The Ideal RFP for Your Event Cooling Equipment Vendor: Template and Questions to Ask

Once the need is sized and the timeline set, the most concrete step remains: sending a structured request to suppliers and getting back responses you can actually compare. This guide provides an RFP template and the questions to ask every time.

Short answer: an RFP sent to event cooling equipment vendors should ask for timed deployment speed, patient access during immersion, folded dimensions, and pricing terms, with a response deadline 6 to 8 weeks before the event.

For the sizing and timeline method, see our guide on writing an RFP for sports event cooling equipment. This document focuses on the document itself, the one you send to vendors.

Standard structure for the document you send to vendors

1. Event overview and medical context
2. Functional need and sizing
3. Technical questions
4. Logistics and commercial questions
5. Expected response format and deadline

1. Event overview

"[Event name], [format: distance, expected participant count], takes place on [date] at [location]. The medical plan includes [number] first-aid posts, [number] of which will be equipped with a cold water immersion cooling solution, under the 'Cool First, Transport Second' protocol signed off by our medical director."

2. Functional need and sizing

"We are sourcing [number] cold water immersion cooling units, allowing whole-body immersion with continuous patient access (airway monitoring, temperature checks, resuscitation). Units will be deployed at [specify: finish line only / intermediate posts / natural terrain]."

3. Technical questions to ask every time

• How stable is the structure on unprepared ground, and how many people can it hold in simultaneous immersion?
• Does the equipment allow full patient access during immersion?
• What are the folded dimensions and weight?
• What structure and liner materials are used, and how do they hold up to field conditions?
• Is a demonstration or trial before the event possible?

4. Logistics and commercial questions

• Do you offer rental, purchase, or both, and on what terms?
• What references do you have from comparable sports events?
• What is your delivery lead time before the event?
• What insurance and liability terms apply to the equipment you supply?
• Is training for volunteers or the medical team included?

5. Response format and deadline

"Please respond by [date, ideally 6 to 8 weeks before the event], specifying for each proposed unit: measured deployment time, folded dimensions, pricing (rental or purchase), and availability for a demonstration."

Comparison matrix for responses

To compare responses objectively, structure a table with these columns: demonstrated deployment time, patient access, portability, event references, price (rental and purchase), delivery lead time, training included. Avoid comparing on price alone: a cheaper but slower-to-deploy unit puts your medical setup at risk if multiple cases come in at once.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Sending a request too vague to allow real comparison between responses
• Skipping the timed deployment question and accepting a stated figure instead
• Not setting a clear deadline, pushing the decision too close to the event
• Comparing bids on purchase or rental price alone

Kollder One™ and Kollder Go™ answer these questions

Kollder One™ combines a stable, six-point steel frame with full patient access throughout immersion and room for up to 2 people in simultaneous immersion. Kollder Go™, the hybrid backpack/wheeled transport bag (85 x 10 x 10 cm), makes it practical to deploy multiple stations across a single event.

For a demonstration or a quote: kollder.com/#contact

Further Reading

• Writing an RFP for Sports Event Cooling Equipment (Trail, Marathon, Hyrox)
• Event Medical Cooling Checklist for Race Organizers
• Emergency cooling tubs for event medical support
• Request a Kollder Quote

Sources

• ACSM Expert Consensus Statement on Exertional Heat Illness, 2023
• IOC Adverse Weather Impact Expert Working Group (Hosokawa, Racinais et al.), BJSM 2021
• Korey Stringer Institute (KSI, Dr Douglas Casa)