Access to financing continues to be a challenge for the social and cooperative economy, especially since conventional circuits often don’t understand models based on people and the local community. As a result, there’s a need for specialized services that can support projects and connect them with financing that aligns with their values.
The Bloc4BCN service, led by the Federation of Worker Cooperatives of Catalonia and managed by Seira with the collaboration of FETS, responds to this need with a focus that goes beyond obtaining resources, building solid and coherent financial plans. In one year it provided advisory services to 140 entities, referred 57 to Financoop, and secured about €11.8 million in 48 operations, allowing many cooperatives to grow, consolidate, or invest.
Most advisory services came from entities in the sector or from recommendations, which shows trust and a strong network. Users’ needs are diverse: financing, guidance, investment, or intercooperation, with a particular emphasis on the lack of adapted investment tools.
The service is highly rated (4.75/5 and 98.1% recommendation), as it offers not only financial resources, but also guidance and support in a context of uncertainty.
In short, facilitating access to financing in a cooperative context contributes to economic sovereignty and helps build a fairer system, showing that money can serve as a transformative tool. Strengthening these services benefits both cooperativism and the country as a whole.
Full article: https://www.jornal.cat/opinio/39530/invertir-en-valors