Supported by The Co‑operative Bank
UnFound Accelerator – application guidance
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Preview of the application questions

You can download this document by clicking on the download button on the side.

  • We advise you to prepare your responses in advance on a separate document
  • If there are any barriers preventing you from applying – or if you require the guidance or the application form in a different format – please contact us via [email protected]

Privacy statement

The information captured in this application form will help Co-operatives UK review and make a decision on your application to the UnFound Accelerator. The personal data collected on this form will be held securely by Co-operatives UK and will only be used for administration purposes. Co-operatives UK is committed to processing information in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and in line with our privacy policy. You are welcome to contact us to discuss the data we hold on you at any time. If your application is successful, we will share your personal details with relevant third parties who will deliver the programme of support. All our third-party support providers are required to take appropriate security measures to protect your personal information in line with our privacy policy and they are only permitted to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

To proceed with the application you must consent to this use of your information.

 

Your eligibility

In order to be eligible for the UnFound Accelerator you must be able to meet the following criteria.

  • You have a team of at least two members

  • At least one team member is resident in the UK

  • You intend to register your platform co-op in the UK

  • You intend to register your platform co-op by the end of 2023

  • All team members participating in the UnFound Accelerator are aged 18 or older

If you cannot tick all of the boxes, you are unable to apply to UnFound.

If shortlisted, can at least one team member attend an online interview between 27 and 30 March 2023? Yes / No

An interview will be compulsory for the shortlisted teams and we will notify you by 17 March 2023.

If accepted on the Accelerator, can at least one team member (even on a rotational basis) attend all the Masterclasses? Yes / No

The UnFound Accelerator will commence on Wednesday 26 April 2023 and conclude Wednesday 28 June 2023. Masterclasses will take place online each Wednesday, 10am-4pm (with breaks).

If accepted on the Accelerator, is at least one team member willing to participate in the pitch event? Yes / No

Exact date to be confirmed, but it is likely to be on 11 July. Pitches can also be pre-recorded.

Your lead contact

Please provide the details of the lead contact for the team.

  • Lead contact first name
  • Lead contact last name
  • Lead contact email
  • Lead contact phone number

We will use these contact details to communicate with your team.

Your platform co-op

Name of the platform co-op

Website 

This is not a requirement.

Which primary trade sector will your business operate in?

  • Agriculture, Community Supported Agriculture
  • Community Energy, Sustainability and Environment
  • Community Retail, Wholesale
  • Digital, Creative and Media
  • Employment, Training & Education
  • Finance
  • Health & Social Care
  • Housing
  • Manufacturing
  • Food services, Accommodation, Pubs and Brewing
  • Sports & Leisure
  • Tourism, Arts, Heritage & Community Hub
  • Transport

Choose the most appropriate from the list. Select "Digital, Creative and Media" only if you do not operate in any of the other sectors.

What is the purpose of the platform?

Summarise in one sentence the purpose of your platform co-op. (max. 500 characters)

Who will benefit from the platform?

If there are multiple stakeholders, please list them all, but indicate if there are priorities within the list. (max. 1000 characters)

What challenge is the platform trying to address? How will it address it?

(Max 2000 characters)

Explain why the co-operative model is right for your platform business.

If you need some guidance, visit our webpage Is a co-op right for you? (max. 1000 characters)

What are the opportunities to scale your platform business?

Tell us about your long term vision for the platform, the scale of the community it wants to serve and the broader impact it can have. (max. 1000 characters)

What do you aim to achieve in the next 3 years?

What milestones or achievements do you aim to reach in the near future? For example, how many users? How many staff members? Key functionalities, etc. (max. 1000 characters)

What work have you undertaken to test your assumptions?

How have you tested your idea? Have you interviewed users? Have you undertaken any research? (max. 1000 characters)

Name three challenges you are facing that you would like to work through as part of the UnFound Accelerator.

Max 500 characters each

If you'd like to share a slide deck about your platform co-op, please upload it here. This is encouraged, but not mandatory.

If you have any other documents you’d like to share with us you can upload them here.

For example, a business plan or anything that you think would contribute to our understanding of your platform business and its objectives.

Your business

Is your business already incorporated?

Yes / No

This is not a requirement to participate in the UnFound programme.

The following question appear only if you respond YES to the question above:

What is the legal form of your business?

  • Limited Liability Partnership
  • Co-operative Society
  • Community Benefit Society
  • Charitable Community Benefit Society
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisation
  • Company Limited by Guarantee
  • Private Company Limited by Shares
  • Public Company Limited by Shares

Is your organisation registered as a:

  • Community Interest Company
  • Charity
  • None of the above

When was the business incorporated? [enter date]

Is the business already trading?

Yes / No

When did the business start trading?

What was the annual turnover of the business in 2021/22?

If you have already received external funding, please indicate which type?

  • No external funding
  • Donations
  • Crowdfunding
  • Grants
  • Sponsorship
  • Investment in the form of equity (not community shares)
  • Investment in the form of community shares
  • Commercial loans
  • Community finance loans
  • Other

Choose all that apply

The following question appear only if you respond NO to being incorporated:

If you have already received external funding, please indicate which type?

  • No external funding
  • Donations
  • Crowdfunding
  • Grants
  • Sponsorship
  • Investment in the form of equity (not community shares)
  • Investment in the form of community shares
  • Commercial loans
  • Community finance loans
  • Other

About your founding team

Please ask all team members to fill in this part of the form – even those who cannot attend the UnFound Accelerator.

The form allows for a minimum of two team members and a maximum of five. Please fill in the following questions for each team member. If you have more than five team members you can tell us more about them if you are shortlisted. 

Please fill in the following details for team member:

  • First name
  • Last name

Will you be attending the UnFound Accelerator?

  • Yes all Masterclasses
  • Yes, some of the Masterclasses
  • No
  • Other

If there are barriers to your participation in the UnFound Masterclasses, please let us know here.

Where are you based? If not in the UK please select 'Other' and indicate town and country.

  • North East
  • North West
  • Yorkshire and Humberside
  • East Midlands
  • West Midlands
  • London
  • East of England
  • South East
  • South West
  • Wales
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland
  • The Channel Islands
  • Other

Please provide a short biography outlining your skills, experiences and what you bring to the business.

If you have an existing relationship with the stakeholders of the platform, please mention it here (max. 2000 characters)

What is your motivation to set up the business?

(max 1000 characters)

If you identify with any groups that are underrepresented in the tech sector, the co-operative sector or the broader business community, please indicate it here.

Please fill in the details above for each team member.

Additional questions about your team

What experience do you have working as a team? 

(max. 1000 characters)

What gaps do you see in your current team? 

Tell us more about how you see your team growing in the future and the type of skills and experience you will be looking for (max. 1000 characters)

Before submitting your application

The Co-operative Bank

Through our partnership with The Co-operative Bank we are pleased to signpost to the Community DirectPlus Account, which is FREE to co‑operatives. You can find out more here. Please select your preference below.

I am happy for The Co-operative Bank to contact me about their free business banking offer for co-operative businesses. Yes / No

Submission

If you are happy with the details completed on this form, you can now submit the form.

If you wish to check any details before you submit, you can navigate to the previous pages by using the menu at the top or by hitting the 'previous page' button.

Once you have submitted you will be sent a confirmation email with a pdf copy of the application you submitted.

Should you not receive a confirmation email, please get in touch via [email protected] to check if we have received your application.