SEIZE Resources > Ideation

New Solidarity Economy Venture Checklist

Download

This checklist is designed for community members, organizers, and entrepreneurs exploring new cooperative or nonprofit ventures within the solidarity economy.

It supports the idea validation stage (before incorporation) and aligns with SEIZE’s values of democratic ownership, justice, and collective well-being.

Use this as a living tool:

  1. Start with the priority questions in each section (must-have).
  2. Then move to the deeper dive questions (nice-to-have but important).
  3. For each section, rate your progress:
    🟢 Ready | 🟡 Partial progress | 🔴 Needs work

At the end, you’ll have a color-coded snapshot of your venture’s launch readiness. Once you’ve filled this in, you can share it with us through your Incubation expression of interest form, and we will provide tailored feedback and support! 

1. Basic Feasibility of the Venture

Priority Questions

  • What community need or social goal is the new venture addressing?
  • Does it align with solidarity economy principles? 
  • Is it legally viable as a cooperative or NPO under provincial and federal laws?

Deeper Dive

  • Have interviews, surveys, or pilot projects been conducted to validate the need and approach?
  • Is there a clearly defined problem-solution fit? 

2. Community Anchorage 

Priority Questions

  • Have you defined who are the primary members, users, or stakeholders?
  • Have you engaged directly with potential members or stakeholders to build trust and better understand their goals, challenges, and perspectives?

Deeper Dive

  • What is the expected engagement or usage level with your ideal users?
  • Where are these stakeholders located, and what tactics will you use to reach/include them (digitally or physically)?

3. Unique Community Value Proposition

Priority Questions

  • What specific benefits will this new venture provide to its members and/or community?
  • What distinguishes this new venture from other similar organizations or private competitors?
  • What unique capabilities does your team bring to this venture that gives you an edge?

Deeper Dive

  • Who are the other groups with similar offerings? Do a SWOT analysis on each of them!
  • What unmet needs or market/systemic gaps are you addressing that others are not?

4. Team Formation & Democratic Structuring

Priority Questions

  • Do we have clear and publicly known rules for how decisions are made and do they apply equally to everyone?
  • Do our structures allow for both efficiency and participation, balancing clear processes with space for dissent, adaptation, and care?
  • Are individuals delegated authority to tasks through a democratic process (not just informal status or unspoken norms)?
  • Do we rotate tasks and leadership positions regularly to prevent concentration of power and build collective capacity?

Deeper Dive

  •  Is access to critical information, tools, or decision-making spaces distributed fairly and not held by a few?
  • Are skills, knowledge, and opportunities to lead actively shared, especially with those newer or less connected?

5. Movement-Aligned Outreach & Communications

Priority Questions

  • What narrative or story will the venture use to build support?
  • What communication channels will be used to engage your audience? 
  • What benchmarks or milestones will indicate outreach success?

Deeper Dive

  • Can partnership, networks or support letters be secured before launch to showcase community buy-in? 
  • Have SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals been set for outreach, engagement, and base-building?

6. Operations: Provision of Goods, Services, or Programs

Priority Questions

  • Have you prototyped a minimal offering and tested it with real users?
  • Will the organization produce, purchase, or co-create its offerings?
  • What is your planned timeline and process for sourcing materials or launching production?
  • Have suitable premises or venues been identified, secured, and confirmed to be accessible to all users?
  • Is the required equipment available, and can it be accessed affordably through cooperative, community-based, or shared-use networks?

Deeper Dive

  • Do you have a clear understanding of your operational workflows, including what needs to happen on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis?
  • How will service or program quality be maintained?
  • What internal tools or software will support smooth collaboration and transparency?

7. Governance & Organizational Controls 

Priority Questions

  • Are legal, accounting, HR, or cooperative development advisors needed?
  • What records and reporting systems will support transparency?
  • Who is responsible for oversight, reporting, and internal accountability?

Deeper Dive

  • Are there collective mechanisms to address conflict and uphold values?
  • How much capacity (time & resources) will you need to set aside for compliance? What is the estimated cost of permits, taxes and insurance for your sector?  

8. Values-Aligned Financing

Priority Questions

  • How much will be needed for development of the product or service? (pre-start up costs) 
  • How much will be needed for setting up operations?(start up costs) 
  • How much will be needed for working capital to sustain operations for 6–12 months? Longer term? 
  • Where will the money come from? What if more is needed?

Deeper Dive

  • What are the financial uncertainties or risks, and how will they be mitigated?
  • How will surplus be distributed or reinvested to benefit the collective?