Co:worx: A Community-led Remote Work and Enterprise Hub for Rural Innovation

By project ORIGINN

Published on 26 February 2025

Ireland

Eastern and Midland

Edgeworthstown

About this good practice

Community-led enterprise hubs support vibrant and innovative rural economies while strengthening social inclusivity. Co:worx, a community-led hub in the midland region, is part of the National Hub Network, an interdepartmental initiative of the Irish Government to develop an integrated ecosystem of remote work hubs across Ireland. The strategic expansion of this network aligns with national policies to support the revitalisation of towns and villages, including Making Remote Work, Our Rural Future, and Town Centre First. Co:worx serves remote workers, start-ups, and SMEs by offering work space, training, and business development supports. The hub has positioned itself as a catalyst for enterprise in the local area, while promoting community development through social and cultural initiatives. These include participation in Grow Remote (the national social network for remote workers) and hosting local art exhibitions, poetry readings, and lunchtime concert networking events. The hub features a recording studio to serve local musicians, podcasters, and story-tellers. Co:worx is a driver of local enterprise, working in collaboration with its clients to identify and respond to their business’ needs. Through this partnership, the hub fosters a sense of belonging among its clients and contributes to the economic, creative, and cultural enrichment of the community.

Resources needed

Founded by local volunteers, Co:worx employs a staff of three. Funding was provided by various national and EU schemes. Fees paid by clients support its ongoing operations. A derelict 1915 bank building was converted to house the hub, securing the architectural heritage of the historic streetscape.

Evidence of success

Co:Worx has won multiple awards at national and European level for promoting
transformative digital solutions and responsible and inclusive entrepreneurship. The
hub maintains partnerships with the Local Enterprise Office to provide business support
clinics to clients, and TUS University to provide training programmes. It has a diverse business community including tech startups, product designers, engineers, accountants, web developers, ecologists, medical professionals, and an executive coach.

Potential for learning or transfer

The strength of a community-led approach to developing a remote work and enterprise hub is that it can adapt and respond to the needs and potential of the local community it serves. Driven from the grassroots level, this model provides benefits to a community beyond economic opportunity. The hub creates its own community of clients, a supportive ecosystem which is essential to its success, and it also impacts the wider community. People are at the heart of this ecosystem, and as such this approach can be replicated anywhere there are people who want to support local enterprise and can access funding from local, national, and/or European sources to provide the physical infrastructure. Beyond initial funding, a business plan to allow for the maintenance and growth of such a hub as its clientele expands is also required. The Estonian Ministry for Rural Affairs has adopted several aspects of the Co:Worx model in a new programme to support the establishment of rural hubs in 2025.