Homegrown Prosperity is expanding cooperative development efforts across rural Kansas and Missouri.
Through the initiative, U.S. Co-ops is working with communities to explore whether cooperative and shared-ownership models can help address challenges such as access to childcare, business succession, affordable housing, agricultural challenges, workforce shortages, producer market access and the need to strengthen existing cooperative enterprises.
The work combines education, readiness assessment and targeted technical assistance to help communities move from an identified need to a practical, locally driven solution.
As part of this effort, U.S. Co-ops has released a Request for Proposals for the Southwest Kansas Child Care Cooperative Feasibility Study. The study will assess whether childcare providers and workers could benefit from a purchasing/shared-services cooperative, a worker cooperative, or a combination of both, and will provide recommendations on financial and operational feasibility and next steps.
This is one of several RFPs U.S. Co-ops anticipates releasing in the coming weeks through Homegrown Prosperity. We’ll continue to share updates as the work advances and as new opportunities emerge to promote, strengthen and launch cooperatives across Kansas and Missouri.
We encourage cooperative developers, technical assistance providers, and partners across the field to consider submitting a proposal and help spread the word.