About our Promoting Agency
The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) is a unifying force for the Irish co-operative movement.
Our core business is to provide vision, leadership and value to the co-operative movement in Ireland. We use our collective voice to put the needs of the co-operative movement and our member co-ops to the forefront of what we do. We draw upon the pioneering, innovative and tenacious spirit of our founding members to help strengthen our co-operatives operating in today’s ever changing and competitive world.
ICOS member co-operatives and their associated companies collectively have over 150,000 individual members, employ >12,000 people in Ireland (a further 24,000 abroad) and have a combined turnover of almost €15 billion. Starting from agriculture co-op roots, and the vision of our founding President, Sir Horace Plunkett in 1894, ICOS today has evolved to serve the co-operative
sector in seven core categories, namely:
- Multipurpose dairy co-ops
- Livestock sector co-ops
- Store, trade and wholesale co-ops
- Service-related co-ops
- Community-oriented, culture and leisure co-ops
- Food, fishing and beverage co-ops
- Advisory and education-related co-ops
- Generating leadership, competitiveness and value through stronger co-operation and world class service
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Testimonials
“At Callan Co-op, we have found ICOS Skillnet to be an invaluable partner in
supporting the development and growth of our business. Their tailored management
training programmes have helped equip our team with the skills and confidence to
lead effectively in a rapidly changing environment.
In addition, the board strategy training facilitated by ICOS Skillnet has played a key
role in shaping our long-term vision and governance approach. The practical,
relevant, and high-quality support we receive from the ICOS Skillnet team continues
to make a real and lasting impact on our organisation.
We are very grateful for the relationship and look forward to continuing to work
together as our business evolves.
James Fitzgerald, CEO & Secretary
Callan Co-op
“We are delighted to partner with ICOS Skillnet and leverage available funding support for our newly developed and launched People Manager Fundamentals Programme. This investment in our People Leaders is a critical component of our Strategy.
The ICOS Skillnet funding supports us to invest in the continuous development of our people managers, who are responsible for delivering on our ambitious business strategy through the day-to-day contribution of their teams. This support of our programme allows us to equip and empower our people managers to lead performance focused teams across our business.
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Anne Smith, Group Head of Talent
Lakeland Dairies
“The support we receive from ICOS Skillnet has significantly boosted our workforces’ skills and productivity.
Their high-quality, tailored training programs have equipped our employees with the latest industry knowledge, empowering our employees to grow professionally and stay ahead in a competitive market. The flexibility and variety of courses offered have made continuous development an integral part of our company culture.
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Ann Quigley, HR Manager
Centenary Thurles Co-operative Society
