CO-OP FOOD PROGRAM
- Page updated May 29, 2019 -
We are pleased to announce that the Fall 2019 Bid was awarded to Food Services of America on April 25, 2019. Congrats to FSA! You will find several new items available for ordering, plus new brands, and all of your favorites. Click here for details in our April 18 memo. New information, tips for happy ordering, program details, and more can be found in our Fall 2019 order window memos: April 25, May 1
In accordance with Federal law and in the spirit of transparency, we are happy to post our fees. SWMSS charges an administrative fee to all participating schools/organizations to provide this program. The fee is a flat $.90 per case/item ordered, and invoices for Fall 2019 orders will be sent October 1, 2019, net 45, and it is one of the lowest fees in the industry. While you do NOT have to pay a membership fee to participate in our program, SWMSS member school districts do receive a discounted rate. (Click here for membership details and a current list of our members.) Continued growth of this program supports valuable programs within our organization, and we are happy to report that we will not be increasing our administrative fees at this time. FALL 2019 DELIVERY CYCLE:
Delivery 1: Aug. 26 - Sept. 13, 2019 Delivery 2: Sept. 23 - Oct. 11, 2019 Delivery 3: Oct. 21 - Nov. 8, 2019 Delivery 4: Nov. 18 - Dec. 6, 2019 
PROGRAM DETAILS
Our program provides quality food and food service supply items to schools and child-based government agencies and organizations across Montana (and select counties in Wyoming) at substantial cost savings through high-volume bid purchasing. All food items adhere to the guidelines of the Federal School Lunch Program and food nutrition requirements. These items are annually reviewed and updated by our Advisory Committee, and put out to bid twice a year with up to 4 deliveries for each order period. The bid pricing we receive is based on order quantity averages from the previous 2 bid cycles. Each participant, regardless of their order size, receives the same price for all items, and each district is guaranteed delivery to their location. There are no restrictions on the quantity of food a district can order, though orders totaling $400 or less may be restricted to a one-time delivery. PLEASE NOTE This program is not associated with the USDA Commodity Foods Program or the USDA DOD Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Program, and is not subsidized by the State of Montana. 
OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE
A committee of participating school food service managers from around the state reviews all items offered through this program once a year to ensure quality, nutritional integrity, and student acceptance. The committee also works to include foods that help meet higher nutritional standards, such as whole grain, low fat, and low sodium foods. 2019-20 committee meetings will be held in Missoula, Great Falls, and Miles City in the Fall. Please contact SWMSS if you would like to participate or if you have questions. 
ARE YOU NEW TO OUR PROGRAM?
If you haven't participated in the SWMSS co-op food purchasing program in the past you will need a User ID & password to access the Marketplace ordering website. Please contact Jennifer Brekke at the Southwest Montana School Services office for fast, easy registration by phone, or email your request to her and include the following:
Jennifer will email you a confirmation with your login, a temporary password, and a link to the Marketplace. While you are waiting for your registration confirmation please DOWNLOAD & PRINT the Fall 2019 Item Price List - Order Form (click the button to view, then print a copy), familiarize yourself with the items available for this order period, and begin filling out your order on your printed copy. 5.15.19 PLEASE NOTE: there is a typo on the Item Price List / Order form for Item 138 - Beef Patties. There are 90 / 2.4 oz. servings per case. The description and price is correct in the Marketplace.
The How To Place Your Order VIDEO is a great resource for users who are new to the program and users who may need a little refresher. Really, it is an excellent resource for ALL purchasers. :)
MARKETPLACE INFO FOR EVERYONE
The Fall 2019 order process is the same simplified process you enjoyed during the Spring 2019 order window (Nov. 16- Dec. 11, 2018) - you will enter the number of cases for each delivery window for each item all on the same page. Your login name for the Marketplace online ordering website should be your school district email address, all lower-case. Your password has not changed. Please contact Jennifer Brekke at the SWMSS office if you forgot your password, or follow the prompts on the Marketplace login page to change your password.
You may access the Marketplace at ANY TIME during the year to review previous orders you may have placed by clicking the My Orders tab in the upper right corner of your page (after logging in) to find this information. This information may also be found in the order confirmation email you received immediately after submitting an order in the Marketplace. :) IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS & LINKS (click the blue to view/download)
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