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.

Why should local policy makers and business institutions target co-ops?

Co-ops are a great way to create decent new livelihoods; for local wealth building; to breathe new life into local assets and enterprise; and to convert newfound community spirit into transformative action. But no community, town, city, metropolitan borough or county is the same. It's why we work together with the people who know their communities best.

Working in partnership

Alongside government and non-government bodies we can:

Provide local economic insight and mapping to identify opportunities to apply community economic development (CED) and co-op development
Create strategies for co-op development that link in with local wealth building
Support networks to create CED partnerships and plans
Match businesses with training and funding opportunities
Identify local need that can be better filled by creating co-ops
Target awareness raising activities delivered in partnership with local organisations

Co-operatives have grown up with Plymouth. By investing in the economic well-being of people in this city, we can help keep them in work, create better services and keep more money in Plymouth. It’s not just about money in people’s pockets, they have a say in how things are run.

– Plymouth City Councillor Chris Penberthy

We can help drive change

By joining forces with us we can help build back better from Covid-19.

Get in touch

More reasons to work with us

The impact we can have by partnership working is best told by the individuals, organisations and communities who have benefited from our co-op development work. Stories of positive impact told by members include:

A community gym in Bristol and a skate park in Manchester;
Inspiring words from those in Plymouth and Leicester tackling inequality and deprivation;
Tales from member-owners of a distillery in the Scottish Highlands or those
Creating opportunities in an area of Wigan once dubbed 'giro city'.

We deliver a range of co-op development programmes with ongoing opportunities to tap into your region, town or city's co-operative potential. Get in touch today.

Working towards a better future

We’re looking for combined authorities, local enterprise partnerships and local authorities to become Ownership Hub Partners to encourage and support employee and worker ownership.

Find out more

"It used to be called Giro City."

Discover how local people are using their skills to create community businesses in Wigan.

Made in Wigan

VIDEO: Community economic development

Community Economic Development (CED) gives people the opportunity to meaningfully shape the economy where they live. It enables those living, working and doing business in an area to work together to…

4 years 4 months

We are the rebuilders - download

This short paper makes four co‑op ‘offers’ to everyone working for a more sustainable and just future.

3 years 9 months

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…

3 years 6 months

Local wealth is made in Wigan

Content by Empowering Places

Some 15,000 people live in Wigan’s Abram Ward. “It used to be called ‘Giro City’,” says David Baxter, Principal Officer of Made in Wigan – which is tackling social inequality in the area.

4 years 2 months

Funding support and co‑op development

As part of our mission 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…

3 years 6 months