OurCoop Helped Launch 36 New UK Co-ops Since 2022

Since 2022, OurCoop has helped launch 36 new member-owned businesses across the UK, the cooperative development organisation said Wednesday. The businesses span retail, housing, energy, and community services, and were supported through partnerships with local development agencies, local authorities, and existing co-ops.

OurCoop said the pace of development accelerated in the past 12 months, with 18 of the 36 co-ops incorporated since early 2024. The organisation attributed the increase to a dedicated fund for early-stage co-op development and a matchmaking programme linking new groups with established co-ops for mentorship and shared procurement.

The new co-ops include a community-run grocery in Leicestershire, a renewable energy collective in Cornwall, and a worker-owned bakery in Glasgow. OurCoop said each received technical assistance on legal structure, governance, and business planning, as well as grants of £5,000 to £20,000 from the fund.

OurCoop, which itself is a co-operative owned by its member businesses, said the 36 new co-ops have created roughly 120 full-time equivalent jobs and attracted £1.2 million in additional investment from local lenders and community share offers. The organisation plans to support another 30 co-ops by the end of 2026, it said, with a focus on rural areas and underserved towns.