Briefly In English

Tampere Region Co-operative Centre

Tampere Region Cooperative Centre has operated since 1998 and promoted co-operative entrepreneurship through counselling, education and information dissemination. Anyone considering setting up a co-operative can obtain practical advice and moral support from the very first steps of the establishment process. The new co-operatives are offered overall expertise taking into account of the individuals of which the co-operative is to be formed.

The Cooperative Centre has increased the number of the co-operatives by over 300 per cent in the Tampere region over the last five years. The co-operatives set up by the help of Cooperative Centre have over 700 members. The societal meaning of the co-operatives is regionally important as the co-operatives create new jobs and the entrepreneurs already working in the field affirm their positions through co-operation. The new co-operatives channel both financial and social welfare to its members and cause positive multiplicative effect around.

Our Services

Co-operative counselling and education

general information dissemination of co-operative (lectures and information dissemination events)
information on joining in a co-operative
co-operative establishment process counselling
administration and management of co-operative
tailored education (co-operative training, entrepreneurship training emphasised in networking and partnership, professional days e.g. at educational institutions and to operating co-operatives)

Co-operative development

information dissemination
social economy research
development projects
national and international co-operation

Target group

Our counselling services for co-operative establishment and information dissemination are free of charge to all of the citizens of the Tampere region. Other services ( research, education, development) and services to customers outside the region are charged according to the service. Also our counselling services to regional business consulting organisations are free of charge. The services are produced in cooperation with Tampere City Trade Division and Pirkanmaa Employment and Economic Development Centre.

Co-operative

What is a co-operative?

A co-operative is an enterprise which objective is to promote the economic and business interests of its members by way of the pursuit of economic activity. Besides economic interests co-operative can also pursue social and cultural needs and aspirations of its members. The co-operative is jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise and each member has an equal vote. The co-operative can be established with no less than three private individuals, enterprises or other institutions.

By definition co-operative is an organisation which membership and share capital have not been determined in advance. In practise this means that joining in and resigning from the co-operative is fairly easy. Also a member who does not meat the requirements of the co-operative can be expelled. For share capital there is no minimum stipulated by the law. The co-operative can thus be established with fairly small investments. The share capital of the co-operative amounts to the shares of which members purchase as they establish or join in a co-operative. Value of the share is equal and each member has to purchase one share. Members of the co-operative have limited personal liability i.e. they are only liable for the limit of their share in the co-operative.

Establishing a co-operative

The co-operative must be entered in the Trade Register. Before this there are certain procedures to go through. First of all the co-operative has to set rules which are stipulated by the Co-operative Act. The Act stipulates only a small amount of the sections so there are lot of options how to set the rules. The founder members have to sign a charter of foundation and the board of director(s) has to be chosen. Also the co-operative is obliged to keep Financial records and provide an Annual report. An auditor and a vice auditor has to be chosen. In addition there are two application forms, Y1 and Appendix No:2, to be filled in and signed and the registration fee of 300 euros to be paid to Trade Register (www.ytj.fi).

Different types of co-operatives

Worker co-operatives are established to create or maintain employment of its members. Through worker co-operatives the members sell their expertise and skills by services and/or products they have made. Usually the worker co-operatives act on a various branches of businesses but also they may be concentrated in one branch when they are called as expert co-operatives.

Marketing co-operatives act as a channel for people or other entrepreneurs to market their products and/or services through mutual brand or trade name. The marketing co-operative offers the economies of scale to its members.

Acquisition co-operatives are like marketing co-operatives but the benefit comes the other way round. Through acquisition co-operatives the members benefit from the purchasing power it creates. They can buy services and/or products in bigger amounts and with lower prices than by themselves.

The amount of co-operatives in social and welfare sectors is increasing as the public sector cannot meet the requirements and continually increasing costs of the society. The services offered in social and welfare sectors by co-operatives include household services, home nursing and hospice services.