Community Owned Start up Incubation (COSI)

by charliewilson | Mar 20, 2026

COSI

Project description

To carry out permaculture enterprise activities, including incubation support, and promoting and enhancing already existing services for innovation and business development.

Expected outcomes.

The development of new businesses and supporting existing ones to flourish.

Open Collective

Funded with 18, 000 GBP through Grow Project

STATUS : ONGOING

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Team

Aimee Fenech, Paul Phillips, Hans Ryding, Alejandra Garcia, Anton Oussik

Group Accountability Officer – Aimee Fenech

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Area

Prototyping, Diversity, participation and engagement, Grow Project

objectives 2026

OUTCOMEs 2026

Resources Created

Contact Links

contact@perma.earth

Future of the CoLab Events

A communal vision for the future of the Colab.

Funded with 1000 GBP through emergent festival

STATUS : COMPLETED

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Team

Alejandra Garcia, Paul Phillips, Aimee Fenech

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Area

Diversity, participation and engagement, Emergent festival, Next Steps project

Objectives 2025

We want to host 4 events during the emergent festival (measurable & achievable & time-bound), designed to welcome the CoLab members across different time zones to explore together how they see or want to see the CoLab become post-2025 (specific). The outcomes will be added to the already available imaginariums conducted by Next Steps Contributors incrementally built to inform the Funding Strategy and the Communication Strategy work undertaken through the Next Steps Project this year (relevant).

Expected Outputs

Create a space where individual ideas can become collective, create impetus for a shared vision and what that might look like. Support the fundraising officer and the communication team in refining the future vision and structure of the Colab based on the collective shared ideas.

outcomes 2025

The project created a space for CoLab members to explore how they wish the CoLab to evolve beyond 2025. Through four Open Space sessions, we gathered around themes such as CoLab as an incubator, membership models, the role of AI, and non-hierarchical consultancy.

The Open Space format invited curiosity and self-organisation. The reflections and insights that emerged are already feeding into the imaginarium and continue to inform the Funding and Communication strategies.

In a world full of uncertainty, we embraced the same flow. Sometimes the beginning of a journey is a question.

resources created

Future of the CoLab 2025 Event Notes

contact links

contact@perma.earth

Funding Opportunities & Applications

This project has two main direct beneficiary groups. Firstly, by attracting funds to maintain the CoLab, the project will directly support those CoLab members involved in generating products and services within the CoLab. Secondly, by providing fundraising guidance and training along with useful products such as the grants database, the project will benefit CoLab members and external clients seeking fundraising support.

A central objective of the project is to work towards a new multi-year grant to support our core operations. Success will potentially impact all CoLab members and facilitate the development of multiple projects with the potential to reach thousands of people and organisations within the permaculture movement.

Funded with 12, 500 GBP through next steps project

STATUS : Complete

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Team

Paul Phillips, Aimee Fenech, Kate Swatridge

Reporting Officer: Paul Phillips

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Area

Network weaving, Next Steps project

Objectives 2025

Funding opportunities research, matchmaking, and database maintenance. In Year 3 of the Next Steps Project this has been updated to: funding research and database maintenance = 1,300 GBP.

Increase the number of funding opportunities on the database. Match projects and individuals with relevant projects. Maintain the database in good order.

Grant writing & support 200 hrs/year. In Year 3, this was changed to: recruitment & onboarding of new team member(s) and ensuing work on grant identification for CoLab and grant writing for CoLab continuation = 11,200 GBP.

Bridging the gap between the projects that need financial assistance and the funding opportunities available. > Focused on the CoLab continuation needs as per the consented proposal here: https://pccolab.slack.com/archives/C04L8Q5EB26/p1733312167922919

outcomes 2025

September Update

The newly formed funding team has been working on a new funding strategy for the Colab and working with the Comms team to produce collateral to support future funding proposals. The Colab will look to support grass roots permaculturalists, through projects that build their leadership capacities and showcase their impactful work to both increase their funding and bring their knowledge into the broader permaculture movement.

The funding opportunities database continues to be added to by trained volunteers and members of the team. We have an upcoming Hackathon in September: https://www.perma.earth/event/hackathon-funding-database/

Final Update

The Funding Circle was able to maintain and grow the funding opportunities database for permaculture and permaculture aligned project further. This year we did two major projects to contribute to this work, the first was to launch a training programe for volunteers to help maintain this database as a commons. The second was a hackathon over 8 hours for people to come from inside and outside the CoLab to learn about the database and help find and log new opportunities.

Together with the Business Innovation we also ran a Funding Readiness webinar which was very well attended and received good feedback you can watch that here:

We also developed our first ever set of Fundraising collateral documents for the Colab which will be used to attract financial support for our work. These include:

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– **Colab Fundraising Collateral bank** which includes detailed information about the Colab and sets out the arguments for funding the Colab and Permaculture

– **Colab brochure for Funders:** A 3 page, standalone brochure which concisely sets out what the Colab is and does and why it should be supported. Alternate versions have also been developed to target different funders.

– **Colab slide deck:** As above but designed for presentation to funders

– **For funders section of the Colab website**

A total of four project proposals have been developed and submitted to 6 Foundations with two submission still in development. Currently 4 have been rejected with 2 pending.

resources created

contact links

contact@perma.earth

Next Steps Project

The Next Steps Project is funded by a permaculture aligned Foundation which prefers to remain anonymous. This group funded project includes a number of projects within the CoLab from the start of 2023 through to the end of 2025. For more information on individual projects, see the Projects page.

Funded with 360, 000 GBP through next steps

STATUS : complete

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Team

Project Manager: Aimee Fenech

Evaluation and Monitoring: Kate Swatridge

objectives

To support new research and existing research projects on the ground and online pertaining to permaculture and it’s wider applications including digital ethical tools, monitoring and evaluation techniques, permaculture convergences and working towards a more connected permaculture movement.

Offer a tailormade training programme for the colab and allied networks and communities.

To provide the colab services in order to continue it’s work in line with the vision, mission and aims.

To provide access to Digital Tools needed by CoLab projects.

To support engagement initiatives in the colab and with allied networks and communities.

Support emergent projects in the colab & with allied networks & communities.

Support diversity & decolonization activities, training & participation in the CoLab.

Fiscal Host costs.

OUTCOMEs

resources created

See individual project pages

contact links

contact@perma.earth

Diversity and Decolonisation Community Pot

The diversity and decolonisation community pot supports diversity and decolonisation work within the CoLab using two methods of access: diversity stipends for participation of people from a diverse background to contribute to existing projects and diversity grants which cover training and aligned events.

Project Aims

For the diversity stipend: to provide funding assistance to individual CoLab members access to paid work within CoLab projects teams already in place.

For the diversity grant: to provide funding to groups working on training and education with the theme of diversity and decolonisation.

Funded with 15, 000 GBP through next steps

STATUS : complete

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Team

Aimee Fenech, Siobhan Vida Ashmole

Reporting Officer: Siobhan Vida Ashmole

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Area

Diversity, participation and engagement, Network weaving, Next Steps project

objectives 2023

Support diversity & decolonization activities, training & participation in the International Permaculture Colab.

OUTCOMEs 2023

Stipends provided in 2023:

2 Stipends to work in the Tepla Gora Eco-Market Team
1 Stipend to work on reviewing diversity course within the Learn Team
1 Stipend for individual to manage the Diversity Grant within the Next Steps Project Manager function

Grants provided in 2023:

3 person team to work on Stories to Decolonize Permaculture
2 person team to work on online training course material – Designing Work Spaces for All
2 person team to work on digitizing the In-person Workshop around Inclusion in Workplace to online workshop

objectives 2024

Support diversity & decolonization activities, training & participation in the International Permaculture Colab.

outcomes 2024

The grant has not attracted many applications from eligible applicants and within the remit. We will seek to address this next year. The coordinator role will also be redesigned to make it a more attractive position.

objectives 2025

Support diversity & decolonization activities, training & participation in the International Permaculture Colab.

outcomes 2025

The Diversity and Decolonisation Community Pot supports equity-focused work within the International Permaculture CoLab through two pathways: diversity stipends for individuals from diverse backgrounds contributing to existing CoLab projects, and diversity grants funding training and events on diversity and decolonisation.

Coordinated by Siobhan Vida Ashmole with Aimee Fenech in her role as Project Manager, the project has focused on supporting participation, accessibility, and inclusive practice. Time has been spent helping participants understand the grant and apply successfully, including hosting an information session with practical guidance on writing strong applications. Current allocations include translation projects, resource development, and webpage creation advancing inclusion across the CoLab network.