Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative

About the Program

The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), with support from the City and the New York City Council, helps the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI) offer innovative ways for New Yorkers to overcome economic and social inequality. Worker cooperatives are businesses that are owned and controlled by their workers (worker-owners). Worker cooperatives give New Yorkers the opportunity to co-own a business, creating sustainable and dignified jobs while developing community wealth. This helps people who lack access to traditional business ownership.

For general information about worker cooperatives or WCBDI, please fill out our interest form.

Get help with one or more of the following:

Transition an Existing Business To a Worker Cooperative

Our network of expert service providers have a proven track record of helping NYC business owners stabilize businesses, complete business sales to employees, and achieve growth. The Owner2Owners hotline provides the expertise to explore employee ownership and its many benefits at no cost to NYC business owners.

Visit Owner2Owners.nyc or call (646) 363-6592.

Starting a Worker Cooperative

Get help with starting and managing a worker cooperative. SBS provide training on the basic skills to run a business, and can help you launch an operational worker cooperative.

Center for Family Life
443 39th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11232

Green Worker Cooperatives
1231 Lafayette Avenue, 2nd Floor
Bronx, NY 10474

Urban Upbound
4-25 Astoria Boulevard
Astoria, NY 11102

Worker's Justice Project
365 Broadway
New York, NY 11211

One-On-One Support Services

If you're already in a worker cooperative, we can help you operate and grow your business. One-on-one support services are available in the following areas:

Business plan development
Marketing and market research
Governance and internal manuals assistance
Strategic planning
Translation services
Bookkeeping
Financial planning
Succession planning

Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative
2431 Morris Avenue
Bronx, NY 10468

Business Outreach Center Network
85 S. Oxford Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217

CAMBA
1720 Church Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11226

Democracy at Work Institute
115 5th Avenue, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10013

The ICA Group
244 5th Avenue, Suite C230
New York, NY 10001

NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives
495 Flatbush Avenue, Suite 2
Brooklyn, NY 11225
(Other services: trade association for worker co-ops)

Worker Cooperative Legal Support

From incorporating your business to creating a patent, we can help your worker cooperative with a variety of legal needs through tailored one-on-one legal consultations.

Community Economic Development Clinic (CUNY Law)
2 Court Square
Long Island City, NY 11101

TakeRoot Justice
123 William Street, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10038

Worker Cooperative Financing Support

We offer specialized financing support for worker cooperatives.

The Working World
116 Nassau Street, Suite 513
New York, NY 10038
(Other services: business creation, business conversion, one-on-one support)

Want To Learn More?

Read about the successes of the WCBDI in our "Working Together" report series: