Co-operative Incubator Pilot Program in Newfoundland & Labrador
Hello everyone!
Please find below information regarding an initiative we received from Kristen Murray, Project Specialist at the Newfoundland & Labrador Foundation of Cooperatives.
Greetings!
If you’re receiving this email, it is because in the last year or so I communicated to you about the Co-operative Incubator Project or I believe you would be a great ally, supporter, or partner for it. This past summer, we made the official announcement that the Newfoundland-Labrador Federation of Co-operatives has successfully received over $140,000 in funding for a Co-operative Incubator Pilot Project!
We wish to thank our project supporters the Government of Canada (through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency), the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (through the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology), Co-operators, Atlantic Edge Credit Union, and Atlantic Credit Unions, who all see the immense potential of this endeavour.
We are excited for what's to come as we believe this is a major step towards providing enhanced support for the development of new co-operatives in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, contributing to increased social, economic, and community well-being. Co-operatives offer a sustainable and ethical model for people-centred and future-forward enterprises that prioritize its members interests and values above all else and we need more people in our province to consider this model to fill in gaps and solve shared issues. Everything from childcare, to housing, to healthcare, to arts and culture can be done in a co-operative way.
The Pilot of the Co-operative Incubator will run from February – July 2024 and will support five groups in the Northeast Avalon Region of Newfoundland & Labrador interested in starting new co-operative enterprises to go from idea to incorporation in a robust 6-month long program. The primary aspects of the program are a schedule of Trainings and Workshops, Mentoring Teams, Coworking and Peer Support Opportunities, as well as Access to Funding. As part of the project, we have enrolled five NL students in CoopZone's Co-operative Developer Training Program, as well to start to build more capacity within our province in co-operative development. Here is our webpage for the project: https://nlfc.coop/start-a-co-op/co-op-incubator/
Applications launched on December 1st and will close January 1st. Are you interested in how you can support this initiative?
Share this news with your staff, board, members, and community.
Share advice and resources you have with us that could help new co-op enterprises.
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Fill out the following Support Survey to express interest in supporting the project in more direct ways (including Mentoring, Training, Sponsorship, etc.):
We are interested in working with a diverse range of people and organizations in and around the co-operative sector that could help us realize the “community effort” approach to this project. There are already incredible experts and practitioners on topics that would be relevant for groups wanting to start new co-operatives in Newfoundland & Labrador – that's why I’m reaching out to you. If you as an individual or representative of an organization are interested in supporting this project, please complete the survey for us to have a better understanding of what you can contribute!
Finally, if you aren’t already, I’d like to encourage you to subscribe to our monthly newsletter! This is the best way to stay up to date on this project and everything we have going on at the Newfoundland-Labrador Federation of Co-operatives. Sign up now: http://eepurl.com/hi1Abr
Thanks for your support in advance and I hope you will share with your networks so we can celebrate and leverage this opportunity together!
Yours In Co-operation,
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