CreaCoop – Development and training program for cooperatives in creative sectors

Creative cooperatives on the rise

CreaCoop, co-financed by the ESF+, is a three-year project during which we provide cooperative training for creative industry cooperatives in the Southwest Finland region, as well as information sessions, events, and continuing education for creative professionals interested in cooperative entrepreneurship. Our aim is to develop the operations of creative industry cooperatives from the perspectives of business, administration, leadership, and membership, among others. Through CreaCoop, we promote awareness of the cooperative model and encourage creative professionals to work through cooperatives. In addition, we strengthen the capacity of business and employment advisors to advise cooperative operators and those interested in cooperative entrepreneurship. The target group of CreaCoop includes the management and members of creative industry cooperatives in Southwest Finland, as well as all creative professionals interested in cooperative entrepreneurship.

Humak acts as the project implementer, which means planning and delivering the project activities—namely training programs, events, and continuing education courses. In CreaCoop, we work closely with cooperatives, educational institutions, business advisory services and new enterprise centers, as well as employment services, in order to reach our target groups. We also reach a wide range of creative industry actors across Southwest Finland.

As a result of the project, a knowledge hub will be created, providing information on cooperative entrepreneurship in the creative industries, for example on establishing a cooperative and on membership. The knowledge hub will be available for use by creative industry actors nationwide.

Our goals

– Our aim is to develop the operations of creative industry cooperatives in Southwest Finland and to lower the threshold for creative professionals to work through cooperatives.

– We develop cooperative operations through a cooperative training program. During the training, each cooperative creates a development plan, the progress and implementation of which we monitor over the two-year training period.

– Our continuing education package includes two online courses focusing on the basics of cooperative entrepreneurship as well as cooperative leadership and governance. The online courses are open to both cooperative members and those interested in cooperative entrepreneurship.

– In addition, we organize a productization training program in which creative industry actors can develop new marketable products and services.

– We promote awareness of cooperative entrepreneurship through information sessions and cooperative events in the Turku, Salo, and Uusikaupunki areas.

– During the project, we also organize three training sessions for business and employment advisors, providing information on cooperative entrepreneurship to support their advisory work.