AIM is pleased to launch ECOD-MUT – Exploring Collective Ownership to Deliver Benefits: The Contribution of Mutual Societies. Funded through the European Social Fund Plus, the three-year project began on 1 May 2026 and will examine how mutual societies contribute to health, social inclusion, solidarity and collective well-being across Europe. It will turn evidence and member experience into practical tools and policy recommendations for European and national decision-makers.

Why a project on mutual societies is needed

Mutual societies are member-owned organisations guided by solidarity and democratic participation. Depending on national traditions and legal frameworks, they provide or finance healthcare, complementary social protection, insurance, long-term care and other services. Surpluses are reinvested in the organisation and its social purpose rather than distributed to external shareholders. This allows mutuals to take a long-term view and focus on the needs of members and communities.

Despite this contribution, the mutual model is not always visible or well understood in policy debates. National legal traditions differ significantly, statistical categories do not always capture mutual organisations, and regulations designed for conventional commercial companies may overlook their governance and social purpose. These gaps make it difficult to compare experiences, measure impact and design proportionate policies that allow the model to develop.

A partnership rooted in mutualist experience

AIM coordinates ECOD-MUT in partnership with Solidaris, Groupe VYV and Mutualité Française. The consortium combines European representation with operational knowledge from large mutualist organisations. This structure will help the project connect research and legal analysis with the realities of organisations serving members in different national systems.

The project will also create space for wider participation. Mutuals, researchers, public authorities, social-economy networks and other stakeholders will be invited to contribute evidence and examples. Peer learning will be central: rather than assuming that one national model can simply be copied elsewhere, ECOD-MUT will identify principles, enabling conditions and practical approaches that can be adapted to different contexts.

From mapping to practical recommendations

ECOD-MUT will update the mapping of mutual societies in Europe and selected OECD countries. It will examine where mutuals operate, which services they provide and how their governance, financing and membership structures differ. A clearer evidence base can help policymakers distinguish mutuals from investor-owned companies and understand their contribution to social protection and resilient local services.

The project will analyse the legal, fiscal and regulatory conditions that support or constrain the development of mutual societies. Topics may include recognition in national law, capital and solvency requirements, taxation, access to public programmes, cross-border activity and the application of proportionality. The objective is not to seek exemptions from necessary safeguards, but to ensure that rules take account of the model’s specific features and do not unintentionally place it at a disadvantage.

Expected outputs include practical tools, policy recommendations and a lasting observatory on mutual societies and collective ownership. By bringing data, country examples and legal analysis together, the observatory can provide a durable reference point beyond the project’s 36-month duration.

Supporting Europe’s social and economic priorities

ECOD-MUT comes at a time when Europe is seeking stronger social cohesion, resilient healthcare systems and fair green and digital transitions. Mutual organisations can contribute by pooling risks, reinvesting resources, maintaining services in local communities and involving members in decisions. Their experience is relevant to debates about affordability, prevention, healthy ageing, social infrastructure and protection against emerging risks.

Better recognition can also strengthen innovation. Digital tools, new forms of care and changing social needs require investment and adaptation, but innovation should remain inclusive and aligned with social purpose. ECOD-MUT will explore how collective ownership can support innovation without losing democratic accountability or excluding people whose needs may be less profitable to serve.

The findings will be communicated in formats that can be used beyond the research community. Comparative information, member cases and practical recommendations can support mutual organisations in explaining their model, help authorities assess regulatory effects and give social-economy partners a stronger basis for joint advocacy. This emphasis on usability is essential if the project is to create change rather than only describe existing structures.

The next step: a European launch event

Partners and stakeholders will gather in Brussels on 8 September 2026 for the project’s kick-off event. The meeting will introduce ECOD-MUT’s objectives, invite discussion about the challenges facing mutual societies and begin building the community that will support the work over the next three years. Registration information will be shared through AIM and partner channels.

Through ECOD-MUT, AIM and its partners aim to make the contribution of mutual societies more visible, measurable and actionable. Stronger evidence will help decision-makers recognise where mutuals add value and how public frameworks can support their development. The project ultimately seeks to ensure that collective ownership remains a living and innovative part of Europe’s social model.