Let's make it official
To sign contracts, open a bank account, receive financing, and operate the project, your community needs legal status. Here is the complete path, without needing lawyers.
Three possible paths
None is "the right one" for everyone. It depends on how organized you are today and where you want to go.
Community Association
A group of people who formally come together for a common purpose, registered with the Chamber of Commerce or as a communal organization under Ley 743 de 2002.
Advantages
- Can be established in 2 to 4 weeks.
- Does not require Supersolidaria (solidarity economy regulator) approval.
- Flexible and easy to manage.
- Sufficient to register as an energy community with CREG (energy regulatory commission).
- Can receive the project's CPC (Community Participation Certificates).
Disadvantages
- Does not have the special tax benefits of cooperatives (20% vs. 35% on taxes).
- Does not have the tradition or recognition of the cooperative form.
For whom? For communities that want to start quickly, test the model, and learn as they go.
Cooperative (Ley 79 de 1988)
An associative enterprise of collective ownership, democratically governed (one member, one vote), oriented toward serving its members.
Advantages
- Favorable tax treatment: 20% on surpluses, versus 35% corporate rate.
- Robust and well-established legal framework.
- Legal obligation to allocate funds to education and solidarity.
- Greater institutional recognition and access to support programs.
Disadvantages
- Requires a minimum of 20 founders.
- Founders must certify cooperative training (minimum 20 hours).
- Registration with Supersolidaria (the solidarity economy regulator): process takes 6 to 9 months.
- Greater administrative burden: Board of Directors, Oversight Committee, Fiscal Auditor, mandatory funds, periodic reports.
For whom? For communities with organizational experience that already operated as an association and want a more robust long-term structure.
Existing JAC
The JAC (Junta de Accion Comunal, community action board) already has legal status. It can be used as the vehicle for the energy project without creating a new organization.
Advantages
- Already exists, already has legal status, already has a board.
- The community knows it and trusts it (if it works well).
- No incorporation paperwork needed.
Disadvantages
- Energy may get mixed with other JAC matters: water supply, roads, etc.
- There may be conflicts if the JAC leadership is not aligned with the project.
- Not all JAC members will want to participate, and not everyone interested in solar belongs to the JAC.
For whom? For communities where the JAC is active, functional, and its president leads the energy project.
Our recommendation: start as an association, grow into a cooperative
The most practical path is to incorporate first as a Community Association. This lets you organize quickly (2-4 weeks), register as an energy community with CREG, receive the Community Participation Certificates, and learn to govern, manage, and make collective decisions.
After 2 to 3 years of successful operation, you can convert to a cooperative with the experience and training needed. CleantechHUB supports you through the entire process.
Draft your bylaws
The bylaws are the "constitution" of your organization: the rules of the game that everyone accepts when they join. Fill in the details and the draft builds itself.
The bylaws are your constitution
They are the rules that everyone accepts when they join. Read them aloud at the assembly before approving them: every member must understand what they are accepting, in plain language and without lawyers.
The Founding Assembly
This is the meeting where the organization is officially born. A solemn act, but not a complicated one. Tap each step.
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Send the notice in writing (it can be via WhatsApp, but keep evidence) to everyone who signed the interest sheet. It must include the date, time, location, and the complete agenda.
Have ready: the draft bylaws, attendance sheets, membership forms, and a computer or notebook for the minutes.
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Registration (15 min): each person signs the attendance sheet with full name, ID number, and signature. A minimum of 20 people is required to form a cooperative; for an association there is no strict legal minimum, but we recommend at least 20.
Opening (10 min): the coordinator verifies quorum -- "There are [X] people present, sufficient to constitute the assembly" -- and declares the assembly officially opened.
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Assembly officers (10 min): elect a president of the assembly (who runs the meeting) and a secretary (who takes the minutes). This can be by a show of hands.
Presentation (30 min): the bylaws are read aloud, explaining each section in plain language and opening space for questions after each chapter.
Approval (15 min): "Do you approve the bylaws as read?" A vote by show of hands. With more than half the votes in favor, they are approved. If there are proposals for modifications, they are discussed and voted on one by one.
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Board of Directors (20 min): nominations are received and votes are cast for each position: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Board Member.
Oversight Committee (10 min): 2 or 3 people are elected who are not on the Board of Directors.
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Authorizations (10 min): the assembly authorizes the elected president and secretary to carry out the registration procedures with the Chamber of Commerce and other agencies.
Closing (10 min): the conclusions are read, attendance is thanked, and the date for the next Board meeting is set.
The secretary drafts the Founding Minutes: the organization's "birth certificate." It must be signed by the assembly president and secretary, and by all founding members.
Five registrations, in order
With the minutes and bylaws approved, the paperwork begins. It's not as bad as it sounds: two of the five are free.
- 1 - Chamber of Commerce Week 1-2 - COP 0 - 150,000
- 2 - RUT (tax ID, DIAN) Week 2-3 - Free
- 3 - Bank account Week 3-4 - COP 0 - 200,000
- 4 - RUCE Week 4-6 - Free
- 5 - Grid connection and CREG Week 6-10 - Handled by the operator
Step 1 - Chamber of Commerce registration (week 1-2)
What is it? The Chamber of Commerce of the municipality is where nonprofit organizations are registered.
Documents: founding minutes signed by the president, secretary, and all founders (original and copy); approved bylaws (original and copy); copies of ID cards of the Board of Directors and Oversight Committee members; RUES form (they provide it there); pre-RUT from DIAN (the tax authority -- obtained online at dian.gov.co).
Cost: COP 0 to COP 150,000. Varies by Chamber; some exempt community organizations -- ask before paying.
Timeline: 3 to 10 business days after filing.
Result: Certificate of Existence and Legal Representation. This document proves your organization exists legally.
Step 2 - Obtain the definitive RUT (week 2-3)
What is it? The RUT (Registro Unico Tributario, unified tax registry). It is like the organization's "tax ID card."
Where? At DIAN, the municipal office or online.
Documents: Certificate of Existence and Legal Representation; copy of the legal representative's ID; RUT registration form (at dian.gov.co).
Cost: free.
Result: the NIT (tax identification number). You need it to open a bank account, issue invoices, and for any financial procedure.
Step 3 - Open a bank account (week 3-4)
Where? At the bank of your choice. We recommend banks with a presence in the municipality.
Documents: Certificate of Existence and Legal Representation; organization's RUT; ID cards of the president and treasurer (the authorized signers); assembly minutes authorizing the account opening; initial deposit (varies, generally COP 0 to COP 200,000).
Important: the account must have dual signatures. Both the president's and the treasurer's signatures are needed for any withdrawal or transfer. This protects everyone's funds, and also protects the treasurer from any suspicion.
Step 4 - RUCE registration (week 4-6)
What is it? RUCE (Registro Unico de Comunidades Energeticas, the Unified Registry of Energy Communities), created by Resolution 40509 of 2024.
Where? Online, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy platform.
Documents: Certificate of Existence and Legal Representation; RUT; bylaws; member list; information about the planned project (location, type of technology, estimated capacity).
Cost: free.
Result: official recognition as an Energy Community. This registration is essential to access the benefits and compensation under CREG Resolution 101 072.
Step 5 - Grid connection and CREG registration (week 6-10)
What is it? The formal request to the grid operator to connect the solar system to the electrical grid, and registration as an AGRC (remote collective self-generator with credits) or GDC (community distributed generation) with CREG (the energy regulatory commission).
Who does it? This procedure is mainly handled by the technical operator, with support from CleantechHUB. The community provides the required information.
Key documents: RUCE registration; technical project design (done by the operator); RETIE certification (the electrical safety standard, handled by the operator); assembly minutes authorizing the project.
Timeline: 30 to 90 days, depending on the grid operator. This is usually the slowest procedure of all: don't get discouraged.
Cost and timeline summary
| Procedure | Approximate cost | Timeline | Who handles it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber of Commerce | COP 0 - 150,000 | 1-2 weeks | President + Secretary |
| RUT (DIAN) | Free | 1 week | Legal representative |
| Bank account | COP 0 - 200,000 | 1 week | President + Treasurer |
| RUCE | Free | 2-4 weeks | Steering Committee + CTH |
| Grid connection | Included in the project | 1-3 months | Technical operator + CTH |
All the documents you need
Check each one off as you obtain it. It saves in this browser, so you can come back tomorrow.
From the assembly
Identification documents
Forms and certificates
For RUCE
Are you now an organization?
With legal status in hand, it's time to make the project happen.