Cooperate Islington is a consortium of co-operatives and community organisers who are working in partnership with Islington Council. We are building a Cooperative Development Agency that will be embedded in Islington for years to come. We provide one-to-one advice, training sessions, funding, workspace, networking opportunities and other resources and support. We are also working with the biggest institutions in the borough, helping them adapt their supply chains to buy goods and services locally from ethical providers.
Founders for the Future is a free startup programme for young adults in Devon: a new business incubator working with 15 young adults in Devon – aged between 18-30 years old – supporting them to create new enterprise ideas that secure a sustainable future for Devon’s local economy. We will support participants to set up their own enterprises with others, through workshops, residentials, 1:2:1 business consultancy, study visits, market development, a business fair, and up to £1,000 startup grant.
Stir to Action and Shared Assets are working in partnership with Oldham Council, the Food Partnership Board, and the wider VCFSE to reduce the dependency on emergency food provision and to explore alternative models for local food. The core capacity building programme will offer workshops, events, study visits, and specialist support, ranging from farm start initiatives, community supported agriculture, and food co-operatives to developing new business models, partnerships, and markets for local food initiatives. To inform this programme, we’re hosting co-production sessions with different partnerships and organisations in the borough, drawing from participants’ past experiences around food poverty and the local food system to understand best practices and guide plans for the future.
Event: Co-production session for VCFSE
Event: Co-production session for Strategic Partners
Event: Building local partnerships to develop a community food resource
Event: How to set up a neighbourhood food cooperative
Across the UK around 120,000 family-owned businesses are planning to retire or transfer ownership over the next few years (ONS), but two-thirds of these owners still do not have a succession plan. With commercial and policy pressure on UK land use and food production at an unprecedented level, there is a significant threat to current land use, and it is already undermining local and national food resilience through pushing our economy towards higher imports and lower employment.
While it’s widely accepted there’s a significant gap between policy making and democratic business, it’s not always recognised that it’s undermining sector-wide ambitions for building a democratic economy. But can it change? Over the next two years we’re working on a new project (supported by the Friends Provident Foundation) to build effective relationships between democratic business and policy initiatives.
Report: Building democratic culture, skills, and partnerships in policy-led regions.
Guide: 10 hacks for working with local authorities, if you're a democratic business.
Our annual festival is a unique three days of inspiring conversations, interactive workshops, virtual reality experiences, live podcasts, idea surgeries, sustainable food, craft drinks, and live music.
This year’s festival is sponsored by Lankelly Chase, Power to Change, Co-operative Councils Innovation Network, and Locality.
2022 Sponsorship Guide
The New Economy Centre at Selgars Mill is an immersive work and play campus for building a democratic economy. We empower communities and individuals with both the practical and strategic tools they need to create change.
In Autumn 2022 we're launching a new group of 'colleges' that focus on democratic economics, democratic creativity, and democratic policy.
UnFound is a support programme for tech founders and startups looking for a different way to create and run digital platform businesses. In 2018 we hosted an eight-week accelerator for a cohort of platform co-operatives in Manchester and London, offering masterclasses, mentoring, and a live fundraising event. In 2019 we created the UnFound roadshow in partnership with DOT PROJECT, a nationwide event programme in technology and innovation hubs across the UK to raise awareness of the platform co-operative model and the available support.
Preston City Council commissioned development co-operative Stir to Action to deliver a ground-breaking new programme as part of its Community Wealth Building programme, focused on providing targeted support for BAME organisations in the city, stimulating cultural awareness and interest in worker-owned business.
New Economy Youth is an inspiring programme specifically for 18-30 year olds who are developing enterprise-led and placemaking approaches to address local challenges in Lambeth, London. During the seven week programme there are workshops that develop participants' understanding of how co-operatives can transform their local economy, get connected to inspiring peers, build confidence and leadership skills, and increase opportunities and networks.
In July 2017, Stir To Action launched a year-long pilot – Unlocking the Next Economy: Churches and Community Enterprise – to support communities to use church buildings for local enterprise. We worked with three pilot communities in the South West of England to create new community enterprises through a 16-week programme and hosted a one-day conference – Reimagining our Churches: Conservation to Co-operation – to bring together key people in the church, heritage sector, and those working in community economic development.
