FALL 2020 ORDER DETAILS
April 2020
After running our co-op food order for 4 years, I felt it was time for an influx of fresh, new items. The research began last fall, even before our 2019 advisory committee meetings, and I am sure you'll be thrilled with the new products available for your 20-21 SY nutrition programs. Please pay close attention to the case pack sizes and number of servings per case - everything is listed in detail on the Fall 2020 order worksheet (with a few additional details in the Marketplace). I even highlighted some of the new items in the memo that went out April 27, 2020 (linked below). Everything new has an item number between 634 & 689 (with one straggler update in item 591) and has been clearly marked on your worksheet in BOLD print. There's over 40 new items. Enjoy! US Foods and Sysco Montana were invited to participate in our 20-21 Co-op Food Purchasing bids. We received highly competitive bids from both companies, and I am pleased to announce that US Foods was the winner of BOTH 20-21 bids. Bid documents have been posted to our website (Bid A; Bid B) if you'd like to review anything. As far as the program itself, we made one major change that we think you'll love as much as we do. The order process HAS NOT CHANGED. What we did change is...kind of epic. All of the items available to order for Fall 2020 will also be available for the Spring 2021 order. 20-21 school year: same items, same prices, same distributor, you're welcome. I also have a little surprise for all of you this fall, but you'll have to wait for that one. *wink* All my best, Jennifer Brekke : )
ADMIN FEES
In accordance with Federal law and in the spirit of transparency, we are happy to post our fees. SSoM charges an administrative fee to all participating schools/organizations to provide this program. The fee is a flat $.90 per case ordered, and invoices for Fall 2020 orders will be sent September 15, 2020 (net 45 terms, due by Oct. 30, 2020). While you do not have to pay membership dues to participate in our program, SSoM member school districts receive a discount on this fee. (Click here for membership details and a current list of our members.) Continued growth of this program supports valuable programs within our organization, and our fees remain the LOWEST in the industry. We are thrilled to announce that once again, we will not be increasing our administrative fees .
PROGRAM DETAILS
Our program provides quality food and food service supply items to schools and child-based state government agencies and organizations across Montana 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 delivery period. 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 minimums on the quantity of food a district can order, though individual deliveries (D1, D2, D3, & D4) totaling $500 or less may be combined with another individual delivery to meet the minimum at the discretion of the bid winner (distributor). ** 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. 
ARE YOU NEW TO OUR PROGRAM?
If you are a school food service manager and haven't participated in the SSoM 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 School Services of Montana office for fast, easy registration by phone, or email your request to her and include ALL of the following:
You will receive an email confirmation with your login, temporary password, and a link to the Marketplace. While you are waiting for your registration confirmation please DOWNLOAD & PRINT the Fall 2020 Order Worksheet (click the button below to view, then print a copy), familiarize yourself with the items (there are 43 NEW items!), and begin filling out your order on your printed copy. 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. :) The Fall 2020 order process is the same simplified process you've enjoyed during the last several order windows. Once you've logged into the Marketplace during the order window and clicked on the little globe at the bottom of the page, you enter the item number in the search bar, then choose 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. If you forgot your password, please follow the prompts on the Marketplace login page to change it (then you don't have to wait for me).
DOWNLOAD & SORT YOUR ORDER You may access the Marketplace at ANY TIME to review previous orders you have placed. Log into the Marketplace, click the word 'Requisitions' in the upper right corner of your page (right of your name), then click on the Orders tab on the left side of the page. Your most recent order is listed first, and if you click the little blue page icon next to your order number, you'll have the option to click 'Export Item Data', which downloads it into an Excel spreadsheet that you can sort into delivery periods. If you need a little help with that, call me, Jennifer Brekke, anytime.
OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE
A committee of participating school food service managers from around the state reviews 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. 2020-2021 committee meetings will be held VIRTUALLY in October. In the past (pre-pandemic), meetings were expected to run from 10 am - 2pm each day in all three locations (Missoula, Great Falls, and Miles City), and participants received a certificate for 4 hours of professional development. Contact me, Jennifer Brekke, if you would like to participate in the October 2020 committee meetings. You are eligible to attend if you or your district has participated in our co-op food program in the last year. Stay tuned for the meeting schedule (FYI - I'm leaning toward Oct. 15 & 16). 
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS & LINKS (click to view/download)
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CONTACT INFO
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Jennifer Brekke
Co-op Purchasing Manager & Marketing Coordinator office (406) 255-7174 cell (406) 580-7547 jbrekke@mt-schools.org |