Global Ecovillage Network
Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) is a Scottish-registered non-profit charity founded in 1995 that supports ecovillages and intentional communities across six continents through education (EDE curriculum), knowledge sharing (Solution Library), advocacy (UN ECOSOC status), and government partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersForres, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Global Ecovillage Network does
Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1995 and registered in Scotland as charity SC043796, with its operational headquarters at the Findhorn Ecovillage in the United Kingdom. The organization functions as a global membership network supporting ecovillages and intentional communities across six continents through five regional offices (GEN Africa, GEN Europe, CASA/Latin America, GENNA/North America, GENOA/Oceania & Asia) and a youth branch (NextGEN). GEN holds consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, enabling it to advocate for ecovillage solutions at international climate forums including the COP meetings. Its portfolio includes the Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) curriculum (co-developed with Gaia Education and certified by IEMA), the Solution Library documenting regenerative practices, an Ecovillage Database, the Hildur Jackson Award (co-funded with Gaia Trust), consultancy services, and programs such as River of Life, Youth in Action, Twinning, and EmerGENcies.
GEN's business model is donation- and grant-driven rather than commercial: revenue is generated through voluntary charitable contributions via the Friends of GEN program, EU and foundation grants (e.g., ERASMUS+ funding for Ecovillage Transition in Action), educational program fees for EDE courses, online store sales of design cards and resources, and consultancy fees for government and NGO clients. Customer acquisition is community-led, relying on regional networks, word-of-mouth within sustainability communities, UN advocacy visibility, and bilateral government partnerships — most notably eight African country agreements signed at COP25 in Madrid to scale ecovillage development programs. Impact metrics self-reported by the network state that 97% of member ecovillages actively work to restore degraded ecosystems and 90% are involved in carbon sequestration through soil and biomass management.
The underlying technology platform is a knowledge-sharing and coordination infrastructure rather than a software product: the Solution Library, Ecovillage Database, and online learning platform at learn.ecovillage.org serve as the primary digital assets, supported by social media, monthly newsletters, and webinar programming. No AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or proprietary software products are disclosed. Strategic positioning relies on intangible assets — UN consultative status, IPCC recognition, the EDE brand, and 30 years of community trust — to maintain authority in the regenerative-living space and to access institutional funding streams.
Global Ecovillage Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Global Ecovillage Network
- Legal name
- Global Ecovillage Network
- Website
- https://ecovillage.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) is a Scottish-registered non-profit charity founded in 1995 that supports ecovillages and intentional communities across six continents through education (EDE curriculum), knowledge sharing (Solution Library), advocacy (UN ECOSOC status), and government partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Global Ecovillage Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability Education and Community Network Services
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB)
Keywords
Where Global Ecovillage Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Forres
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Global Ecovillage Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: GEN receives donations through its Friends of GEN program and general charitable contributions. The organization is a registered Scottish charity (SC043796) and accepts donations to both GEN International and regional GEN offices.
- Educational Programs: Revenue generated through Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) courses, Training of Trainers programs, and other educational offerings.
- Store and Resources: Sales from the GEN Store featuring ecovillage resources, design cards, and educational materials.
- Consultancy Services: GEN Consultancy provides sustainability consulting services to governments, NGOs, and communities seeking to implement ecovillage principles.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Global Ecovillage Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) is a registered non-profit organization that operates as a worldwide network connecting ecovillages and intentional communities across 6 continents. It delivers educational programs (notably the Ecovillage Design Education curriculum), maintains a Solution Library of regenerative practices, runs a global Ecovillage Database, offers consultancy services to governments and NGOs, distributes educational tools (such as Ecovillage Design Cards) through an online store, and administers community programs including the Hildur Jackson Award, NextGEN youth branch, River of Life, EmerGENcies, and Twinning initiatives.
Product overview
The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) operates as a global network organization rather than a single software product. Its portfolio consists of educational programs (Ecovillage Design Education - both in-person and online), resource platforms (Solution Library, Ecovillage Database), tools (Ecovillage Design Cards), consultancy services, award programs (Hildur Jackson Award), youth and community programs (NextGEN, Youth in Action, Twinning Project, EmerGENcies, River of Life), and communication services (Newsletter, Online Store). These offerings work together to support and scale the ecovillage movement globally, connecting communities across 6 continents through education, resources, funding, and peer-to-peer learning initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hildur Jackson Award: A €3,000 annual prize developed by GEN and Gaia Trust that supports and honours projects around the world demonstrating regenerative best-practices in all dimensions of sustainability.
- Ecovillage Design Education (EDE)
- River of Life
- NextGEN
- Ecovillage Transition in Action
- Solution Library
Products and services
- Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) A training program providing participatory learning experiences about creating sustainable communities integrating four areas of regeneration: social, ecological, economic, and cultural/worldview. Available to individuals and educators in-person and online via learn.ecovillage.org.
- Solution Library An open-access digital repository of regenerative practices and solutions from ecovillages worldwide, organized by categories including Lifelong Education, Green Building, Renewable Energy, Water Cycles, Ecosystem Restoration, and Social Entrepreneurship. Available to anyone seeking to implement ecovillage principles.
- Ecovillage Database A publicly accessible global database mapping ecovillages across 6 continents, allowing users to explore and add ecovillages to the network. Showcases communities committed to sustainable living and regeneration.
- Ecovillage Design Cards A retail product/tool for play, reflection, dialogue, learning, research, and design, used to identify and design contributions to a regenerative future across social, cultural, ecological, and economic dimensions within a Whole System Design framework. Distributed via the GEN Online Store.
- GEN Consultancy Services Professional consultancy services supporting communities, governments, and organizations in sustainability transitions, ecovillage development, and regenerative practices. Provides guidance on implementing ecovillage principles at organizational and governmental scale.
- GEN Online Store An online retail marketplace offering ecovillage resources, merchandise, and educational materials to supporters worldwide. Processes payments through PayPal and Stripe.
- NextGEN Youth Program The youth branch of GEN, fostering intergenerational connections and engaging young people through virtual fireside chats, training programs, and youth-led initiatives globally.
- River of Life Program A funding and support initiative focused on women-led projects in Africa, supporting ecological regeneration, food security, and community resilience. Works with women from different communities to develop gardens and sustainable livelihoods.
- Hildur Jackson Award An annual €3,000 prize developed with Gaia Trust that supports and honors projects around the world demonstrating regenerative best practices in all dimensions of sustainability.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% of ecovillages work actively to restore degraded ecosystems
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Global Ecovillage Network
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Global Ecovillage Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Global Ecovillage Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- University of St. AndrewsmajorAcademic partner in the Ecovillage Transition in Action ERASMUS+ project, collaborating on training of trainers and multiplier events. The partnership brings research rigor and institutional credibility to ecovillage education.
- ECOLISEmajorEuropean coalition of organizations working on sustainability education and community-led initiatives. Partner in Ecovillage Transition in Action project and the Communities for Future programme.
- GEN GermanymajorRegional GEN office participating in the ERASMUS+ funded Ecovillage Transition in Action partnership project alongside GEN International, ECOLISE, and University of St. Andrews.
- African Governments (Gambia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Liberia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso)coreAt COP25 in Madrid, GEN signed bilateral agreements with ministers of environment from 8 African countries to implement ecovillage development programs. This represents GEN's largest government partnership initiative for scaling ecovillage solutions across the African continent in response to climate emergency.
- Gaia TrustcoreGaia Trust has been a long-standing partner with GEN, co-developing and funding the Hildur Jackson Award (€3,000 annual prize) for outstanding ecovillage projects. The partnership supports recognition of regenerative best practices globally.
- Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable EnergymajorWorld-leading organization supporting renewable energy development for small, rural and developing communities. GEN partner for climate solutions documentation and knowledge sharing on renewable technologies.
- United Nations (ECOSOC)coreGEN holds official consultative status with UN ECOSOC, enabling advocacy at international climate forums including COP conferences. This status positions GEN as the recognized voice for ecovillage solutions at the UN level.
- Gaia EducationcoreJoint development of the Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) curriculum, a comprehensive training program now offered both in-person at ecovillages and online. Certified by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.
- Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation (SIF)minorPartnership to facilitate ecovillage data analysis and impact assessment, creating replicable standards for future initiatives. SIF manages the SOURCE platform for global infrastructure data.
- Living Systems AlliancemajorTwelve bioregional partnerships have joined the Living Systems Alliance, coordinating landscape-level regeneration efforts across ecovillage networks.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Global Ecovillage Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Global Ecovillage Network social profiles
Digital presenceGlobal Ecovillage Network compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Global Ecovillage Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Global Ecovillage Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Global Ecovillage Network subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
Global Ecovillage Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Global Ecovillage Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Global Ecovillage Network
What does Global Ecovillage Network do?
Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) is a registered non-profit organization that operates as a worldwide network connecting ecovillages and intentional communities across 6 continents. It delivers educational programs (notably the Ecovillage Design Education curriculum), maintains a Solution Library of regenerative practices, runs a global Ecovillage Database, offers consultancy services to governments and NGOs, distributes educational tools (such as Ecovillage Design Cards) through an online store, and administers community programs including the Hildur Jackson Award, NextGEN youth branch, River of Life, EmerGENcies, and Twinning initiatives.
Is Global Ecovillage Network a public or private company?
Global Ecovillage Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Global Ecovillage Network founded?
Global Ecovillage Network was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Global Ecovillage Network based?
Global Ecovillage Network is headquartered in Forres, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Global Ecovillage Network make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are educational Programs, store and Resources and consultancy Services.
Does Global Ecovillage Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Global Ecovillage Network.
What industry is Global Ecovillage Network in?
Global Ecovillage Network's product category is Sustainability Education and Community Network Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAO, Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement, with a secondary code of EDAIAGAB, Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering. Its NAICS code is 54162.