Funding support and co‑op development

As part of our our mission is to grow the co-operative economy, we work with partners and funders to deliver co-op support programmes. We help new co-ops to set up through The Hive; provide sector specific support for tech and platform co-ops through UnFound; promote and support worker owned co-ops through the Ownership Hub and help communities raise funds through community shares. We also work closely with local authorities to understand and develop local and regional co-op development strategies.

Featured content

Apply for support – existing co‑ops

Content by The Hive

Co‑ops that have been trading for two years or more – or those experiencing trading difficulties – can apply to The Hive for tailored support. Our expert advice will help you to sustain jobs, grow your membership, income or improve your…

Community Shares Booster Programme – England

Content by Community Shares Booster Fund

We can support your community share offers in England with development grants and matched investment. There are three pathways of support to choose from.

Start a platform co-op

Content by Unfound

UnFound is for founders looking for a different way to set-up and run a platform business. It brings together entrepreneurs that would like to develop their digital business in a more collaborative and equitable way.

Start a worker co-op

Content by Ownership Hub

Worker co-operatives are trading enterprises, owned and run by the people who work in them, who have an equal say in what the business does, and an equitable share in the wealth created from the products and services they provide. If you'd like to…

Work in partnership

Through partnership working with local government, business networks and community organisations we help transform local economies and communities. It's all about local wealth building, co-op development and community engagement.

Empowering places

Content by Empowering Places

Empowering Places is a programme which aims to demonstrate the role that concentrated clusters of community businesses can play in creating better places and reducing inequality in local areas. Funded by Power to Change, the programme is delivered by…

Blog posts

Displaying 1 - 5 of 10

A ‘game-changing’ revolution taking shape in communities across the UK

Content by Community Shares

A mountainous two-day hike into the Knoydart peninsula, on the west coast of Scotland, takes you to one of the most remote communities in the UK – and the mainland’s most remote pub (the Guinness…

1 month ago

Two colleagues looking at a planning chart

IBM v Co-op – the importance of good project management

This blog uses a recent case study to highlight to the importance of effective project management when it comes to digital transformation projects, especially when they do not go as planned.

4 months ago

A look at sociocracy amongst UK co-operatives

This blog looks at the rise in interest of Sociocracy being used within co-operatives in the UK.

4 months ago

GDPR after Brexit – where are we now?

Whilst the initial post-Brexit period focused on the import and export of goods, questions are turning to the transfer of data and the impact of Brexit on information governance.

4 months ago

Co-op Policy Blog #22: Hitting the ground running

Across the UK politicians from a range of parties have just been elected with commitments to support co-ops and a more democratic economy. We are already reaching out to offer our help, so politicians…

5 months ago