Co-op Culture – Associates and Members
To work with Co-op Culture as an Associate or Member you must be either a corporate entity or a self employed consultant and you will need to hold your own professional indemnity insurance. Co-op Culture does not offer employment.
Becoming an Associate
From time to time we sub-contract work to individuals and organisations, work in formal partnerships or collaborate on project delivery. This gives us the opportunity to get to know the quality of your work.
If we have worked with you and your work is of sufficient quality we may invite you to become an associate. You can also apply to become an associate providing you have worked with us on project delivery or providing support to co-ops or community businesses.
What does being a Co-op Culture Associate mean?
- An associate profile page on our website
- You will be offered work if there is no capacity among Members
- Potential inclusion on bids and framework agreements if you provide skills or experience not available from Members
- You can propose project ideas for us to co-deliver, badged as Co-op Culture
Becoming a Member
If you work as an Associate regularly you will be invited to apply for membership. The level of work, in terms of days of work delivered and/or value of work delivered, will be defined by the co-operative from time to time.
What does being a Co-op Culture Member mean?
- You will have a Member profile on the website
- You will be given first refusal on work that is offered to Co-op Culture. As we are a co-operative consortium you cannot be required to take a piece of work.
- You will be listed as a provider on framework agreements and bids if you consent
- You can develop, market and pitch for work, projects or funding as Co-op Culture (subject to being in line with our mission and policies and approved by the co-op).
- Whilst you are not obliged to deliver all of your co-op development work through Co-op Culture, it is expected that work delivered in the name of Co-op Culture or work that you have been offered as a result of being a member of Co-op Culture should be invoiced through Co-op Culture.
- You will be a Member of an established Co-op Development Body with a track record of delivery
- You have a say in the strategic direction of the co-op as a Member
- You can become a Director, which we heartily encourage
- You will share responsibility for running the co-op
- You will share a cost of the overheads – evenly split among members
- Access to our Slack channel providing mutual support and access to other members’ skills and knowledge
- Option of an @culture.coop email address
Membership versus Associate comparison
| Associate | Member |
| Associate profile on website | Member profile on website |
| Offered work fitting your skills if insufficient capacity among Members | First refusal on work offered to Co-op Culture |
| Listed as provider on frameworks if you bring skills or experience not available from Members | Listed as provider on frameworks and agreements if you choose |
| Mutual support and access to skills and experience from other members through our slack channel | |
| Can develop, market and pitch for work, projects or funding as Co-op Culture | |
| Share the cost of overheads | |
| Share control of the strategic direction of the co-op, including option to become a Director | |
| Option of @culture.coop email address |