Program Overview
NCG has partnered with United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) to leverage our members’ combined purchasing volume and achieve lowered cost of goods through a primary supply agreement. Active, current members of NCG that meet all program eligibility criteria may participate in the UNFI Supply Contract and receive all negotiated benefits.
For any questions about the NCG-UNFI Supply Contract, please contact Louise Stich.
Benefits
- Access to competitive wholesale pricing in an increasingly competitive market
- Ability to leverage group buying power to benefit all NCG co-ops and their consumers
- Incentives for increased operational efficiencies at store level
Costs
There are no costs to access the program benefits.
Participation Requirements
- Active, current member of NCG in compliance with all terms of NCG’s membership agreement, which includes the UNFI Supply Contract (USC) and Joint Liability Fund (JLF) policies. NCG designated representatives can access the membership agreement here.
- Submit all required financial and operating information to NCG.
- Be substantially and materially current on all payables for the past twelve months, especially to UNFI.
- Generating sufficient cash to make timely payments to the NCG Joint Liability Fund and show projection of the capability to generate sufficient cash to make payments to the fund for at least the next 12 months. If the co-op isn’t generating or projected to generate sufficient cash, the co-op will go onto COD terms with UNFI until it can fund its liability requirement.
- In the case of start-up co-ops, have sufficient working capital, in addition to the cash needed to pay for opening inventory and any equipment purchased through UNFI up front (i.e. with no terms), and to pre-pay a JLF deposit requirement of 100% of payment terms before placing orders eligible for payment terms.
- Be accepted into the program by NCG.
How to Enroll
For USC participation on payment terms:
- Submit all necessary data to NCG’s development team.
- The NCG CFO and development team staff review this data and any other requested information to determine the completeness of the application and the member co-op’s eligibility.
- Once a co-op has been approved as eligible for USC, its application and data will be forwarded to the corridor committee designated to monitor the corridor’s JLF responsibilities and financial status of member co-ops. That committee shall review the data on such new USC participants at the next regularly scheduled meeting of that committee. The corridor committee will, in consultation with the NCG CFO, set the JLF deposit requirement and deposit payment terms, for the new participating member.
- The corridor advisor will notify the applying member of the decision on its application and the level of JLF deposit and payment terms for the JLF.
- Upon notification of eligibility and JLF terms, the member will notify NCG of acceptance of these terms and conditions no later than ten (10) weeks before the proposed start date.
For USC participation on COD terms:
- NCG member co-ops may opt to be on contract on COD terms with UNFI at any point in time. For this program, “COD” means the co-op must use NCG’s electronic payment plan [EPP] and that payment for UNFI deliveries must be made electronically one business day after the invoice date.
Procedures for starting on USC:
- Co-ops approved for participation in the USC nine weeks or more prior to the beginning of a calendar quarter (January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1) will be eligible for contract terms at the beginning of the upcoming USC quarter (February 1, May 1, August 1). Co-ops approved less than nine weeks prior to the beginning of a calendar quarter will be eligible for contract terms at the beginning of the next UNFI calendar quarter.
- Following approval, the corridor advisor will work with the appropriate staff to ensure the member co-op is fully prepared when they become eligible for USC pricing.
- Download a copy of the complete Member Requirements Checklist for additional enrollment information, or contact your store’s development advisor.
UNFI Report Card
The UNFI report card form has been removed from service as of February 2022. Please send any issues needing UNFI escalation to louise.stich@ncg.coop for review with UNFI.
Program Details
NCG has partnered with United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) to leverage our members’ combined purchasing volume and achieve lowered cost of goods through a primary supply agreement. Active, current members of NCG that meet all program eligibility criteria may participate in the UNFI Supply Contract and receive all negotiated benefits.
For any questions about the NCG-UNFI Supply Contract, please contact Louise Stich.
Benefits
- Access to competitive wholesale pricing in an increasingly competitive market
- Ability to leverage group buying power to benefit all NCG co-ops and their consumers
- Incentives for increased operational efficiencies at store level
Costs
There are no costs to access the program benefits.
Participation Requirements
- Active, current member of NCG in compliance with all terms of NCG’s membership agreement, which includes the UNFI Supply Contract (USC) and Joint Liability Fund (JLF) policies. NCG designated representatives can access the membership agreement here.
- Submit all required financial and operating information to NCG.
- Be substantially and materially current on all payables for the past twelve months, especially to UNFI.
- Generating sufficient cash to make timely payments to the NCG Joint Liability Fund and show projection of the capability to generate sufficient cash to make payments to the fund for at least the next 12 months. If the co-op isn’t generating or projected to generate sufficient cash, the co-op will go onto COD terms with UNFI until it can fund its liability requirement.
- In the case of start-up co-ops, have sufficient working capital, in addition to the cash needed to pay for opening inventory and any equipment purchased through UNFI up front (i.e. with no terms), and to pre-pay a JLF deposit requirement of 100% of payment terms before placing orders eligible for payment terms.
- Be accepted into the program by NCG.
How to Enroll
For USC participation on payment terms:
- Submit all necessary data to NCG’s development team.
- The NCG CFO and development team staff review this data and any other requested information to determine the completeness of the application and the member co-op’s eligibility.
- Once a co-op has been approved as eligible for USC, its application and data will be forwarded to the corridor committee designated to monitor the corridor’s JLF responsibilities and financial status of member co-ops. That committee shall review the data on such new USC participants at the next regularly scheduled meeting of that committee. The corridor committee will, in consultation with the NCG CFO, set the JLF deposit requirement and deposit payment terms, for the new participating member.
- The corridor advisor will notify the applying member of the decision on its application and the level of JLF deposit and payment terms for the JLF.
- Upon notification of eligibility and JLF terms, the member will notify NCG of acceptance of these terms and conditions no later than ten (10) weeks before the proposed start date.
For USC participation on COD terms:
- NCG member co-ops may opt to be on contract on COD terms with UNFI at any point in time. For this program, “COD” means the co-op must use NCG’s electronic payment plan [EPP] and that payment for UNFI deliveries must be made electronically one business day after the invoice date.
Procedures for starting on USC:
- Co-ops approved for participation in the USC nine weeks or more prior to the beginning of a calendar quarter (January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1) will be eligible for contract terms at the beginning of the upcoming USC quarter (February 1, May 1, August 1). Co-ops approved less than nine weeks prior to the beginning of a calendar quarter will be eligible for contract terms at the beginning of the next UNFI calendar quarter.
- Following approval, the corridor advisor will work with the appropriate staff to ensure the member co-op is fully prepared when they become eligible for USC pricing.
- Download a copy of the complete Member Requirements Checklist for additional enrollment information, or contact your store’s development advisor.
UNFI Report Card
The UNFI report card form has been removed from service as of February 2022. Please send any issues needing UNFI escalation to louise.stich@ncg.coop for review with UNFI.