Incubator cooperatives

An incubator cooperative or coop incubator is an organization that helps other cooperatives form. Most incubator co-ops are cooperative businesses themselves, although some are nonprofit organizations. The support that incubator coops provide often includes financial, technical or legal assistance, business development support, leadership development, networking opportunities, vocational training, and/or management services and training. Typically after an incubation period, the newly formed cooperative "graduates," largely gaining independence but often continuing a long-term relationship with the incubator co-op.

Selected Incubator Co-ops

• Cooperative Development Institute
• Vermont Employee Ownership Center
• Federation of Southern Cooperatives
• Green Worker Co-op Academy
• WAGES Cooperatives

See Also

• Types of Cooperatives
• Co-ops seeding co-ops
• Conversions to cooperatives
• Cooperative developers
• Starting a cooperative
• Steps to starting a cooperative
• Starting a cooperative

References

This article was written with help from Scarlett McIntosh, summer 2014 intern with the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance.