

4 How to Order
4.1 The Ordering Process
UNICEF SD should be consulted at an early stage with regards to setting a realistic timeframe for the order
and determining the necessary budget. SD in conjunction with the CO/PS partner and the supplier will
make the necessary considerations to start and complete all activities related to the procurement and
delivery of goods and services, in a cost-effective manner and as per the time schedule.

One of the essential steps in the ordering process is the screening, where the country requests is reviewed
by the Cold Chain technical and commercial teams to identify suitable products meeting the needs. This
process is conducted by assessing available options in the market and offering them to the partner, along
with comprehensive information about prices, delivery conditions and lead times.
The individual program setup and any other specific requirements (e.g. geographical location of the health
facility, import authorizations and permits) are taken into consideration as part of this process. The timeline
for screening is shorter (couple of days to a week) for standard not-complex products (e.g. refrigerators &
freezers, cold boxes, vaccine carriers, 30-day loggers) but highly dependent on the country responsiveness.
For non-standard and complex products (e.g. large cold rooms, remote temperature monitoring systems
etc.) where more detailed information is required and product choices are thoroughly discussed with the
CO and partner, the screening takes longer time.

Provided the product choice is confirmed by the country or PS partner, and all other information is
available, SD will be in a position to either issue a tender for the specific procurement of equipment and/or
services, or place an order by using the Long Term Arrangements (LTA’s) in place.

In order to place an order with the supplier, the information available to UNICEF SD should include:

a) Type of product requested (including plug type for on grid products)

b) Material number(s)
c) Quantity
d) Expected arrival date
e) Consignee details
f) Customs clearance requirements (Import permits, authorizations, Green light, product
certificates etc.

Order placement is enabled when the Sales Order (SO) is issued by the Country Office, or by SD in case of
PS partners. SD issues the Purchase Order (PO), shares it with the supplier and the CO/PS partner
simultaneously and ensures the direct communication between all parties for good coordination of specific
project details. The order is closely monitored by SD from the moment it is issued until the delivery to the
health facility is confirmed. If at any point the CO/PS partner become aware about an issue that might
affect the delivery of the order, SD should be kept informed to inform the supplier and make the necessary
arrangements in the PO. Similarly, if SD become aware about an issue that might affect timely delivery of
the products, SD should communicate this to the CO/PS.

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 General Procurement Guidelines

4.2 How to Use Procurement Services

Details on how to use UNICEF SD Procurement Services are clearly outlined on the public UNICEF
Procurement Services website “Procurement services resources and guidelines”. Ordering products
requires that six key operational steps are followed, related to purchasing supplies and/or services through
UNICEF Procurement Services:

a) Planning
b) Cost Estimate
c) Commitment
d) Procurement & Delivery
e) Accounts Settled
f) Monitoring & Evaluation

Answers to specific questions can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions page of the UNICEF
Procurement Services website. SD Cold Chain Unit provides technical support and guidance for the PS
requests during the screening phase prior to issuance of the Cost Estimate, however partners are
recommended to reach out to SD at earlier planning stages for special projects which would entail
procurement of large quantities of CC equipment, special service requirements and/or customized design
requirements.

5 When to Order
5.1 Forward Planning
Procurement of Cold Chain equipment should not be an ad-hoc undertaking, but rather the outcome of a
proper planning process. Equipment is either purchased to expand Cold Chain capacity, or to replace
obsolete equipment. Replacement planning involves the identification of obsolete equipment that has
passed its useful lifetime, either for economic or technical reasons. For the budgeting purposes, it is
important not only to consider the initial purchase cost of Cold Chain equipment, but also the installation
costs, the running cost, cost of spare parts, consumables, maintenance, licensing etc.

Clear and forward planning is vital also due to the limited bulk availability for some of the Cold Chain
products. Supplier lead times need to be factored in, as well as transport and product installation times, if
applicable. For example, for Walk-In Cold Rooms (WICs) and Walk-In Freezer Rooms (WIFs) a substantial
amount of time is required for manufacturing the equipment, the sea transportation and installation works.

5.2 Delivery Lead Times

Delivery lead times consist of supplier lead time and transit time from the supplier to the country port of
entry. Standard supplier lead times for Cold Chain products vary from product to product. The lead time is
calculated from the supplier’s receipt of the Purchase Order up to delivery of product to the port of

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 General Procurement Guidelines

departure (INCOTERMS FCA2). If the delivery time of the cold chain equipment is critical, it is advisable to
contact the UNICEF SD Cold Chain Unit to obtain more specific information on estimated supplier lead
times.

In addition to the supplier’s lead time, sufficient time needs to be added to allow for the transit time by sea
to the port of destination and in-country transportation and delivery. SD has Freight Estimation Tools3 to
assist in finding the estimated sea transit time and approximate shipping cost.

Fully Delivery by Arrival in

Country PO Placement
Authorized Supplier Country
Request by SD
SO (FCA) (TAD)

Country/SD corresponds SD procurement, CRC, Supplier Transport to

> > >
during screening award lead time country

The total lead time from placement of the PO by UNICEF SD to the arrival of the goods at the final
destination depends on multiple factors:

▪ Order process at country level (for Procurement Services this includes government approval
procedures and transfer of funds to SD)
▪ Order process at UNICEF SD level
▪ Supplier lead time (manufacturing time, packing, palletization, pre-delivery inspection (if required),
containerization, delivery of containers to port of departure)
▪ Transit from the port of departure (FCA) to the port of delivery (CIP)
▪ Clearance of goods
▪ In-country transport

The table below gives the estimated supplier lead times of Cold Chain products, from the time that the
Purchase Order is placed by UNICEF SD to the delivery of the goods to the port of shipment (FCA date).

Table 1. Estimated Supplier Lead Times on Established LTAs

Product Estimated Supplier
Lead Time
Walk in Cold Rooms and Freezer Rooms 4 to 12 weeks
Freeze Free Vaccine carriers & Cold boxes 3 to 8 weeks
Refrigerated vehicles From 13 weeks
Solar Direct Drive Refrigerators and Freezers 3 to 15 weeks
Ice Lined Refrigerators (ILRs 3 to 15 weeks
Temperature Monitoring Devices (30-Day Loggers) 1 to 4 weeks
Vaccine Carriers and Cold Boxes 2 to 6 weeks
Voltage Regulators and Stabilisers 6 to 12 weeks
Remote temperature Monitoring Devices (RTMD) 4 to 12 weeks

2
Supply Division place orders on FCA basis: Free Carrier with named place of delivery; the seller delivers the goods to
a named airport, terminal, or other place where the carrier operates; Costs for transportation and risk of loss transfer
to the buyer after delivery to the carrier.
3
Freight Estimate Tool is in UNICEF Intranet (requires login):
https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/SD/SitePages/FreightEstimateCalculator.aspx

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 General Procurement Guidelines

When high quantities of products are required lead times may be longer. In such cases the option of
staggered deliveries is recommended.

6 Freight Estimation
Estimated weights and volumes for Cold Chain equipment are given in the UNICEF Supply Catalogue (click
on product item for detailed information).

The Freight Estimate Tools4 are useful for determining the most favourable mode of shipment in terms of
time and cost. These tools will assist you in identifying the transit time and approximate shipping cost.

7 Estimation of Arrival Date

UNICEF SD offers tools to assist COs to assess timelines for planning. To estimate the Target Arrival Date
(TAD) from the time of supply requisition (SO) placement on, use the TAD estimation tool, which includes
lead times for Cold Chain products. The TAD estimation tool is helpful to identify a realistic arrival at point
of unloading prior to COs raising a Sales Order with SD.

For more specific item lead time estimation particularly for critical demand contact the Supply Division Cold
Chain Unit, as actual availability from suppliers at a given point in time may differ from the general lead
time in the tool.
Countries can monitor the progress of shipments using the respective freight forwarder’s Track & Trace5
system.

8 Long Term Arrangements

UNICEF SD establishes Long Term Arrangements (LTAs) with product suppliers, with terms and conditions,
usually for a period of 24 months, on a non-exclusive basis for the repeated purchase of specified products
and services. LTAs are agreed upon, in order for UNICEF to have a degree of certainty that products will be
available, and prices maintained, especially in the event of emergencies when large quantities are involved.
The LTA does not bind UNICEF to purchase any minimum quantity of these items. LTAs are result of a
transparent and competitive global bidding process. Prices offered by bidders remain fixed for 12 months
from the start of the LTA. For the second year a percentage increase may be applied.

For the procurement of refrigerated vehicles (30cbm), UNICEF SD can place orders by piggy backing on an
LTA from another UN agency. For more information please contact directly the Supply Division Cold Chain
Unit.

4
Freight Estimate Tool is in UNICEF Intranet (requires login):
https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/SD/SitePages/FreightEstimateCalculator.aspx
5
Track & Trace is in UNICEF Intranet (requires login)
(https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/SD/SitePages/TrackandTrace.aspx )

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9 Direct Order Arrangements

Several Cold Chain items can be procured directly from the suppliers through Direct Order Arrangements
(DOAs), including:

▪ Cold Boxes, Vaccine Carriers and Ice Packs

▪ 30-Day loggers, User programmable loggers and Freezer Indicators
▪ Voltage Regulators 1kVA

Products available on LTA, but not on DOA, include:

▪ ILRs and Solar Refrigerators and Freezers

▪ Walk-In Cold Rooms and Freezer Rooms
▪ Voltage Regulators 5-10kVA
▪ Remote Temperature Monitoring Devices
▪ Freeze Free Cold Boxes and Vaccine carriers
▪ Refrigerated trucks

Click here6 for Direct Order Price Lists.

10 Local Procurement Authorization

Local Procurement Authorization may be granted in exceptional bases for Cold Chain Equipment not procured by SD.
This can relate to products which are not under Cold Chain Unit LTA’s but in WHO/PQS listing, or equipment not
having the WHO prequalification.
Countries can opt for local procurement of cold chain equipment once the products have been assessed
and cleared by CCU technical and commercial teams. For further guidance please refer to Supply Manual:
the Supply Manual, Chapter 6, Section 2).7

11 Emergency Items
In case of an emergency when Cold Chain products are required, please contact the Supply Division Cold
Chain Unit. The Cold Chain LTAs include emergency stocks with suppliers for certain products that are
available for immediate shipment.

12 Non-Standard Items
For non-standard items, UN item codes applicable for Cold Chain should be used. Refer to the Material
Master Search Tool8 for reviewing available material numbers & material group details for Cold Chain
(Refer to Purchasing Group 113 for displaying available materials being managed by UNICEF SD Cold Chain
Unit).

6
Direct Order LTAs - Cold Chain is in the UNICEF Intranet (requires login):
https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/SD/SitePages/ColdChainEquipment.aspx
7
Supply Manual is in the UNICEF SharePoint (requires login): https://unicef-
9850ba148f9a52.sharepoint.com/teams/DEN/SupplyManualApp/Pages/Default.aspx
8
Material Master Search Tool is in the UNICEF Intranet (requires login):
https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/SD/SitePages/SL.aspx

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13 In-Country Transport
In many instances the procured products need to be transported within the country. In-country transport
should be taken into consideration during the budgeting and ordering stages. The necessary local resources
for transportation, manpower and time should be included in the planning process.

14 Installation and Commissioning

For certain equipment, planned installation procedures need to be in place, including a number of
functionality tests to be performed on new equipment. The type of tests will depend on the nature and
complexity of the equipment. This is to ensure that the equipment functions correctly and that the local
users and technicians are familiar with the operation and routine maintenance of the equipment. For more
details on installation and commissioning procedures, refer to the specific guidelines for each product
category.

15 Complaints Handling
Any potential complaint related to the equipment supplied should be addressed to UNICEF SD, thereby
enabling UNICEF to handle it as an official complaint.

Handling of complaints is documented in the UNICEF SD Divisional Procedure DP 0479. A complaint is an

expression of dissatisfaction made to SD, related to its operations, services, activities, products, or
processes including the complaints handling process itself, where a response or resolution is explicitly or
implicitly expected (Refer to ISO 10002:2004).

The complaint procedure seeks to systematize and ensure the proper receipt, recording, review, closing,
follow up, reporting and analysis of all complaints received in Supply Division (SD) while keeping the
complainant informed. Its aim is to continually improve the processes within SD and to enhance customer
satisfaction.

In practice, complaints related to Cold Chain equipment supplied are addressed to UNICEF SD, thereby
enabling UNICEF to handle it as an official complaint. In order to facilitate fast complaint handling, it is
important the complaint contains the following information:

a) Product concerned
b) Purchase number
c) Batch number if applicable
d) Nature of complaint (as detailed and describing as possible)
e) Photos if available

Please review Annex 1 (UNICEF SD Complaints & Claims Form).

9
DP047 is in the UNICEF SharePoint site (requires login): https://unicef.sharepoint.com/teams/SD-
eQMS/DL1/Forms/Division%20Procedures.aspx?web=1&viewid=9a53c049%2D5e86%2D408e%2Dbe49%2D0e7a4bae
a7a5

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16 Warranty
LTA agreements between UNICEF SD and suppliers stipulate the warranty conditions for Cold Chain
products. Typically, the warranty period for Cold Chain products is two years, during which the supplier
must repair goods whenever defects related to faulty equipment appear after delivery.

The supplier warrants to UNICEF, among others, that:

• The Goods shall be new, and factory packed and shall conform to the LTA requirements and
specifications;
• The Goods are free from defects in workmanship and materials;
• The Goods are contained or packaged in a manner adequate to protect them; and
• It has the personnel, experience, qualifications, facilities, financial resources and all other skills and
resources to perform its obligations under the LTA.

The Warranty Period commences after UNICEF's acceptance of a delivery made by the supplier or its
authorized representative(s), and shall terminate 24 months after delivery has been made, or within such
longer period of time as may be prescribed by law or by the terms of any applicable warranty required by
the LTA.

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Annex 1: UNICEF SD Complaints & Claims Form

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Annex 1: UNICEF SD Complaints & Claims Form

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Annex 2: Record of Revisions

Date Description By
GK, DH,
April 1, 2012 First draft, by UNICEF SD\HTC\Cold Chain Unit
AS
August 9, 2014 Updated, additions and corrections BR
October 28, 2014 Updated, minor corrections BR
Broken, outdated web links have been replaced. SA, TC,
September 30, 2020
DP047 Link is added. TS
September 25, 2020 Text updated CM
October 23, 2020 Proofreading, revisions JK, SA

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