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Supported by The Co‑operative Bank
UnFound Accelerator – application guidance

Eligibility criteria

Eligibility

In order to be able to apply for the UnFound Accelerator you must meet the following criteria:

  • You intend to incorporate your platform co-operative in the UK
  • You are a team of at least two members
  • At least one member is resident in the UK
  • All team members participating in the Accelerator are 18 or older

Availability

  • If shortlisted, at least one team member must be available to attend an online interview between 27-30 March 2023. An interview will be compulsory for the shortlisted teams and we will notify you a couple of days in advance
  • If accepted on the Accelerator, at least one team member (even on a rotational basis) must be able to attend all the Masterclasses. Masterclasses will take place online each Wednesday from 10 am-5pm (with breaks) from Wednesday 26 April 2023 to Wednesday 28 June 2023
  • If accepted on the Accelerator, at least one team member must be available to attend and present at the pitch event (11 July - TBC)

Assessment criteria

If you are eligible to apply, your applications will be evaluated using the below assessment criteria.

Whilst your team does not need to satisfy all criteria, they will guide us in our selection process, so do consider them when completing your application:

  1. Is it a platform co-op?

We will only accept business ideas that fit our definition of a platform co-operative

  1. Purpose

We are looking for ideas where the co-operative model is central to delivering the purpose of the business. Ensure you explain how the co-operative model makes a real difference to the people that use the platform.

  1. Potential impact

We are particularly interested in supporting platform co-ops that address some of the most pressing challenges of our times. If your platform idea aims to have a broader impact than to simply serve its users, please explain how, and the vision you have for its impact to scale.

  1. Team

We will be looking at the composition of your team and the skills, experience and network that each of your members will bring to the business, as well as what motivates each of you to set it up. The most successful co-ops are those that respond directly to the needs of their members, so we expect at least one of your members to be embedded or well connected to the community you wish to serve.

  1. Commitment

We are looking for teams that are committed to incorporating as a co-operative by the end of 2023 and that will truly benefit from the support provided.

  1. Equity, diversity and inclusion

We will be looking at how both your team composition and your platform idea embed principles of equity, diversity and inclusion.