Overview
Innovation isn’t a luxury for cooperatives—it’s a necessity. As member needs evolve and new challenges emerge, cooperatives must create internal structures that encourage experimentation, adaptation, and continuous improvement.
A Cooperative Innovation Lab is a structured but flexible framework to pilot new ideas, foster creative problem-solving, and build a culture of cooperative-driven innovation.
This best practice outlines how to set up and operate a simple, scalable Innovation Lab model within your cooperative.
Core Tactics:
- Frame Innovation as Member-Centric Problem Solving.
Innovation should be rooted in your cooperative’s mission and member needs, not innovation for its own sake. Frame your Innovation Lab around solving problems that matter to your members. - Create a Lightweight Innovation Lab Structure.
A full department isn’t necessary—start small:- Designate a cross-functional Innovation Team (staff, members, board)
- Allocate a modest seed fund or volunteer time
- Set quarterly innovation themes (e.g., member engagement, digital services, sustainability)
- Use Principle 6 Collaborative Communities for Innovation Projects.
The P6 Platform can support:- Crowdsourcing ideas through discussion threads
- Forming project teams around promising innovations
- Sharing pilot results with other cooperatives through the Knowledge Bank
Sample Innovation Lab Process:
| Stage | Activities |
Tools |
| Idea Generation | Host brainstorming sessions, open calls for ideas | Online surveys, Collaborative Communities |
| Idea Selection | Vet ideas based on feasibility, member impact, alignment with mission | Evaluation Templates |
| Prototyping | Develop small-scale pilots to test concepts | Minimal resources needed, rapid prototyping mindset |
| Testing & Feedback | Launch small pilots and gather real user feedback | Member feedback forms, online surveys |
| Scaling | Implement successful pilots into full cooperative operations | Board approval, resource allocation |
- Celebrate Innovation and Learn from Failure.
- Publicly recognize teams that test new ideas, even if they don’t succeed
- Treat pilot failures as learning opportunities
- Celebrate successes widely to inspire more member-driven innovation
- Measure Innovation Progress.
Suggested metrics include:- Number of ideas submitted
- Number of pilots launched
- Member engagement with pilot programs
- Successful pilots scaled into permanent services or improvements