Idée Coopérative I Verband der Genossenschaften

What Idée Coopérative I Verband der Genossenschaften does

Idée Coopérative is a Swiss cooperative (Genossenschaft) headquartered in Bern that functions as Switzerland's designated competence center for cooperatives. Founded in 2019 through the transformation of the Interessensgemeinschaft Genossenschaftsunternehmen (IGG) by six founding member cooperatives (Reka, die Mobiliar, fenaco, GLB, Mobility, Raiffeisen, and ABZ), the organization serves approximately 150 member cooperatives across diverse sectors including retail (Migros, Coop), banking (Raiffeisen), insurance (Die Mobiliar, KPT), agriculture (fenaco, Schweizer Hagel), housing (PAX), tourism (Reka), energy (Primeo Energie), and healthcare (soliswiss).

The organization does not develop proprietary technology. Its product portfolio comprises service-based offerings: advisory consulting on cooperative governance and legal matters (available to non-members at CHF 180/hour), startup founding support including a free 2-hour introductory consultation, continuing education seminars (notably an annual Cooperative Governance seminar co-conducted with Swiss Board School), political advocacy and interest representation, research publications (the Genossenschaftsmonitore published in 2020 and 2024), a podcast series with 28+ episodes, a monthly newsletter, a password-protected member portal, a Cooperative Lexikon, and member-to-member benefit programs.

Revenue is generated primarily through tiered annual membership fees scaled to member cooperative size (CHF 150 for startups/voluntary organizations to CHF 15,000+ for cooperatives with 500-999 FTEs, with custom pricing above 1,000 FTEs), supplemented by hourly consulting fees from non-members and a one-time CHF 1,000 share certificate (Anteilschein) purchase required of each member. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on direct member engagement, event series (CEO meetings, board president meetings, day seminars, after-work events, the General Assembly, and the annual Genossenschaftskongress), content marketing, and referrals within the Swiss cooperative ecosystem. A small team of approximately 6 employees, led by Geschäftsführer Elias Maier and a board chaired by President Frank Boller, executes operations. No external funding or capital has been raised; the organization is fully member-owned and member-governed.

Name

Idée Coopérative I Verband der Genossenschaften

Legal name

Idee Coopérative Genossenschaft

Website

https://ideecooperative.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Idée Coopérative is Switzerland's cooperative competence center, serving approximately 150 member cooperatives with consulting, education, research, and advocacy services. Headquartered in Bern, it operates as a member-owned Genossenschaft financed through tiered annual membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees calculated based on the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) of member cooperatives. Fees range from CHF 150 (startup/voluntary) to CHF 15,000 (500-999 FTEs), with custom pricing for cooperatives with 1000+ FTEs. Each member must also purchase at least one share certificate (Anteilschein) of CHF 1,000.
2. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services on cooperative-specific matters including governance, legal advice (statutes, general assemblies, commercial register), and communication. Internal services for members are included in membership; external consulting for non-members is charged at CHF 180/hour.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Idée Coopérative operates as Switzerland's competence center for cooperatives, providing advisory consulting on cooperative governance, legal, and communication matters, support for founding new cooperatives, continuing education seminars, political advocacy, and research publications. The organization also runs a podcast, monthly newsletter, password-protected member portal, and member-to-member benefit programs for its approximately 150 member cooperatives across diverse Swiss industries including retail, banking, insurance, agriculture, housing, energy, and tourism.

Product overview

Idée Coopérative operates as a cooperative association serving as Switzerland's competence center for cooperatives. The organization offers a portfolio of services including advisory consulting on governance and legal matters, support for founding new cooperatives, continuing education seminars, political advocacy, and research publications such as the Genossenschaftsmonitore (Cooperative Monitors). Additional offerings include a podcast series, monthly newsletter, password-protected member portal with exclusive resources, publications covering topics from digitization to cooperative law, a cooperative lexicon reference, and member-to-member benefit programs. The core value proposition combines expertise, networking, and advocacy for approximately 150 member cooperatives representing various Swiss cooperative sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beratung (Consulting) Advisory services for cooperatives covering governance, legal matters (statutes, general assemblies, commercial register), and communication. Included in membership; charged at CHF 180/hour for non-members.
• Genossenschaft gründen (Founding Cooperatives)

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Swiss Board SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Swiss Board School co-conducts the annual 'Cooperative Governance' seminar with Idée Coopérative. Prof. Dr. Michael Hilb, Dean of Swiss Board School, contributed to the 2026 seminar on responsible and future-oriented cooperative leadership.
• FehrAdvice & Partners AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2024FehrAdvice & Partners AG co-developed the Genossenschaftsmonitor 2024 with Idée Coopérative. Julian Möhlen from FehrAdvice served as data specialist for the cooperative monitor project, providing research and analysis on the Swiss cooperative landscape.
• International Cooperative Alliance (ICA)coreOthersICA unites, represents, and supports cooperatives worldwide. Founded in 1895, it is one of the largest non-governmental organizations with 1 billion cooperative members globally. The ICA coordinated the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 (IYC2025).
• United Nations (UN)flagshipOthersThe UN declared 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025) with the motto 'Cooperatives Build a Better World'. UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized cooperatives as solutions to global challenges.
• Akademie Deutscher Genossenschaften (ADG)minorOthersGerman academy for cooperative education and training, mentioned in the Cooperative Lexikon as a German cooperative association.
• Baden-Württembergischer Genossenschaftsverband e.V.minorOthersGerman cooperative federation for Baden-Württemberg region, mentioned in the Cooperative Lexikon as a German cooperative association.
• Genossenschaftsverband - Verband der RegionenminorOthersGerman cooperative federation 'Association of Regions', mentioned in the Cooperative Lexikon as a German cooperative association.
• Bundeshaus/Gallery of AlpsminorOthersThe 2026 Cooperative Governance seminar took place at Bundeshaus (Federal Palace) with an Apéro in the Galerie des Alpes, demonstrating political engagement.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• CG Scop (Confédération Générale des Sociétés Coopératives et Participatives): French confederation representing worker cooperatives and participatory societies with promotion, advocacy, and training mandates. Functionally comparable as a cooperative federation offering training, networking, and advocacy, though focused more narrowly on worker-owned co-ops than Idée Coopérative's full cross-sector scope.
• Confcooperative: Italian cooperative confederation representing cooperatives across multiple sectors with advocacy, representation, and member services. Comparable cross-sector cooperative federation in a neighbouring European market, providing reference points for membership scale and service portfolio depth.
• Coop de France: French national federation representing cooperatives across agriculture, retail, banking, and services. Closest geographic neighbour to Idée Coopérative with a comparable cross-sector cooperative mandate, serving as a useful benchmark for membership, advocacy, and event scale.

Broad incumbents

• International Cooperative Alliance (ICA): Global apex body for cooperatives founded in 1895, representing over 1 billion cooperative members worldwide. Explicitly named partner of Idée Coopérative for the IYC2025 initiative, operating at a global scale that complements rather than competes with national-level associations.
• Cooperatives Europe: European-level regional committee of the International Cooperative Alliance representing cooperative enterprises and federations across EU member states. Operates one tier above Idée Coopérative but serves as a natural partner and structural parallel for cross-border cooperative advocacy.

Direct peers

• NCBA CLUSA (National Cooperative Business Association): US national cooperative business association providing advocacy, education, and development services to a diverse co-op membership base. Functionally analogous to Idée Coopérative as a cross-sector cooperative apex body, though operating at a larger scale in a different regulatory environment.
• Co-operatives UK: UK national apex body for cooperative enterprises, representing and supporting hundreds of co-ops across sectors. Structurally the closest international analogue to Idée Coopérative as a national competence center for co-ops, with similar membership, advocacy, and education functions.
• Deutscher Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband (DGRV): German national federation auditing and supporting cooperatives across banking, retail, agriculture, and housing. Directly comparable as a national-level umbrella for cooperatives with audit, advisory, advocacy, and education mandates, operating in the same DACH region and explicitly referenced in Idée Coopérative's lexicon.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ideecooperative
• Instagraminstagram.com/idee.cooperative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Idée Coopérative I Verband der Genossenschaften