The Hive application: Step 1

Welcome to The Hive eligibility checker. This will take less than a minute to complete. This form does not collect any information or data from the applicant – it is a self-assessment.

Key eligibility for applying to The Hive

Is or will your co-op be based in the UK?

This means that most of the beneficiaries for your co-op are in the UK and most of the value and benefit will be for those in the UK.

You are not eligible for The Hive support

The Hive support is for co-ops whose beneficiaries are in the UK and where most of the value and benefit will be for those in the UK.

For details of co-operative development support internationally visit the International Co-operative Alliance website.

Is or will your co-op be a trading and sustainable business?

By trading businesses, we mean you are not wholly dependent on charitable donations or grants and aim to sustain jobs, trading income and generate surplus.

You are not eligible for The Hive support

The Hive support is for co-ops that are or will be a trading and sustainable business. By trading businesses, we mean you are not wholly dependent on charitable donations or grants and aim to sustain jobs, trading income and generate surplus.

If you are looking to set up a charity or not to generate a surplus, then there are other forms of support available to you:

Contact us.
See other funding and support.

Can the support you are applying for be completed within six months?

A decision on your application will be made within a maximum of 8 weeks from the date of your application.

If successful, you should be in a position to accept the support and immediately progress the plans outlined in your application. We ask that the support can be delivered and completed within a six month timeframe.

You are not eligible for The Hive support

We can only support groups and co-ops that are ready to receive support. If you're not quite ready but still need support, The Hive is open to applications all year round, so we recommend you come back at a later date. Once applications are received, the maximum time you'll need to wait for a response is eight weeks.

Next, please select the situation that best describes your new start or existing co‑op:

Have you have completed steps 1-5 of the step-by-step tool?

We recommend you first look at the step-by-step tool

Before you proceed with your application, we expect your group to have done some work to:

Check your business idea is viable.
Know a co-op is the right option for your business.
Understand how you will finance your business.
Have at least started the process of writing a business plan.
Know or at least understand your options for legal form and type of co-op.

This is all covered in our free step-by-step guide.

Save the link to this page so you can start the process again once you've worked through the tool.

If you feel you have all of this information already, please re-select 'yes' to this question.

Please select which apply to your new‑start or recently incorporated co‑op:

You are creating collaborative digital and tech ownership businesses and models e.g. a platform co‑op

You are creating fairer working conditions for freelance or casual workers.

Your co-op will offer something new, fill a gap in the market or create alternative and more democratic solutions to specific issues or challenges. It also offers the potential to scale or replicate.

Apply for up to 10 days business support, mentoring and training

Great news! Based on your answers in our eligibility checker, we think you are eligible to apply to The Hive – but does not guarantee you will receive support.

Find out what information you need and then you can start your application process!

Next step

Apply for up to 12 days business support, mentoring and training

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