What coopcity does

CoopCity is a Brussels-based non-profit association (ASBL, enterprise number BE 0768.641.460) that operates as a dedicated support centre for social and cooperative entrepreneurship. Founded as a project in 2015 under the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER/ERDF) and the Brussels-Capital Region, it became an independent ASBL in 2021 and is headquartered at Rue Coenraets 72 in Saint-Gilles, Belgium. Its mission is to accompany social entrepreneurs across the full lifecycle of their venture, from idea validation through to scale and ongoing management support.

The organisation delivers four core accompaniment programmes. SEEDS is a free incubation programme providing eleven collective training days, individual coaching, and access to a network of fifteen coaches for aspiring social entrepreneurs. BLOSSOM is an acceleration programme for social enterprises with at least two years of activity, requiring a minimum conscious contribution of 500 euros and offering a diagnostic phase plus a tailored training catalogue. INNOVATE is a free, individualised accompaniment programme for social innovation projects, funded through a partnership with Innoviris and delivering 12 to 20 days of support over twelve months. SHARE is a peer-support circle using the codeveloppement professionnel methodology, with six closed-group sessions of 2.5 hours each priced at 160 euros VAT. All programme participants receive free access to the Saint-Gilles coworking space throughout their accompaniment period. The organisation also publishes a curated toolbox covering ecosystem mapping, financing, governance, impact measurement, and scaling resources, and has developed the proprietary COOPCITY LEAN CANVAS (CLC) methodology adapted for social enterprises.

The business model is predominantly grant-funded, with public funding from the Brussels-Capital Region, FEDER/ERDF, and Innoviris serving as the primary revenue streams. Programme fees are deliberately low or free to maximise accessibility for social entrepreneurs. Distribution is direct and partner-referred, leveraging a consortium of seven institutional partners (SAW-B, Febecoop, JobYourself, hub.brussels, Innoviris, ICHEC Start Lab, and Solvay Brussels School Entrepreneurs) for referrals and coaching expertise. Since 2015, the organisation reports 325 accompanied projects, 115 enterprises created, 155 jobs generated, and over 5,000 event participants, with a current team of approximately eight staff members plus seven contracted coaches.

Name

coopcity

Legal name

COOPCITY ASBL

Website

https://coopcity.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CoopCity is a Brussels-based non-profit (ASBL) support centre that accompanies social and cooperative entrepreneurs through four programmes (SEEDS, BLOSSOM, INNOVATE, SHARE), supplemented by coworking space and a curated toolbox, primarily funded by Brussels-Region and EU public grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Enterprise Incubation

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC)

Keywords

• Social entrepreneurship support
• Entrepreneur accompaniment programs
• Social enterprise incubation
• Non-profit business services
• Venture coaching programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Gilles

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public funding and grants: COOPCITY is primarily funded by public sources. From 2015 to approximately 2021, the project was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER/ERDF) and the Brussels-Capital Region through a 5-year grant. Since 2021, the organisation operates as a non-profit association (ASBL) and continues to receive support from the Brussels Region. INNOVATE programme accompaniment is funded through a partnership with INNOVIRIS.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CoopCity is a Brussels-based non-profit social entrepreneurship support center that designs and delivers structured accompaniment programs (SEEDS, BLOSSOM, INNOVATE, and SHARE) guiding individual social entrepreneurs and social enterprises through the lifecycle of their venture, from initial idea validation and early-stage development to growth, scaling, and peer knowledge exchange.

Product overview

COOPCITY is a social and cooperative entrepreneurship center in Brussels offering a portfolio of five interconnected accompaniment programs (SEEDS, BLOSSOM, INNOVATE, SHARE) designed to support social enterprises at different stages of development, supplemented by free coworking facilities and a comprehensive resource toolbox. SEEDS serves as the entry-point incubation program for nascent entrepreneurs, BLOSSOM accelerates established enterprises seeking scale, INNOVATE provides individualized support for social innovation projects, and SHARE facilitates peer learning among existing managers. All programs are complemented by supplementary resources covering financing, governance, impact measurement, and collaborative management tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 325 projects accompanied since 2015
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SAW-B (Solidarité des Alternatives Wallonnes et Bruxelloises)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAW-B is a federation for solidarity in Walloon and Brussels alternatives, providing coaching expertise and co-development methodology support to COOPCITY. SAW-B coaches including Mathilde Leboeuf and Chadi Cheikh-Ali are part of COOPCITY's coach network, and SAW-B contributes analytical resources on social entrepreneurship topics.
• FebecoopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFebecoop is the platform for promoting cooperative entrepreneurship in Belgium. François Dubois from Febecoop serves as a coach in COOPCITY's network, contributing expertise in finance, global management, and cooperative principles. Febecoop also provides comparative data on cooperative legal structures.
• JobYourselfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJobYourself is a reference actor for self-employment creation in Brussels, supporting entrepreneurs in activity cooperative models. Listed as a key partner providing referral pathways to COOPCITY's accompaniment programmes.
• hub.brusselscoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerhub.brussels is the Brussels agency for entrepreneurship, providing ecosystem navigation and business support resources. Serves as a referral channel directing entrepreneurs to COOPCITY's social entrepreneurship programmes.
• Start Lab IHEC (ICHEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStart Lab ICHEC is a specialised higher education institution focused on commerce and management. Hélène Cochaux is responsible for Start Lab ICHEC and coaches COOPCITY entrepreneurs, contributing expertise in communication, project management, and human relations.
• Solvay Brussels School Economics & Management EntrepreneurscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe entrepreneurship centre of the Free University of Brussels (ULB) focused on economics and management. Listed as a key partner providing ecosystem connections and entrepreneurial expertise to COOPCITY's network.
• COBEA COOPminorOthersCOBEA COOP is the web hosting service provider for the COOPCITY website, providing the WordPress/WP Engine infrastructure on which the site operates. Listed in the website copyright notice.
• Pouce-piedminorOthersPouce-pied is listed as the graphic design partner for COOPCITY's website and visual identity.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Impact Hub Brussels: Brussels-based coworking and incubation network for social entrepreneurs and impact-driven startups. Directly comparable to COOPCITY as a Brussels hub offering workspace, programmes, and community for social-impact founders.
• Ashoka Belgium: Branch of global Ashoka network supporting leading social entrepreneurs in Belgium through fellowship, coaching, and ecosystem connections. Directly comparable mission (supporting social entrepreneurs) with a national/Belgian geographic focus.

Regional players

• Antwerp Social Innovation Lab: Belgian social-innovation support hub operating outside Brussels. Comparable in offering social-entrepreneurship accompaniment programmes but serves a different Flemish-region geography.

Broad incumbents

• Social Enterprise UK: UK-wide membership body for social enterprises providing advocacy, resources, and peer support. Comparable in supporting the social-enterprise community, though operating at national scale rather than as a regional incubator.
• Euclid Network: European network of social-enterprise support organisations. Comparable as an umbrella/federation entity connecting social-entrepreneurship intermediaries; COOPCITY could plausibly be a member hub.

Emerging players

• Enactus Belgium: Student-led social entrepreneurship programme active in Belgium through university chapters. Comparable focus on early-stage social-entrepreneurship education but anchored in academic institutions.
• NESsT: International organisation supporting social enterprises in Central/Eastern Europe and Latin America with venture-style support and impact investment. Comparable in incubation/acceleration model for social enterprises, though operating cross-regionally.
• Echoing Green: Global fellowship for emerging social entrepreneurs providing funding and coaching. Comparable in selecting and accelerating individual social-entrepreneur founders, though operating globally with a fellowship model.

Others

• hub.brussels: Brussels agency for entrepreneurship and a key COOPCITY referral partner. Adjacent comparable: serves Brussels entrepreneurs broadly, including social enterprises, and provides ecosystem navigation services.
• Innoviris: Brussels regional research and innovation funding institute and a current COOPCITY funding partner. Adjacent comparable as a Brussels-region innovation funder with social-innovation mandates that overlap with COOPCITY's INNOVATE programme.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user65998645
• Facebookfacebook.com/coopcity.bxl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coopcity
• Instagraminstagram.com/coopcity_bxl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 coopcity