Free business banking with The Co‑operative Bank

Banking for co‑operatives

Our partner, The Co-operative Bank, offers FREE business banking to co‑operatives through its Community Directplus Account:

• Free everyday banking
• The opportunity to apply for project funding from the Bank’s Customer Donation Fund
• All Community Directplus account holders can apply for up to £1,000 from the Customer Donation Fund to support special projects and fundraising activities
• £1 million has donated through our Customer Donation Fund to over 1,100 local causes since 2003

The Co-operative Bank’s co-operative values and ethics have underpinned their approach to banking since they were established in 1872. As a business with deep and historic roots in the co-operative movement, they have enshrined co-operative values into how they operate. Their unique customer-led Ethical Policy, which has been informed by the views of their customers for over 30 years, guides how the bank does business and what issues it will campaign on.

Since 2016, The Co-operative Bank has committed £2.5m of funding to help towards providing vital advice, tools and mentoring to new and growing co-operatives and community enterprises. An investment that has so far helped more than 1,000 groups and co-operatives to grow skills, create sustainable businesses and act on issues to deliver real positive change for the planet, people and in the community.

Before you apply for a bank account, your co-operative needs to be registered. Make sure you have:

• Worked through the start a new co-op step-by-step process
• Used our digital tool to register your co-op