Co-operatives First Start-up Support

Last verified: June 2026

Co-operatives First is a non-profit funded by the Co-operative Retailing System that helps people in rural and Indigenous communities across western Canada start a co-operative. It provides free business coaching, online courses, incorporation support, and help drafting bylaws and a memorandum of association. The support is hands-on through the full start-up process, from idea exploration to incorporation and early operations. There is no cash grant; the value is free professional advisory that a new co-op would otherwise pay for.