Direct Global has developed a web-based marketplace platform (www.directcoops.com) that works with local business associations, co-ops, unions and others to connect local small and medium enterprises and enable them to aggregate orders for goods and services from local and national manufacturers, suppliers and service providers.

The Direct Initiative leverages the Direct Global platform to network and unite the buying power of the members of member-based associations and co-operatives who share common interests and believe in principles of fairness.

The theory behind this is to access far better procurement rates by utilizing group purchasing power, thereby allowing groups of smaller businesses access to the preferential rates large businesses can negotiate with suppliers. This fits into Direct Global’s wider business ideology – to create a sharing economy which creates a level playing field for both small and large businesses, encouraging small and local businesses to work together for a shared good.

Direct Global has co-created the Local Driver Federation Co-operative (Local Driver Co-op) for the transport of people and goods. Local Driver Co-op is a co-operative that is owned locally by the member drivers, who receive 90% of the ride fees. This allows us to not just save our riders and customers at least 20% versus Uber and Lyft, but to also pay our drivers more.

Direct Global has already established partnerships with some of the largest co-operatives, business associations and unions in N. America and has began to populate its marketplace platform for the last-mile delivery of food and products.

Direct Global is the Canadian strategic partner to the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council and an ecommerce partner to NCBA-CLUSA (currently launching a pilot with the co-ops of Peru), America’s oldest co-operative association representing 1 in 3 Americans, an official partner of the United Nations under the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the exclusive ecommerce platform to the US Pacific Rim Chamber of Commerce. It has been featured on Bloomberg-BNN, Yahoo! Finance, Business Insider and received mention in “Everything for Everyone”, Nathan Schneider’s seminal text on the modern business co-operative movement.