COOP4IN Business Model - business model structure and research results summary - included persons with disabilities in rural areas

Sep 12, 2026

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COOP4In Business Model outlines an approach to support people with disabilities living in rural areas through social entrepreneurship. Desk and field research links social enterprise innovation to sustainable local development, community cohesion, and responses to the withdrawal of public services. The model selects a (social) cooperative or WISE and defines their roles, governance, participation, and integration-through-work mechanisms, while detailing context, stakeholders, activities, resources, value propositions, mission, costs, revenues, and channels.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages52

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

BUSINESS MODEL STRUCTURE

RESEARCH RESULTS SUMMARY

MOTIVATION BEHIND CHOSEN BUSINESS MODEL

COOP4IN BUSINESS MODEL CANVA

DESCRIPTION OF THE CANVA ELEMENTS

ANNEXES

ANNEX 1. Market Analysis

ANNEX 2. SWOT Analysis

ANNEX 3-Types of Customers

Annex 4 Communication Channels

BUSINESS MODEL Disclaimer Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) . Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project n° 2021-1-IT02-KA210-ADU-000034969 More Info and contact [gaiat@basetre.com](gaiat@basetre.com) Table of contents BUSINESS MODEL STRUCTURE 5 RESEARCH RESULTS SUMMARY 6 MOTIVATION BEHIND CHOSEN BUSINESS MODEL 7 COOP4IN BUSINESS MODEL CANVA 9 DESCRIPTION OF THE CANVA ELEMENTS 10 The context 10 Key stakeholders 12 Key Activities 14 Key Resources 15 Value propositions 16 Social Impact Mission 17 Decision-making process 20 Costs structure 21 Revenues 22 Surplus 24 Customers 26 Channels 29 (Social) Beneficiaries 30 Involvement of (social) beneficiaries 33 ANNEXES 36 ANNEX 1. Market Analysis 36 ANNEX 2. SWOT Analysis 38 ANNEX 3-Types of Customers 42 Annex 4 Communication Channels 43 BUSINESS MODEL STRUCTURE RESEARCH RESULTS SUMMARY The desk and field research suggests that innovations brought by social entrepreneurship can represent a means of tackling rural and social challenges and providing sustainable economic development, addressing the withdrawal of public services and promoting community cohesion. We have come to these findings and conclusions regarding the situation of rural areas and their social challenges: - Investing in local opportunity sectors can create jobs, increase purchasing power and generate sustainable economic growth in rural areas. - People with disabilities who live in rural areas have more chances to be socially excluded as they don’t have the usual services to be employed, educated and make social relationships. - Social entrepreneurship can help integrate people with disabilities in the labor market to face their low education and be self-sufficient and independent from their families, overcoming widespread socioeconomic situations, especially in rural areas. - Cooperatives are among the top organisational types when it comes to inclusiveness of people with disabilities, on similar levels as conventional enterprises pursuing explicit social aims, associations running economic activities, or WISE status. - Social economy and social enterprises are getting increasing recognition across Europe and the European institutions. What is still work in progress and still needed, is an effective, efficient, and balanced ecosystem for social enterprise development. MOTIVATION BEHIND CHOSEN BUSINESS MODEL The Coop4In initial research showed that in order to respond to the needs of the people with disabilities in rural areas, exploiting the opportunities offered by social entrepreneurship, the best business model should be the form of a (social) cooperative or WISE. As defined by the European Commission, “a cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united to meet common economic, social, and cultural goals. They achieve their objectives through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.” There is a democratic control and economic participation of partners. Even if it can share the goal of asocial mission, a cooperative should not be mistaken as a non-profit organisation ( NPO) . The main difference would be the target each of these serves: a cooperative serves its members, while an NPO serves the community. “The members of a co-operative usually make regular use of its goods or services. They may be users or customers of the goods or services offered, or work in the co-operative. There are different kinds of co-operatives: workers, producers, consumers, solidarity, or worker-shareholders. NPOs are more flexible and tend to have a less formal structure.” Cooperatives do business and trade, but they share equally and reinvest their profit. A WISE is a Work Integration Social Enterprise. Acco

FAQs

What problem does the COOP4In business model target in rural areas?

It targets social and rural challenges faced by people with disabilities, including reduced access to services for employment, education, and social relationships.

Why does the document recommend a (social) cooperative or a WISE?

The initial research concludes these forms best meet the needs of people with disabilities by leveraging social entrepreneurship opportunities and supporting participatory decision-making systems.

How does the model distinguish a cooperative from a non-profit organization (NPO)?

A cooperative is an autonomous, democratically controlled enterprise serving its members, while an NPO focuses on serving the community and is typically less formal.

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Patrick