ICA Group

What ICA Group does

ICA Group is a private nonprofit consulting organization founded in 1977 in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the oldest national entity dedicated to the development of worker cooperatives in the United States. ICA's functional mission is to convert existing businesses into employee-owned firms and to launch new worker-owned cooperatives, with concentrated focus on low-wage frontline sectors (home care, child care) and the Alternative Staffing sector. The organization operates two physical offices (Florence, MA and New York City) and supports an identified network of 25 home care co-ops in 11 states, plus 133+ worker co-ops spawned through NYC's Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI) since 2015.

ICA's core technology stack is intentionally non-technological — it is a services organization offering business conversion advisory, cooperative development consulting, technical assistance, lending via the Fund for Jobs Worth Owning (a 2019-launched impact fund), and sector convening through programs such as the Elevate Cooperative network and the Annual Home Care Cooperative Conference. Products and services are organized into four program areas (New Ownership Opportunities, Home Care, Child Care, Alternative Staffing), each combining consulting, training, research, and advocacy, and supported by an extensive content library of guides, templates, and benchmarking reports.

Revenue is generated through a mix of fee-for-service consulting (for businesses outside funded regions), government-funded programs (free consultations via NYC WCBDI and Massachusetts state-funded technical assistance), philanthropic and grant support typical of a 501(c)-style nonprofit, and lending-related income through the Fund for Jobs Worth Owning. The go-to-market combines enterprise-style field sales for business owners considering exit or transition with community-led partnerships for launching new cooperatives and convening national networks such as the Alternative Staffing Alliance (~50 members) and Employee Ownership NYC.

Name

ICA Group

Legal name

ICA Group

Website

https://icagroup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICA Group is a 1977-founded nonprofit consulting organization that helps business owners transition to employee ownership and launches new worker cooperatives, primarily serving SMBs in home care, child care, and small-business succession markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Development Consulting

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

DEI, Equity & Inclusion Advisory (BPACAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Equity Compensation & Global Share Plan Administration (BPACAHAI)

Keywords

• Worker cooperative development
• Employee ownership consulting
• Cooperative business conversion
• Home care cooperative support
• Child care cooperative services

Headquarters

HQ city

Northampton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Technical Assistance: ICA provides fee-for-service consulting for businesses outside funded regions. Services include feasibility studies, business valuations, transition planning, governance design, operational training, and business coaching.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICA Group provides consulting and technical assistance to business owners seeking to convert their companies to employee ownership through worker cooperatives or ESOPs, following a five-step process from feasibility assessment through post-transition support. The organization also develops sector-specific cooperative networks in home care and child care, manages the Elevate Cooperative secondary network, and operates the Fund for Jobs Worth Owning financing program. Services are delivered through free consultations in funded geographies (NYC, Massachusetts) and fee-for-service engagements elsewhere.

Product overview

The ICA Group is a nonprofit consulting organization offering advisory services and programs for worker cooperative development and employee ownership transitions. Its portfolio consists of multiple programs including Elevate Cooperative (a secondary cooperative network for home care agencies), the Fund for Jobs Worth Owning (a worker-centered impact fund), and the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (NYC's public co-op development program). Supporting programs include the Alternative Staffing Alliance, The Trust for Workers, Family Child Care Coalition, CoRise Cooperative, Employee Ownership NYC, and Keep The Doors Open. Core services encompass business conversion consulting, cooperative startup development, market research, and training/coaching for home care and child care sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Conversion Services Advisory services helping U.S. business owners transition to employee ownership models including worker cooperatives and ESOPs, encompassing feasibility assessment, transaction structuring, and post-conversion training.
• Cooperative Development Services Technical assistance for launching worker cooperatives including market and feasibility analysis, financial modeling, business planning, governance design, operational training, and business coaching.
• Home Care Cooperative Support Business tools, supports, and technical assistance to ensure financial and operational sustainability of home care cooperatives, including benchmarking surveys, the Annual Home Care Cooperative Conference, and training programs.
• Child Care Cooperative Services Support for early educators to build worker-owned child care businesses and networks for both centers and family child care providers, turning providers into owners.
• Elevate Cooperative National network of caregiver-owned home care agencies that shares financial and intellectual resources to boost profitability, growth, and policy impact across the home care cooperative sector.
• The Fund for Jobs Worth Owning Worker-centered impact fund that expands access to capital for businesses owned and led by workers in frontline sectors, providing financing solutions for employee-owned businesses.
• Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI) NYC public program delivered with ICA that provides free consulting, training, and support to help launch worker cooperatives across New York City industries.
• Alternative Staffing Alliance National member network of social enterprises convened by ICA that connects people facing employment barriers with stable work, wraparound supports, and training.
• The Trust for Workers Initiative promoting good working conditions, economic security for workers, and worker voice and agency in the home care industry through program impact monitoring, consulting, and advocacy.
• Keep The Doors Open Program that helps business owners facing closure risk evaluate whether sharing or transferring ownership to employees could save the business.
• Employee Ownership NYC Support line and resource hub for small business owners considering business transitions, including the Owner to Owners Business Transition Hotline.

Quantifiable outcome

• Home care cooperatives achieve turnover rates less than half of industry average
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Elevate CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026National network of caregiver-owned home care agencies. By sharing financial and intellectual resources, it boosts profitability, growth, and policy impact across the sector. Currently has 13 member cooperatives representing 1,500+ caregivers in 11 states.
• Fund for Jobs Worth OwningcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Worker-centered impact fund launched in 2019 expanding access to capital for businesses owned and led by workers in frontline sectors. Financial tools grounded in lived experience of low-wage workers.
• Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015NYC's Worker Co-op Initiative launched in 2015 with ICA's help. It has helped launch over 133 new worker co-ops and is the largest public program for worker co-op development in the US.
• Alternative Staffing AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network launched by ICA in 2007 to foster peer learning, provide tools and resources, and expand the alternative staffing sector. Today has nearly 50 member organizations across the US.
• Trust for WorkersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization promoting good working conditions, economic security for workers, and worker voice in home care. Ensures mission-alignment through program impact monitoring and advocacy.
• CoRise CooperativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative of home-based child care providers in Illinois. Developed in partnership with SEIU, launched in Fall 2018 following market research and provider engagement.
• Family Child Care Coalition (Fc3)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of family child care providers in greater Philadelphia area seeking to unify, empower, and advocate for the family child care community.
• Employee Ownership NYCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIncludes Owner to Owners Business Transition Hotline staffed by ICA and partners including Democracy at Work Institute, the Working World, and Business Outreach Center (BOC) Network.
• UCLA Research TeamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCLA-led researchers published findings in JAMA Open on home care cooperatives achieving lower turnover and higher job satisfaction. Research team partnered with ICA to develop 'The 7 Cs of the Cooperative Difference' framework.
• VividLifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with ICA and UCLA researchers to develop 'The 7 Cs of the Cooperative Difference' framework addressing home healthcare workforce shortage.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Democracy at Work Institute: National nonprofit founded by ICA's peer organizations to educate and support cooperative development; directly competes for cooperative conversion and capacity-building engagements.
• Project Equity: Nonprofit that helps business owners transition to employee ownership through cooperatives and ESOPs; closest direct competitor to ICA's business conversion service line.
• The Working World: Nonprofit that supports cooperative development with an integrated financing and advisory model; highly comparable given its dual focus on capital and technical assistance for cooperatives.
• Ohio Employee Ownership Center: State-level nonprofit providing technical assistance, education, and outreach to support employee-owned businesses, with a model similar to ICA's state-based Massachusetts and NYC programs.
• Cooperative Development Institute: Regional cooperative development organization serving the Northeast, providing technical assistance and conversion services that overlap directly with ICA's geographic core.
• Seed Commons: Cooperative finance and capacity-building network providing loans and technical support to worker cooperatives; comparable given its combination of capital and advisory services targeting cooperatives.
• Business Outreach Center Network: NYC-based small business support organization that is a named partner on Employee Ownership NYC and Owner to Owners Business Transition Hotline, with overlapping client base in New York.

Broad incumbents

• National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA): Largest US cooperative trade association providing advocacy, education, and development across all cooperative types; broader incumbent operating at the sector level rather than ICA's worker-ownership niche.

Emerging players

• Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing: Academic and policy center focused on employee ownership research and education; an emerging institutional voice that complements and increasingly competes with ICA's thought leadership.

Regional players

• Mandela Partners: Bay Area-based nonprofit providing cooperative development and small business support for low-income communities; offers comparable services to a different geography, making it a regional peer rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheICAGroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ICA Group