Employee and Community Ownership Hub (ECOH) Community of Practice
Preamble
Following the successful visit of Graeme Nuttall OBE last October and the growing interest in employee and community ownership models across Australia, the Employee and Community Ownership Hub (ECOH) is being formed. This new initiative is stewarded by RMIT FORWARD, Co-operative Bonds, Employee Ownership Australia, and the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals.
Purpose
The Employee and Community Ownership Hub exists to accelerate the growth of alternative ownership models in Australia by connecting practitioners, researchers and advisors in a collaborative learning environment.
Through monthly online sessions, ECOH will bring together diverse stakeholders to explore, advance and implement employee and community ownership structures that foster more equitable, resilient and purposeful enterprises.
To progress this agenda, the ECOH Community of Practice (CoP) has been convened to support the development of systemic, practice-informed approaches to employee and community ownership in Australia.
The CoP Will:
- Bring together practitioners, policy advocates, researchers, and enterprise leaders who are active in the field of alternative ownership models
- Surface insights from practical experience and strategic reflection to inform more enabling ecosystems for employee and community ownership
- Support collaboration and shared learning across disciplines, sectors and organisational forms
- Contribute to the development of a position or discussion paper outlining opportunities and barriers, and identifying pathways for policy and regulatory change
Activities Include:
- Monthly online sessions: commencing Friday, 9 May 2025, from 12:00–1:00 pm AEST
- Learning from experts: presentations from experienced practitioners and thought leaders
- Networking opportunities: connect with others exploring alternative ownership models
- Research contribution: your insights will inform a comprehensive white paper on employee and community ownership in Australia
- Resource sharing: access to a digital repository of resources and discussion recordings
Steward Group
The ECOH Community of Practice is stewarded by representatives from:
- Employee Ownership Australia (EOA) – strategic input and expertise, particularly in relation to Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs)
- RMIT FORWARD – facilitation, documentation and applied research; in-kind support for administration and project coordination
- Co-operative Bonds – co-convenor and ongoing coordination support
The Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) will provide policy development expertise and sector-wide perspective on co-operatives and mutuals as needed.
Other contributors may be invited to join the stewardship group by agreement of the existing stewards.
Stewardship Group Responsibilities:
- Shaping the overall direction and focus of the CoP
- Guiding the participant selection process
- Overseeing development of outputs (e.g. white paper, discussion papers, synthesis reports)
- Ensuring appropriate representation of practice-based, conceptual and policy perspectives
Selection Process
Participation in the ECOH Community of Practice is by invitation, following a selective process guided by the stewardship group.
Selection criteria include:
- Application of the concepts – priority will be given to those working in or advising employee or community-owned businesses
- Ability to attend all sessions – each session will build on previous ones, so consistent participation is encouraged
- Commitment to equity – participants are expected to value equal opportunity and support a non-discriminatory environment
This approach is designed to ensure:
- A balance of conceptual thinkers and experienced implementers
- Inclusion of legal, financial, and organisational expertise
- Representation across different enterprise types and stages of development
- Lived experience of navigating regulatory, structural and systemic barriers
- Alignment with the shared purpose and values of the CoP
Participants will be drawn from expressions of interest (EOIs) and nominations, and may include representatives from enterprise, advocacy, academia, government, philanthropy, and practice-based consultancy.
Role of RMIT FORWARD
RMIT FORWARD is providing in-kind support for the ECOH Community of Practice, including:
- Co-facilitating the series of convenings in collaboration with Co-operative Bonds
- Administrative and project coordination support
- Development of a reflective discussion or position paper based on CoP presentations, discussions and emerging themes
The paper will follow a similar approach to the recent Platform University paper by RMIT FORWARD, offering a synthesis of shared insights, systemic barriers, opportunities for innovation, and proposed pathways for reform. It will be iterative and grounded in the content generated by CoP participants, reflecting RMIT FORWARD's independent role in applied research and workforce transformation.
Role of Co-operative Bonds
Co-operative Bonds is contracted by Employee Ownership Australia (EOA) to deliver a range of services, including stakeholder engagement, project design, communications, administration and network coordination.
As co-convenor of the ECOH Community of Practice, Co-operative Bonds will deliver work consistent with this agreement, supporting the shared goals of the CoP while ensuring alignment with EOA's broader strategy to grow the employee ownership ecosystem in Australia.
Organisational Summaries
- RMIT FORWARD is the Centre for Future Skills and Workforce Transformation at RMIT University, focused on emerging models of work and organisation.
- Co-operative Bonds is a co-operative development organisation supporting transitions to democratic and participatory ownership and governance models.
- Employee Ownership Australia (EOA) is the national peak body promoting and supporting broad-based employee ownership in Australia.
- Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) is the national peak body representing co-operatives and mutuals across all sectors of the Australian economy. It advocates for a fair, diverse and inclusive economy grounded in member-owned business models.