Marketplace Policies

Transcription

1 Marketplace Policies Introduction The Food Hub is a program of Goodwill Grows at Goodwill Industries of North Central WI, Inc. (Goodwill NCW). Collaborators on the project include: re:th!nk; Live54218; and all buyers and sellers registered on the Food Hub virtual marketplace. The Food Hub is a service and brokerage marketplace serving buyers and sellers of local food in and around Oshkosh, Appleton and Green Bay, WI. The Food Hub does not offer exclusive rights to any one seller or any one product. Participation in the Food Hub markets implies understanding and compliance with the Marketplace Policies. Food Hub members are required to sign the Membership Agreement before participating in the Food Hub. Market administration reserves the right to revoke or suspend market participation in the event a user violates marketplace policies or is deemed to be acting against the best interest of the market as a whole. Marketplace Time and Place Links to the Food Hub markets can be easily found at The markets operate 24/7 online at: appleton.localorbit.com oshkosh.localorbit.com greenbay.localorbit.com donation.localorbit.com Food Hub services are available by appointment from 8:00 am 5:00 pm Monday Friday at the buyer or seller s place of business or at the Goodwill NCW Community Center: 1800 Appleton Road Menasha, WI Phone: (Office) (Cell) On occasion, the Food Hub online platform may be closed for site maintenance. Food Hub participants will be notified when the market will be closed at least 24 hours ahead of time. Marketplace Management The Food Hub is managed by agents of Goodwill Grows at Goodwill Industries of North Central WI, Inc.

2 Participants Who may participate in the Appleton, Oshkosh and Green Bay Markets? Sellers: Farmers, Ranchers, Food Processors and Food Distributors Buyers: Schools, Hospitals, Restaurants, Grocery Stores, Dining Services and other institutional or retail food services. Who may participate in the Donation Market? Donors: Farmers, Ranchers, Food Processors and Food Distributors Recipient: Feeding America for distribution to local food pantries Products What products may be sold through the Food Hub? Agricultural food products produced within 100 miles of Oshkosh, Appleton and/or Green Bay. Processed food products with at least 80% (by weight) of ingredients produced within 100 miles of Oshkosh, Appleton and/or Green Bay. Some products produced further than 100 miles away are allowed on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by Goodwill Grows. All exceptions must be clearly identified in the markets under product description. All products listed on the Food Hub must be produced or aggregated by the listed seller. Aggregated food products must list farm or organization of origin and all farms and organizations with products being aggregated must also comply with all Marketplace Policies. Post-order aggregation (aggregation taking place because seller has a lack of volume to meet predetermined volumes) must be communicated to Goodwill Grows and/or Buyer before delivery takes place for Buyer approval. Licensing It is each seller s responsibility to obtain and maintain any and all licenses and/or permits necessary for their particular operation. Sellers must comply with all Federal, State and local regulations and licensing requirements. Sellers are required to provide up-to-date copies of required licenses and permits to Goodwill Grows annually. Labeling Sellers are required to provide clear information about their production methods in the how sections of the Seller profile. Sellers may list certifications for specific items in their product descriptions. Sellers are required to allow at least one (1) annual farm/site visit from a representative of Goodwill Grows and/or any Food Hub Buyer upon reasonable notice.

3 All identified practices, labels and certifications must adhere to all Federal, State and local rules and regulations. Sellers are required to send a copy of all listed certifications, such as USDA Organic, to Goodwill Grows. Sellers listing processed products are required to list all ingredients and the sources of ingredients in the product description. Market Fees Sales through the Food Hub include an 8% transaction fee automatically included in all product pricing. This covers the services and support of both Local Orbit (the software platform) and Goodwill Grows. Local Orbit hosts the platform and provides ongoing software development services and technical support including online tutorials, HelpDesk access and platform maintenance. Goodwill Grows manages the Food Hub and its everyday services and activities. This includes building relationships with, and establishing connections between, marketplace buyers and sellers, with the goal of helping institutions of all sizes and types access more local food in Northeast Wisconsin. Since current programming is funded through a variety of grant programs, Goodwill Grows reserves the right to change the transaction fee percentage based on cost of business and the revenue requirements of the Food Hub. Participants will be notified at least seven (7) days prior to a transaction fee change. Payment Processing Buyers are required to pay with a credit, debit or P card on file at the time an order is placed in the system. Credit card transactions are facilitated via Local Orbit and a 2.9% plus $0.30/transaction fee is incurred at checkout for use of a third party credit card payment processor. Buyers in good credit standing with Goodwill Industries of North Central WI, Inc. will have the option to purchase via Purchase Orders (PO). PO transactions will be processed through Goodwill and no additional fee will be incurred. All sellers will be paid as a registered vendor of Goodwill NCW. As such, a variety of payment methods are offered. Electronic payments, such as ACH, are preferred. Pricing Each seller is responsible for setting their own prices. Sellers can request a pricing consultation from Goodwill Grows and utilize market reports for pricing comparisons. Sales All sales through the Food Hub are final. In the event that a seller is unable to fulfill an order, the buyer will be refunded in full by the seller. It is recommended sellers inform Goodwill

4 Grows as soon as possible if an order cannot be met. At times, Goodwill Grows can help facilitate refunds or work to accommodate unexpected shortfalls to the best of their ability. Records Local Orbit will maintain electronic records and back-ups of transactions. Goodwill Grows will have access to online reports for current and historic sales and fees. Records will be maintained for a minimum of two (2) years. Food Handling Sellers and distributors shall be responsible for compliance with established safe food handling and storage methods for products managed through the Food Hub. Food Quality and Grading Sellers are encouraged to describe the quality and grading of their products in detail. Buyers are encouraged to communicate their preferences and standards to sellers and Goodwill Grows. Goodwill Grows will record and communicate buyer preferences to sellers in order to facilitate the development of strong relationships. In the event that a product does not meet quality expectations of the buyer, the buyer is required to communicate their grievance and future needs to the seller and Goodwill Grows. Packaging Product packaging must adhere to all Federal, State and local rules and regulations. Products must be appropriately cleaned and packed. Product packaging must include a label identifying the contents of the package, and the name, address and contact information of the seller. Distribution Goodwill Grows will set up direct-to-consumer distribution options that try to accommodate as many schedules and distribution requirements as possible. Sellers and Buyers may select which distribution options to participate in. Sellers are required to meet the distribution requirements for each order placed. Sellers are required to set their own minimum order levels and fill every order regardless of size. Buyers are encouraged to communicate with Sellers and Goodwill Grows to ensure individual standards are met. Distribution Fees A distribution fee may be assessed for distribution options that are not farm-direct. Distribution fees will be assessed at the time an order is placed. Distribution fees will be specifically delineated at checkout and included in the total cost.

5 Grievances Goodwill Grows reserves the right to suspend or revoke participation in the Food Hub in the event a Buyer or Seller violates these policies. Buyers and Sellers are encouraged to communicate directly or via Goodwill Grows to preempt issues or disputes. The goal of the Food Hub is to develop a strong, interconnected local food community. In the event that a participant believes that these policies have been violated, and they are unable to reach a resolution directly, they are required to notify Goodwill Grows of the violation in writing. Information Confidentiality Information and transactions related to individual buyers and sellers will not be distributed in any way that will identify an individual participating organization. Transaction information for the Food Hub will be used to identify market trends and opportunities. Market reports will be periodically distributed to all participating organizations. No personal information collected from buyers and sellers will be sold or distributed to anyone or shared with any organization. Insurance Sellers are required to maintain Commercial General Liability insurance with a limit of not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence, and Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) in the aggregate. Broadline distributor partners are required to maintain Commercial General Liability insurance with a limit of not less than Ten Million Dollar ($10,000,000) per occurrence. Sellers shall name Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin, Inc. as an additional insured on a primary and non-contributory basis. Sellers are required to provide Goodwill Grows a copy of their insurance policy before any transactions take place. Amendments Goodwill Grows reserves the right to amend these policies, and will notify Food Hub users within 14 days of doing so.