This information helps you set up a cooperative in Morocco; it is not legal advice or an approval decision. Check procedures, templates and documents with ODCO, the local authority and the court registry before filing.
In short
In Morocco, a cooperative is more than a name and a logo: it is a shared business. You need members who agree, a name approved by ODCO, bylaws and capital, and it ends with registration in the local cooperative register at the court.
Have this ready before you start
Step by step
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Agree on the project
Among the founding members
Decide on the product or service, who will work, what each member will contribute and how you'll make decisions. Under Moroccan law a cooperative is an independent enterprise set up by people to market products or services together, or to meet their needs cooperatively. It is not an association with a trading name.
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Get the name approved
Office for the Development of Cooperation (ODCO)
Apply to ODCO, Morocco's cooperative development office, for approval of the cooperative's name under the current procedure. Don't print anything or spend money on the name until you know it's accepted, and keep the approval certificate safe.
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Write and sign the bylaws
With the founding members
Prepare the bylaws, the member list, the activity, contributions, management rules, and who will run and represent the cooperative. Use ODCO's official templates, and if the activity or funding is complex, have a professional review the file.
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Pool contributions and file the papers
Bank and local administrative authority
Under the Moroccan procedure, members' contributions are collected, possibly in a blocked bank account, then the formation file is lodged with the local administrative authority to get a receipt. Before you go, confirm the documents, number of copies and competent office with ODCO and the court for your registered office.
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Register the cooperative
Registry of the competent court of first instance
Once the file is complete, apply for entry in the local cooperative register at the registry of the court of first instance for your registered office. Registration is what gives you your register number. Then check the obligations linked to your activity, and any declaration the relevant administration requires.
The official route
Start with ODCO
Read the official procedure and templates from Morocco's Office for the Development of Cooperation, then confirm the filing with the local authority and the court registry.
The people who can help
See them all on Hdaya
Do you work in this field? People in your city read this guide.
Add your profileWomen's cooperative or farmers' cooperative: same steps
Whether you're women who want to sell couscous, amlou or argan oil together, or farmers marketing your harvest as a group, the steps above are the same. What changes is the activity, and the activity sets the obligations that come after registration.
A few tips before you start
- Make one copy of the file for each member, and leave the originals with one responsible person.
- Write down who handles what: the name, the bank, the local authority and the court.
- If your aim is non-profit, an association may suit you better: see set up an association.
What next?
To talk to people who have been through it, you can find cooperatives in your city on Hdaya and ask them how they started.
References
We relied on Morocco's Office for the Development of Cooperation and Moroccan Law 112-12. We give no processing times: always check the latest official template.
Questions people ask
Is a cooperative the same as an association?
No. A cooperative is a shared project with an economic activity and cooperative management; an association pursues a non-profit aim set out in its bylaws. If you're unsure, read the difference between a cooperative and an association.
Does ODCO handle the whole registration?
No. ODCO approves the name and offers support, but setting up also goes through the local authority and registration at the court.
What papers do I need to set up a cooperative?
Usually: the name approval certificate, signed bylaws, the member list with copies of their ID, proof the capital was deposited, the local authority's receipt and the registration form. Ask ODCO and the court registry for the current list and number of copies.
Is approval guaranteed?
No. This is the general route; the outcome depends on the file, the activity, the law and the competent authority.
Official sources
- Moroccan Office for the Development of Cooperation — create your cooperative
- Moroccan Office for the Development of Cooperation — FAQ
- Moroccan Office for the Development of Cooperation — Law 112-12
- Moroccan Office for the Development of Cooperation — creation procedures
Procedures change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will check it again.