From Idea to Action: Support for new and growing co-ops in Northern Ireland

This event isn’t a conference with long speeches or a parade of “experts”. It’s a gathering of doers, organisers, communities, and groups who want to build a co-operative economy in small, determined steps. The Regional Co‑operative Support Programme is designed to back that work: practical mentoring, peer learning, seed funding, and a support structure that grows with you rather than at you. This support programme is funded by the Department for the Economy and the Housing Executive and will be delivered in partnership by Co-operative Alternatives and Trademark.

At the launch, we will:

• Introduce the programme — what support is available, how to access it, and how it is been shaped by the needs of emerging co‑ops here.
• Hear from local co‑ops — not polished case studies, but honest stories about what’s working, what’s hard, and what they’ve learned along the way.
• Create space for connection — because co‑ops grow faster when they’re not isolated.
• Invite your input — this programme is regional, but it’s also relational. We want it to evolve with the movement.

This is for groups at every stage: those just exploring the idea of a co‑op, those in the middle of formation, and those ready to grow or convert existing organisations into member‑owned structures.

Northern Ireland’s co‑operative sector is small but full of momentum. This programme is here to help that momentum become a movement: practical, grounded, and rooted in community benefit.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Co-operative Alternatives and Trademark Belfast