Co-operative Futures is a business development consultancy specialising in co-operative, mutual and community led businesses. Founded in 2000 it was set up to provide direct advice and support services and to engage in debates to find mutual solutions for challenges being faced by communities.

So whether you are starting out with an idea, looking to grow and develop your business or want to know about more about community ownership and co-operative business models we can help you.

Working with start-ups and existing companies we advise a variety of enterprises in a wide range of sectors including retail, leisure, community asset transfer, renewable energy, care and many more.

There are many names bandied around for the types of organisation we work with but it boils down to three things: that there is trading activity, they have a social purpose and there is some form of collective ownership. If you think that might be you please get in touch.

Recent news

6 March, 2024

Ground-breaking collaboration to boost the social economy in Oxford

25 January, 2024

The Power of Community Ownership

5 January, 2024

Discover Co-ops

16 November, 2023

Being Your Own Landlord

2 November, 2023

Who’s next? It could be you!

30 October, 2023

Networking at Co-op Connections in Oxford, October 2023

16 August, 2023

A Cotswold Farmshop

27 July, 2023

Birmingham community launch hardware store share offer

Click here to find out more about our work in 2023, and to see our end of year report highlighting some of our key activities.

How we can help

Starting up

Starting up

Looking at your business model, the viability of the business and what you need to get going.

Governance

Governance

How to make sure your legal structure is the right one and making sure you are doing the right things for your members.

Community shares

Community shares

Support to write a share offer document that will enable you to raise capital investment from your community or members.

Finance

Finance

Looking at how much it costs to run your business, what you should charge to make the right amount of profit and how to understand your accounts.

Marketing

Marketing

Identifying who your customers are, what they want to buy, how much they will pay and how to tell them about yourselves.

Business Plans

Business Plans

We help to write one that covers all the important areas. It can be one that is just for use internally or one that is needed to raise finance.

Co-operative Futures is an approved provider for the following schemes:

The CCIN Dynamic Purchasing Scheme is a specialist, prescribed pool of organisations to help in developing policy, implementing prototypes and building capacity, both in communities and inside the organisation. MORE–>

ComShares

Community shares can save local shops and pubs, finance renewable energy schemes, transform community facilities, support local food growing, fund new football clubs, restore heritage buildings, and above all, build stronger, more vibrant, and independent communities.

The Business Support for Co‑ops programme delivers tailored business support and mentoring for start‑ups and existing co‑operatives, as well as supporting businesses looking to convert to worker or community ownership.

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Midcounties Co-operative provides support to co-operatives and community groups in their trading area.

Our work

About us

Find us

Co-operative Futures is part of a workers co-op – The People Co-op, a network of ethical, sustainable businesses here in the UK with a focus on the business to business service companies.

Our head office is at: City Works, Alfred Street, Gloucester. GL1 4DF

Our Oxford office is: Makespace Oxford, 1 Aristotle Ln, Oxford OX2 6TP

You can call us on: 01452 543030

Find us on LinkedIn and Facebook 

If you are not happy with the service you have received from Co-operative Futures please let us know. Details of how to do it are here or complete the contact form.

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