Coopér’Actives is an innovative project that promotes collective entrepreneurship as a lever for the socio-professional integration of migrant women. Inspired by the Parisian Migracoop experience, this pilot project launched in 2022 enables women in precarious situations to try out a professional activity in a cooperative setting. Through the creation of temporary culinary cooperatives, participants explore the Belgian job market while promoting their cultural and gastronomic skills.
Two cooperatives, each organized over a three-month period, offer a space for practical training, collaborative learning, and personal development. Participants evolve in a supportive and stimulating environment, learning to produce, market, and promote authentic culinary products. This project is not limited to professional development: it also aims to break social isolation and build self-confidence among migrant women, helping them to embark on a sustainable and fulfilling career path.
By integrating concepts of social economy and shared governance, Coopér’Actives redefines the approach to socio-professional integration. It bridges the gap between participants personal skills and labor market expectations, while promoting an inclusive and solidarity-based economic model.
With the support of: La Fondation Roi Baudouin dans le cadre de son appel à projets « Trempoline »
Coopér’Actives offers a 108-hour training course structured around three main areas:
Introduction to entrepreneurship:
Learn the basics of the job market, starting a business, and developing a business plan. Practical exercises and expert presentations reinforce participants entrepreneurial skills.
- The job market and its codes
- Expert input in business creation
- Visits to companies in the food sector
- Market research and business plan
- Practical exercises and discovery of tools such as the business plan canvas, empathetic interviews, value proposition, analysis SWOT
- Entrepreneurial spirit: introduction to entrepreneurial skills
- Introduction to accounting through expert presentations and practical accounting exercises: selling price and cost price, turnover, production costs, and profit.
- Introduction to storytelling
- Introduction to visual communication and practical exercises in poster design
Cooperative work:
Discover the principles of social economy, collective intelligence, and shared governance. Participants experiment with sociocratic processes and develop collaboration tools adapted to a multicultural environment.
- The concepts of social economy, cooperatives, collective intelligence, and shared governance
- Practical exercises in sociocratic processes
- Workshop: “Working on a project in a multicultural group”
- Implementation of participatory evaluation procedures and monitoring of practices
Culinary and commercial training:
Acquire practical skills in cooking and sales, while incorporating concepts of sustainable food, labeling, and product presentation.
- Practical exercises in cooking and sales
- Workshop on “Environment and Sustainable Food”
- Product promotion and labeling
- Careful packaging and presentation of preparations
Beyond these modules, Coopér’Actives encourages reflection on issues related to social and professional inclusion, enabling participants to leverage their strengths and plan for a stable professional future.
The Coopér’Actives capitalization booklet offers a detailed insight into an innovative social economy project designed to promote the socio-professional integration of migrant women through pop-up culinary cooperatives. This document explores the key stages of the project, from theoretical training (entrepreneurship, accounting, communication) to practical implementation (product creation, sales, collective management).
Video – Session 2
