
COMING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS COMMON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL NEEDS
Purchasing and Supply Services
Purchasing and supply service co-operatives
,Facilitate independent business owners to benefit from economies of scale
Purchasing and supply service co-operatives are able to benefit from economies of scale in procurement and throughout their supply chain, which enables them to operate in sophisticated, crowded markets whilst simultaneously maintaining their focus on their locality.
Support and encourage entrepreneurship
The existence of co-operative business consortia enables independent business owners to run and operate businesses in competitive marketplaces where they may otherwise be squeezed out by pressure from larger firms.
Have lower input costs and improve business productivity and efficiency
Shared procurement and operating costs help to improve the productivity and efficiency of businesses. This benefits regional Australians without creating a monolithic enterprise that can leave people overcharged and underserved.
Have lower production costs and pass on value to consumers
Economies of scale enable co-operative enterprises to lower the costs of production, which helps drive value for the consumer.
Consortia provide access to finance for small business
The co-operative enterprise consortia model is extremely successful at producing access to finance for smaller, regional businesses who would otherwise struggle to compete in developed markets.
Profit sharing spreads the benefits of business and wealth is distributed more widely
Co-operative businesses facilitate profit sharing, which means that wealth is spread more widely than is typically the case for listed businesses.

Examples

Australian Travel Agents Cooperative Limited
Australian Travel Agents Co-operative (ATAC) is a co-operative buying group in the Australian Travel Industry. Its foundations are built on transparency, superior buying power and equal sharing of its group profits. For over 30 years, ATAC has been a national co-operative with its members its only shareholders, working together for the prosperity of all.
Year established: 1987
Type: Producer Owned
Industry: Purchasing and Supply Services

Bhive Co-operative
bHive is based in Bendigo, Victoria. Local Bendigo residents will build, operate and own the platform that will build over time to provide skill sharing, car sharing, lifts, food sharing, logistics, house sharing, crowdfunding, insurance and lots more.
Year established: 2016
Type: Customer Owned, Platform Co-operative
Industry: Purchasing and Supply Services, Retail and Marketing

Bus Association Victoria
BusVic is a social enterprise and part of the Victorian bus and coach industry’s social capital. Since the 1940s, BusVic has played a central role as carriers and promoters of desired government practices, values and organising principles.
Year established: 1944
Type: Association
Industry: Purchasing and Supply Services