Unfortunately, the small size of the Fund means that it is very likely that some good projects will not be in the position to receive an investment.

All investment decisions will be made by the Fund Investment Committee. This committee includes two CWCF Directors and three other members drawn from the co-op and credit union sectors in Canada. The committee members come with professional expertise in commercial lending, development investing, venture capital, and worker co-op development and management. The five committee members also represent the five geographic regions of Canada.

Initial Assessment applications and Full Development Support applications can be submitted at any time and will be handled as quickly as possible. Submitted business plans, which serve as applications for capital investments, are considered at the end of each month; if an application meets all requirements with regard to the form, the group will generally receive a decision in a little over one month.

For additional information and applications, contact:Hazel Corcoran, Executive Director or Peter Hough, Fund Manager

Technical Assistance

Developers

Worker Co-op Developers' Network (WCDN): All groups or existing worker co-ops must secure the services of a member of the WCDN if they are to receive funding from the Fund for a pre-feasibility study and/or feasibility study/business plan. The WCDN is comprised of individuals and organizations that have the skills and experience required to assist in the development of worker co-ops. The members' areas of expertise have been assessed by the WCDN Certification Committee to determine their areas of competence. In some cases, a single member of the WCDN may have the capacity to carry out all aspects of the worker co-op development process, however in most cases a team of several members will be required to have the complete skill set.

It is very important to note that the Fund will not be determining which member(s) of the Network is hired for a project. Rather, it is the choice and responsibility of the group or existing worker co-op to determine whom they will hire. The role of the Fund is simply to ensure that the developer or developer team receiving the contract has the required skills to complete it successfully.