What is Integrated Cold Chain; Value Addition Infrastructure Scheme?
The cold chain consists of cold storage, cold transport, value addition, and preservation infrastructure to provide an integrated cold chain without any break from the farm gate to the consumer. It covers pre-cooling facilities at production sites, reefer vans, mobile cooling units as well as value addition centers which include infrastructural facilities like Processing/ Multi-line Processing/ Collection Centres, etc. for horticulture, organic produce, marine, dairy, meat, and poultry, etc.

The objective of the Scheme
1. The objective of the cold chain subsidy scheme launched by MOFPI is to provide integrated and complete cold chain and preservation infrastructure facilities without any break, from the farm gate to the Consumer.
2. The reason is to link groups of producers to the processors and market through the well-equipped supply chain.
3. It aims to establish value addition with infrastructural facilities like sorting, grading, packaging, and processing for horticulture including organic produce, marine, dairy, poultry, etc.

Eligibility Criteria
1. Firstly, the applicant must have a sound financial background. You must have a Net worth more than 1.5 times the grant applied for.
2. The term loan of at least 10% of the project cost.
3. Project Appraisal Report from Bank/Financial Institution. The Appraisal must contain all the project components for which the grant is sought.
4. The date of commercial production should not be prior to the date of submission of the application.
5. Finally, no second proposal from the same applicant/company.

Eligible Activity
Eligible Projects under the Cold Chain Subsidy Scheme-
1. Minimal Processing Centre at the farm level. Furthermore, it includes facilities such as weighing, sorting, grading waxing, packing, pre-cooling, Controlled Atmosphere (CA) / Modified Atmosphere (MA) cold storage, normal storage, and IQF.
2. Mobile pre-cooling vans and reefer trucks.
3. Distribution hubs with multi-product and multi-CA /MA chambers, cold storage /Variable Humidity Chambers, Packing facility, CIP Fog treatment, IQF, Ripening chamber, and blast freezing.
4. Any individual and corporate entity can apply for this funding assistance. However, you must have a business interest in providing cold chain solutions. Furthermore, you must link the producers to the processors and the market.

Benefits of the Scheme for Cold Chain
1. Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) provides financial assistance (grant-in-aid) to the tune of 35% of the total cost of plant and machinery and technical civil works in General areas and 50% for the NE region including Sikkim and difficult areas (J& K, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand) subject to a maximum of Rs.10 crore.
2. The financial assistance will be released in 3 installments after the investors/promoters have paid or invested their share of the capital fully.