| COOPSTARTUP is a project that aims at setting up cooperative start-ups. It comes from the need to promote entrepreneurship among young people encouraging the adoption of the cooperative model and affirming the presence of cooperatives in “new markets”. |
Since its launch in May 2013, has been developing by means of different actions and tools:
- A heterogeneous working group, “open” and growing as time goes by (the group gathers, young and not so young, coming from Legacoop, public institutions and start-up world);
- Sharing experiences;
- A growing network of qualified partners (universities, research centres, business angels, business incubators and start-up accelerators);
- Use of web and social networks as collaborative tools to spread information, share results and collect suggestions for improvements;
- Organisation of local calls to trial selection processes of business ideas promoted by groups of potential co-operators (at least 3 people per group);
- Provision of project management support to Legacoop’s national, regional and sector structures to organise local programs and calls;
- A practical guide to starting up a cooperative www.coopstartup.it/en/the-coopstartup-guide/;
- A free online training course on business modelling, cooperation and team working;
- Organisation of mentoring activities for groups in the pre start-up phase and follow up;
- Provision of non-repayable loans for the start-ups coming from local programs.
- Specific financial tools for cooperative start-ups.
