The School Services of Montana (SSoM) Cooperative Food Purchasing Program provides quality food and food service supply items to K-12 schools and child-based organizations across Montana at a substantial cost savings through high-volume bid purchasing. 

Here's an overview of details, features, & benefits:​
  • Every participant receives the same great cost-plus pricing;
  • Access to US Foods entire database of food, disposables, and smallwares;
  • LIVE website increases fulfillment rates to near pre-pandemic levels and suggests alternates if your preferred item is out of stock;
  • Huge bi-annual orders eliminated! No more storage issues! Place orders AS NEEDED, receive deliveries as often as weekly, make adjustments to items & quantities up until 4pm the day before your delivery;
  • Use this program for your breakfast, lunch, snack, and backpack programs, and even for concessions and fundraising events!
  • Bi-annual SSoM Administrative Fees eliminated;
  • Every district receives a dedicated US Foods account executive

Our goal is to provide your district with a purchasing program that meets the diverse needs of your school's nutrition program so you can focus on what's most important - feeding your students.

OPT-IN FORM & DETAILS
Districts who choose to participate in our Co-op Food Program must complete and return Page 1 of the Opt-In form (click the blue button to view and download). For many of you it will look similar to the Signature Page you used to sign and return when you placed orders through the "old" SSoM co-op food program - delivery & billing address, Food Service Director name & contact info, and 2 signatures. Return instructions are included at the bottom, and you will only return Page 1.  Please keep page 2 & 3 for your records.

Instructions for submitting your projected weekly usage of your favorite special order items (from our "old" program) will be sent out via Excel Spreadsheet to all schools who opt into the program.

PROGRAM FAQs

We are grateful for the tremendous positive response we have received about this new opportunity for school nutrition programs in Montana. In discussing this new bid with Food Service Directors across the state, we worked diligently to answer the questions they had about our new program. Given that many of you may be asking the same questions, we put together this FAQ to provide you with the most up-to-date and accurate information about our new and improved statewide cooperative food purchasing program. ​
Q. Why did SSoM change its cooperative food purchasing program this year? 
A. For years, SSoM operated a fixed price bid, meaning that we would assemble a selection of high-volume, high-quality items and put them out to bid at a fixed price. With the impact of the pandemic, unanticipated product shortages, and resulting inflation, distributors in Montana were unlikely to be able to make a similar commitment going forward. As a result, we revised our food program to actively seek and secure the lowest possible pricing options and the widest array of products for Montana schools. 

Q. What advantages does this new SSoM program provide to our district? 
A. With this new food bid, we are no longer limited to a set number of high-volume products. Schools will now have access to the entire product catalogue offered by the bid winner. Further, our bid language specifically requests bid pricing with the participation of a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO). By utilizing a GPO, we can increase our purchasing power and keep costs as low as humanly possible. 

Q. Who can participate in the SSoM cooperative food bid? 
A. Any public or private school or youth serving agency in Montana is eligible to participate. You do not need to be a SSoM member school to participate, and we do not charge any additional fees for participating in this program. To be clear, participation is FREE and open to all. 
 
Q. What makes SSoM’s cooperative purchasing program unique? 
A. SSoM is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a statewide cooperative food program. We are for Montana, not for profit. 
  • Because we are nonprofit, we will not be beat on price. 
  • SSoM places tremendous value on our relationships with Food Service Directors across the state, and we pledge to do whatever we can to meet your specific needs. 
  • As a result, we will not pressure or deceive you about any of your purchasing options – you can order what you want when you need it. 
  • SSoM is your advocate. Programs like these necessarily require the participation of multiple parties across the state and country to be successful. SSoM will be your advocate to make sure you continue to get the high quality of service and low pricing that you deserve. 
  
Q. Can we participate in the SSoM program at the same time as other cooperative purchasing programs? 
A. Yes. Like all similar programs, the SSoM cooperative food bid has minimum purchase requirements set by the distributor to ensure that all Montana schools can access the lowest prices and highest quality items to meet the needs of their nutrition programs. As long as these requirements are met, there is absolutely no restriction whatsoever, either in our RFP or contract, that would prohibit you from taking advantage of other cooperative purchasing opportunities. 
 
Q. This sounds great – how do we get started? 
A. The process could not be easier. Simply return your completed Opt-in Form to SSoM, and we will notify you once the dates have been confirmed for the training webinar (a recording will also be available). 
  
Q. We have a few more questions – can we contact you to discuss? 
A. We would love to hear from you! Please contact:

FACTS ABOUT SSoM

School Services of Montana is a 501(c)(3) NON-PROFIT, and we offer this Co-op Food Purchasing Program to every school district in Montana. Our Board of Directors is comprised of superintendents from class AA, A, B, and C school districts across the state and is elected by our member school districts.

Our core beliefs include honesty, integrity, and authenticity: we don't believe in high pressure sales, fear tactics or guerilla marketing. We will earn your business, and we are committed to offering the LOWEST PRICES AVAILABLE through our food program. As a non-profit with extremely low overhead, all profits go directly into expanding our programs & services, providing affordable and FREE PD, and supporting Montana schools, NOT into increased private company executive pay and bonuses.
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You DO NOT have to be a member of SSoM to utilize our food program. However, there are discounts, low cost and FREE professional development opportunities, and members-only programs available to our member districts. Click herefor details!

RESOURCE CENTER

School Nutrition Association (SNA) 
SNA is the national organization of school nutrition professionals committed to advancing the quality of school meal programs through education and advocacy.
  • Coming Soon! School Nutrition Procurement for School Business Officials: A Primer - share SNA's primer to help business officials within your district understand the nuances and importance of school nutrition procurement (a downloadable PDF)
  • Procurement Resources to help you manage effective, fair, transparent, and competitive procurement practices: 
  • SNA Learning Center  Breakfast in the Classroom | Culinary Skills | Financial Management | Training Zone | Procurement | USDA Professional Standards, and more : )
  • Food Allergy Resource Center  Ask the Allergy Expert | The Big 9 | CDC Resources | Food Allergy Training | FAQ | Add'l Resources 

USDA Team Nutrition  "Fueling Children's Healthy Growth, Learning, and Play"
Team Nutrition is an initiative of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to support the child nutrition programs through training and technical assistance for foodservice, nutrition education for children and their caregivers, and school and community support for healthy eating and physical activity. ​
Montana Team Nutrition
​In collaboration with partners across the state, Montana Team Nutrition leverages evidence-based practices and policies to provide training, resources, and support to K-12schools that promote engaging food-based education, foster positive food relationships, and cultivate healthy school environments.
  • Resources  Healthy & Pleasant Mealtimes | Nutrition Education | School Wellness Policy | PD for School Nutrition Staff | Connect
  • Current & New Projects  Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice Checklists | Roadmap to Building Quality School Meals | 2021 Harvesting Montana Recipes Project

No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry. At No Kid Hungry, that's our promise. If it sounds simple, that's because it is.
Montana OPI School Nutrition Programs
OPI's School Nutrition Programs collaborate with the child nutrition community to provide high-quality training, support, and resources to ensure program integrity and access to nourishing meals. 
  • Resources  Summer Pandemic EBT Info | School Nutrition Program Login & Contact Page | Supply Chain Assistance for Schools
  • Resource Highlights  School Meal Programs | Summer Food Service Program | USDA Foods & DOD Fresh | Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program | Procurement | Professional Standards & Training | Agreements, Claims, & Data, and more : )
  • Meet the OPI School Nutrition Team HERE
​Questions? Contact

​Melissa Tovaas
Executive Director
E-mail: mtovaas* (see note in footer)
Office (406) 272-0021