Cooperative Support

BCI provides both high-touch incubation and administrative, legal, and technical support to cooperatives in DC, Maryland, and Virginia at various stages of incubation and operation. Data shows that worker-owned cooperatives and collectives build wealth for workers and provide better wages, benefits, leave, and training than traditional capitalist business structures.

Co-op Incubation

BCI incubates new cooperatives and collectives, providing support for workers through the entire process of creating and launching their business operations. As an incubator, we provide pre-launch support, business & leadership development, governance and conflict resolution trainings, and legal, bookkeeping, and administrative support. Our pre-launch support includes monthly stipends to offset the cost of participating in training.

The BCI Network

We support local cooperatives and collectives via the BCI Network, where we provide sliding-scale training, leadership development, back-end administrative support, legal support, and assistance with grants and financing to more than a dozen network members in the DC Metro region. Our sliding scale model allows worker-owned businesses at various stages of development to partner together and support each other’s work while receiving support from BCI, and for low-income worker-owners to access sustainable administrative support.  At least half of the BCI Network members are projects led by poor and working class people and/or people of color.

The BCI network reduces costs for cooperative businesses, provides peer-to-peer training, assists businesses with accounting, tax, and other legal responsibilities, and works with owners to strengthen their internal capacity to manage their business. Our members collaboratively guide the direction of the BCI Network through annual meetings, working groups, participatory action research projects, and deep listening sessions. 

Are you part of a cooperative or collective in DC, Maryland, or Virginia? Interested in becoming a member of the BCI Network? Reach out to us via the link below to receive more information.