The Cwmpas 2026 manifesto: 10 co-operative actions for prosperity, sustainability and resilience
Wales has the potential to build an economy and communities that work for everyone – generating prosperity while strengthening the communities we live in. Economic development doesn’t have to come at the expense of people or place. By investing in co-operatives, social businesses and community-led models, we can create prosperity that lasts: growth that lifts people out of poverty, builds shared assets, and strengthens the services and institutions we all rely on.
These models embed fairness and inclusivity and are about achieving real, measurable prosperity in ways that keep wealth circulating locally, create good jobs, and give people a stake in their future.
A thriving co-operative economy means making a profit but it is also about using profits to build stronger towns and cities, more resilient rural communities, and creating opportunities for everyone to contribute and benefit. It means community-led, inclusive services delivering better outcomes in a community-led and inclusive way, rooted in place and shaped by a deep understanding of local needs, culture and strengths.
Cwmpas believes the next Welsh Government can take bold, practical steps to turn this vision into a reality. Our manifesto sets out 10 clear and practical actions that would help Wales grow in an inclusive, sustainable way – creating stronger communities, more resilient businesses, and a fairer future.
Click here to read our 2026 Senedd Manifesto
10 calls to action for the next Welsh Government
- Invest in specialist support and create a co-operative development hub to proactively identify, support, and scale new co-operative, employee-owned, and social businesses across key sectors and double the size of the employee-owned business sector in Wales.
- Promote community ownership of assets as a key part of a national strategy by introducing new laws, providing funding for communities to buy these assets, and offering expert advice.
- Empower social enterprises to deliver community-led health services by simplifying how contracts are awarded and putting more value on social impact.
- Develop and implement a programme to support and expand social enterprise and co-operative social care models including investing in local training and support, encouraging collaboration, and making sure that co-operative values are built into our social care policies and how contracts are awarded.
- Invest in social businesses as a driving force of Wales’ net-zero transition to enable the creation of inclusive, high-quality jobs and driving local prosperity.
- Commit to ensuring a truly digitally-inclusive Wales by expanding the MDLS pilots to all household types across Wales, facilitating its implementation by organisations in our communities, and putting inclusion at the heart of digital transformation.
- Strengthen Welsh democracy through citizen assemblies, co-designing services and investing in media literacy to give people a direct and meaningful role in shaping key government policies and legislation.
- Invest in the expansion of affordable community-led housing models by offering flexible, easy-access loans to get projects started and creating supportive policy frameworks that empower local communities to lead on housing solutions.
- Provide targeted support for new and existing Welsh language community-led co-operatives and social businesses through funding, training, and support for projects that strengthen the Welsh language in local communities.
- Embed co-operative principles at the heart of rural economic development and help build a resilient food system by identifying opportunities for community ownership and social businesses in rural communities and supporting more co-operatives in the food sector.
Why this matters now
The next Welsh Government will take office at a moment of both challenge and opportunity. Communities across Wales are under pressure from stubborn poverty, rising costs, stretched services, and the impacts of climate change, Yet, in our ongoing work, we’re seeing something truly inspiring: a readiness to embrace new approaches that put people and places at the heart of our economy.
There is a growing consensus that this is the way forward. The 2025 Future Generations Report has highlighted the importance of co-operative and community-led approaches. Oxfam and the Institute of Welsh Affairs have called for a wellbeing economy built on the same principles; and the UK Government has already committed to doubling the size of the co-operative sector.
This is Wales’ moment to act. By putting in place the infrastructure and support that co-operatives, social enterprises and community-led organisations need to grow, the next Welsh Government has the chance to deliver lasting change.
Work with us
Cwmpas’ manifesto sets out a bold and practical vision for inclusive and sustainable prosperity in Wales. Over the next few weeks and months we will publish more reports and papers on the specifics of these asks, why they are needed and the impact they will make.
We invite policymakers, partners and communities to engage with our proposals and work with us to turn them into reality. Together, we can make Wales a fairer, greener and more prosperous nation – built on the power of co-operation.
