This guidebook is part of the iCareCoops toolkits created to promote the growth of care cooperatives in Europe. It goes together with a set of evolving complementary material, from different sources, among which samples of best practices identified across Europe.

It is the aim of the present guidebook to make it as easy as possible for you to start your own cooperative. It is especially addressed to individuals and local organisations seeking to develop innovative, viable and community-based elderly care models on their territory. It aims at providing these actors with practical guidelines and resources which may be helpful in the founding process of a cooperative – with a special focus on the multistakeholder care cooperative model.

You should however be aware that the steps and complementary elements presented here are deliberately presented in broad outline, so as to be adaptable to the wide diversity of national contexts and legislations. As a founder of a cooperative, you should eventually get in touch with national support structures so as to be provided with recommendations and technical tools tailored to their needs and project.

Three main elements structure this guidebook. Firstly, you will find a presentation of cooperatives, and potential opportunities of the cooperative model applied to the elderly care sector. Secondly, the foundation process of an elderly care cooperative is presented in 6 steps, so as to help you familiarizing with essential concepts and relevant practical resources. Lastly, you will find a set of proposed supporting organisations and complementary material so as to be fully ready to launch and manage your cooperative organisation.

We hope you will enjoy this guidebook!