The Technological Incubator for Popular Cooperatives (Incubadora Tecnológica de Cooperativas Populares – ITCP) is a university sponsored initiative run by the Engineering Post-Graduate and Research Coordination at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – COPPE/UFRJ, which has, since 1995, had as its primary objective the inclusion of economically marginalized sectors of the economy within the formal system. Centered on strengthening cooperativism, as well as involved in the field of economic development in general, the ITCP has also helped put forward new public policies and dedicated a significant proportion of its time and effort to the search for a solution to the new relations existing in the global workplace and the affirmation of citizen’s rights.
What we do
Since its conception, the ITCP has, by means of cooperativism, helped to include not only those who have been falling gradually behind the market within this new national conjuncture, but also, and especially those who historically never previously formed part of it. In addition to assisting in market inclusion, the ITCP aims to promote, through work, popular organization and to create a network of solidarity that represents a solution or response to the model of exclusion present in the economy, thus generating alternatives for work, income and citizenship through communal self-reliant enterprises, which in turn broaden the rights of those workers involved
The Team
Participation in networks
University Network of Technological Incubators ( 16 brazilian universities )
Rio Network of Thecnology
University Network of the Americas for Cooperative Studies (22 universities in North, Central and South America)
Partners
Finep - Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos;
FBB - Fundação Banco do Brasil;
DENACOOP - Departamento Nacional de Cooperativismo do Ministério da Agricultura;
CS - Comunidade Solidária (dois concursos);
PMRJ - Prefeitura Municipal do Rio de Janeiro/RJ;
PMSA - Prefeitura Municipal de Santo André/SP;
PMD - Prefeitura Municipal de Diadema/SP;
GERJ/BID - Governo do Estado do Rio de Janeiro e Banco Interamericano de Desenvolvimento;
SEBRAE - Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micros e Pequenas Empresas;
SENAI - Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial;
CNM/CUT - Confederação Nacional dos Metalúrgicos da Central Única dos Trabalhadores;
ICCO - Organização Intereclesiástica para Cooperação do Desenvolvimento Holanda;
GTZ - Sociedade de Cooperação Técnica Alemã;
NOVIB - Organização Holandesa para a Cooperação Internacional do Desenvolvimento.
The process of reorganizing and privatising Brazilian state-owned companies began in the 1980s and proceeded through the mid ‘90s, by which time the country’s social inequalities had become even starker. The less well off among the population suffered the direct consequences of the prevailing economic model, in which the state was largely absent, education levels were extremely low and work opportunities were in short supply. Violence in the community swelled and urban youth was both recruited by and fell victim to the burgeoning drug trade.
It was in this context that, in 1996, the Incubadora Tecnológica de Cooperativas populares (ITCP/ COPPE) was set up, under the auspices of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, with the mission of fostering innovative action to promote economic inclusion and citizenship among the poorer segments of the population. This initiative was born out of a desire to seek a collective solution, based on cooperativism, to the problems of economic exclusion, unemployment and other factors keeping workers out of the formal job market, and to foster development allied to social justice.
The Incubator’s efforts were quickly recognized and earned awards from both the World Bank and the Getulio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo as one of the ten most important Brazilian endeavours in the fight against poverty. The methodology employed was passed on to 16 leading Brazilian universities in 10 different states and the accumulated experience became a national point of reference, particularly for the political model established, which, alongside the economic one, leads the new social players, strengthened by the practice of cooperativism, to develop a collective posture, as they feel an obligation in relation to the problems and concerns of the community to which they belong and are active on the national stage, influencing local and national public policy, with the broad objective of transforming the prevailing economic model.
Acting mainly in communities where the predominant ethnic background is
Afro-Brazilian, the ITCP stimulates ongoing debate regarding the
new forms of working relationships and economic insertion, leading to
a heightened awareness of the importance of citizenship and work and their
place
in society. This is reflected most strongly among the women who
play a leading role in the economic debate within their communities, acting
as social agents focused on the need for public policies regarding sanitation,
education and health.
The
perception that working with groups and communities presupposes the building
of strategic partnerships at all levels - local, national and international,
has led the ITCP to work strenuously along these lines during its 8 years
in existence. In a variety of different areas, the Program
to Foster and Strengthen Popular Cooperativism
has found the support needed to develop its prescribed
policies. Much valuable support has been provided by Novib -
Nederlandse
Organisatie voor Internationale Bijstand,
a vital partner
in the process of institutionalising the ITCP and consolidating the program
that makes it possible for the incubator to carry on its quest for work
and income opportunities on behalf of socially excluded groups. With the
benefit of this support, which enables the prime objective of incubating
cooperatives to be met, it is perfectly natural that a program fostering
popular cooperativism should seek to accelerate its development through
cooperation and the continual expansion of the partnerships and institutional
networks that lend their efforts to strategic action to effectively combat
the structural causes of hunger and poverty and that enhance the institution’s
sustainability
In 2001 and 2002 the ITCP advised the public administrations of the municipality of Diadema – one of the “ABCD” satellite towns to the south of the city of São Paulo – and the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Together with the Diadema Public Policy Observatory, it proposed policies for inducing sustainable local development that will also facilitate the economic insertion of the unemployed population. Through the state of Rio Grande do Sul’s Program for Solidarity in the Popular Economy, it stimulates the founding of companies that are interconnected through networks of popular enterprises. In 2003 and 2004, the ITCP is proceeded with its development work, under phase 2 of the Novib backing.
(numbers from January to July 2004)
15 groups incubated
408
people served
Education Level
Gender
Age Group
Ethnic Group
Income Level
Commercialisation
Seeking to overcome obstacles to popular cooperativism
Cooperative Business Centre (Central de Negócios Cooperativos - CNC)
ensure ongoing support for groups that have already been incubated
generate economies of scale
establish integrated commercialisation networks within the city of Rio de Janeiro
The ITCP is currently involved in the following projects in the public policy area:
Ability to replicate a methodology
Partnership ITCP/Municipal government of Alvorada-Rio Grande do Sul
Transfer of technology in the process of setting up a municipal Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperatives fostering popular cooperativism in the municipality of Alvorada.
monitoring 7 groups – 145 cooperative members
Generating opportunities in 15 poor neighbourhoods
Guidance
towards Economic Integration project
Partnership ITCP/ Municipal government of Rio de Janeiro
Increase employment opportunities for the unemployed and/or those with unstable work, young people looking for their first job, women, particularly heads of families, and those who risk losing their jobs develop skills and abilities among cooperative members, the self-employed and small business entrepreneurs.
2,276 people served
1,141 forwarded for training
Communities served by the ITCP in Rio de Janeiro
Developing
incubation indicators in São Paulo
System of monitoring and evaluation of the
Incubation of the Development with Solidarity
Project
Partnership ITCP/ Municipal government of São Paulo
Develop and implement a system for monitoring and evaluating the process of incubating the city hall’s Development with Solidarity (Desenvolvimento Solidário) project;
Formulate and put forward legal measures to consolidate public policy in the city of São Paulo.
Activities
Assessment of the actions taken under the project;
Interviews with project and enterprise managers and partners;
Preparation of a plan/agenda for studying the activities and
methodologies introduced by the various partners;
Preparation of a plan/agenda for studying the activities
Introduced in the enterprises;
Performing the studies (partners and enterprises);
Analysis and compilation of the results of the studies;
Holding workshops for the partners and project team;
Organization of the results of the workshops;
Preparation of indicators;
Holding seminars to present the indicators.
Credit for the Cooperatives, or Micro-lending?
Which is the best alternative for the popular cooperatives?
Supply of Productive Credit: Special Financing
Cooperative Credit Micro-lending
Partnership ITCP/Federal Savings Bank (Caixa Econômica Federal - CEF)
Definition of a banking facility for popular cooperatives, at CEF branches;
Proposal of a legal milestone that will give this population segment access to credit.
15 million potential customers for credit and micro-lending in Brazil
only 115 thousand micro-lending customers, at present.
Monitoring, evaluation and consolidation of the
Community anagement
of the natural resources in
local catchment areas in the north and northwest of the state
Fishermen & Collectors
Partnerships ITCP/ state
government of Rio de Janeiro
Develop methodologies for the monitoring, evaluation and consolidation
of community management of the natural resources in these regions through
sustainable rural incubators.
Collectors
Generation of employment and income by training the collectors of solid waste to provide them tools for cooperativism
Provide
them with the tools for cooperativism, self-management and collective
working procedures.
Train
representatives of groups of collectors of solid waste in courses on leadership.
Corporate Social responsibility, in the eyes of the ITCP
A significant number of companies, organizations and university programs that have a policy of social responsibility were contacted, with a view to generating more job and earnings opportunities for the incubated cooperatives.
COOPAMA - Cooperative of Friends of the Environment
23 cooperative members hired to run a conveyor belt and separate material that can be recycled for commercial use at the “Usina Verde” plant.
COMEICE Cooperative
65 cooperative members from the field of building and electrical maintenance working on the premises of COPPE/UFRJ
Eagle Group (Grupo Águia) Cooperative
53 job positions at the Coppetec Foundation
A partnerships with the state government of Rio de Janeiro has just been established; a project for the monitoring, evaluation and consolidation of the community management of the natural resources in local catchment areas in the north and northwest of the state.
And another one will shortly begin, with São Paulo municipality, for the generation of employment and income by training the collectors of solid waste in a way to provide them tools for cooperativism, self-management and collective working procedures and to train representatives of groups of collectors of solid waste in courses on leadership.
With a view to developing information and communication technology (ICT), the Incubator has an important partner -InfoDev- The Information for Development Program
- for the business of the incubated cooperatives.
Introduction and increased use of
Information Technology (IT) in popular cooperatives
Partnership ITCP / InfoDev
Introduce, develop and incorporate ICT in the business of incubated Cooperatives, to augment productivity and broaden the market
Enhance the conditions for setting up cooperatives to provide ICT-related services
Pass on and replicate in other Incubators of Popular Cooperatives the lessons learned from the implementation of proposed initiatives.
Introduce, develop and incorporate IT in all relevant activities of the ITCP, and incubated cooperatives, with the aim of improving performance, sustainability and growth
During the period December 2003 / January 2004 an independent consultant was retained to assist ITCP in the preparation of its strategic planning. It is expected that the strategic plan prepared as a result of that effort can help ITCP to quantify its achivements with respect to pre-established goals. It will also help to identify adjustment needs in order to better calibrate our focus towards improving institutional efficacy.
At the end of that strategic planning exercise the following points were identified as the ones that will require most of our attention:
Plan of Action
Political/production coordination and disclosure of ITCP know-how
Expansion of network participation
Evaluation of infrastructure
Implementation of management model
Creation of a centre for Funding / Sustainability at the ITCP
Systematisation of the incubation methodology
The ITCP is also a member of the University Network of Technological Incubators, comprising 16 universities, and the University Network of the Americas for Cooperative Studies, comprising 22 universities located in North, Central and South America, and participates among the group of universities that conducted the survey “A Panorama of Cooperativism in Brazil”. The ITCP is also currently participating, together with other institutions, in the Ibase - Instituto Brasileiro de Análise Sociais e Econômicas - initiative “The Cooperatives’ Social Synopsis,” whereby the information disclosed by the cooperatives in their annual social synopses can become an important tool in relations with public bodies.
In
incorporating the initially prescribed targets and seeking to build on
its past achievements, the Incubator, through the Program to Foster and
Strengthen Popular Cooperativism , reaffirms its aim of reinforcing areas
and activities that offer potential and lay the foundations that will
guarantee the sustainability of the work, based on the joining of efforts,
with those who recognize the importance of economic inclusion and citizenship
to our country, in order to attain common objectives.
Cooperatives
under Incubation
The ITCP presently assists 15 self-run collective undertakings that are involved in a variety of economic activities within the state of Rio de Janeiro. There follows a brief description of each of these cooperatives.
Arte e Reciclagem (Art & Recycling)
This enterprise, located in the municipality of Mesquita, is
made up of craftswomen devoted to producing handicrafts with a difference.
They use for their raw materials objects that would otherwise be thrown
away. Their products include pieces made of newspaper and fashionable
items of womenswear, bedding and tableware made with patchwork and thread.
Bom
Apetite - (Bom Apetite Food Production Cooperative)
The Cooperativa de Produção Alimentícia Bom Apetite, also located
in Mesquita, was established for the purpose of preparing meals, sweet
and savory pastries and providing a specialized buffet service.
Coomub (Women of the Suburbs Cooperative)
The “Cooperativa de Mulheres da Baixada - Coomub” was set up to collect,
sort and recycle solid waste. The members run a campaign to raise environmental
awareness and promote selective waste collection in the municipality of
Mesquita, where they live and work.
Coopama (Friends of the Environment Popular Cooperative)
In the Jacarezinho housing complex, the “Cooperativa Popular
dos Amigos do Meio Ambiente - Coopama” works at collecting, sorting and
recycling solid waste and performing general services. During the process
of incubation under the ITCP/COPPE-UFRJ, this cooperative’s first success
was winning a contract from Usina Verde S.A. Located on the Ilha do Fundão,
site of the federal university campus, Usina Verde is a pilot plant for
the development of innovative technology to generate power from waste.
Part of the urban waste that is collected is used to produce electricity
and another portion is separated and sold by Coopama.
CooPSI
This cooperative is located in the district of Fonseca, in the
municipality of Niterói, and works in the information technology area.
It entered the incubator in November 2005 and is still in the pre-incubation
phase. The group was born out of a digital inclusion project run by the
NGO CDI, in partnership with the Sacred Family institution (connected
to the Catholic Church).
Coosturart (Handicraft Sewing Cooperative)The “Cooperativa de Costura Artesanal - Coosturart” comprises, for the most part, craftswomen from the João XXIII housing complex, and was established for the purpose of utilizing materials left over from the clothes manufacturing process, using patchwork and other techniques, using pieces of colored fabric. In addition to providing services to third parties, the cooperative has launched its own range of bedding and tableware products, which are sold at handicraft fairs and related events.
Cootrabom (Workers of the Bonsucesso Housing Complex Cooperative)
The “Cooperativa dos Trabalhadores do Complexo de Bonsucesso
Ltda - Cootrabom” is situated in the Complexo da Maré neighborhood and
operates in the collection, sorting and recycling of solid waste. The
appearance of this cooperative opened up many new possibilities for transforming
the area, due to the heightened awareness of the community regarding selective
waste collection and the organizing of labor to generate employment and
income. The cooperative also provides gardening, painting, metalworking
and air conditioning maintenance services.
Delícias do Rio (Rio Delicacies)
The “Cooperativa Delícias do Rio”, which is still in its initial
phase, operates in the area of foods. The purpose of the enterprise is
to organize events and provide the table decoration, waiters and waitresses.
They also sell, to order, hot and cold savories and caramel candies. The
cooperative comprises women who have children undergoing treatment at
INCA (National Cancer Institute) and do not have the resources to cover
the costs involved in this treatment (medicines, food, transport). For
this reason, they turned to the “Casa de Apoio a Criança com Câncer Santa
Teresa”, situated in the district of Estácio, which is the present base
for the enterprise.
Dinamicoop
Dinamicoop is a cooperative located in the Morro do Macaco neighborhood,
that brings together qualified professionals from the fields of information
technology, graphic arts and IT consulting , to assemble and maintain
computers and networks, set up websites and give basic computer courses
(Office).This cooperative is situated in the district of Mangueira. Its
field of activity is the selective collection and recycling of waste,
and it is in the pre-incubation phase. They participated in the Supportive
Recycling project, run by the NGO Cáritas and sponsored by Petrobras under
its Zero Hunger program.
Mulheres Artesãs da Maré (Craftswomen of Maré Handicraft Production Co-op)
The “Cooperativa de Produção de Artesanal Mulheres Artesãs da Maré”, located
in the community of the same name, produces exclusive bags and clothing
accessories using the techniques of crochet and knitting. The enterprise
has achieved export quality and also offers a range of costume jewelry
using Brazilian stones on a knitted base.
Pendocoop
The Pendocoop Cooperative sells foods, notably cakes and meals, that are
currently produced on a small scale for local retail employees and residents.
The enterprise also produces a basket of basic food items, at an accessible
price, guided by Supportive Economy principles.
Praia Vermelha
The Praia Vermelha Cooperative is an income generating project of the
Philippe Pinel Institute. It was established for the purpose of generating
employment and income for mental patients, as well as being an exercise
in citizenship, by opposing a culture of exclusion. The cooperative produces
and sells products containing nuts or cupuaçu (a fruit related to cocoa),
such as sweets, cakes, bread and biscuits, and packaging (binders, folders,
cardboard boxes, etc.). The activities serve the dual role of occupational
therapy for the patients and stimulation of awareness regarding environmental
concerns and the goal of sustainability in the use of natural resources.
Recicla Rio (Rio Recycling)
This cooperative is located in the Ilha do Fundão residential quarter,
on the federal university campus, and thus has a major partner to help
in its endeavor to become a going concern.
For
more information about the cooperatives, access:
www.cooperativismopopular.ufrj.br