Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) is the national bilingual association working to develop Canada’s co-operative ecosystem of 8,000 small, mid-sized, and large co-operative enterprises, which represent 3.4% of Canada’s GDP and almost 200,000 jobs. We are an apex organization and our members are financial and non-financial co-operatives, provincial co-operative associations, and national sector federations. Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. Co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

The Bridge Project will build a two-way communication channel between the Co-operative Sector and the partners of the Social Innovation/Social Finance ecosystem. CMC will mobilize co-operatives to access IRP service providers, participate in IRP activities and apply for funding, in order to increase their level of investment readiness. In addition, CMC will monitor the activities of the partners, to track the level of Co-operative Sector participation as well as to ensure that IRP Partners consider the needs of co-operatives.