Selected Aspects of Social Cooperatives in Poland

Abstract

The paper describes the characteristics of social cooperatives in Poland, which constitute an important element of the national sector of social entrepreneurship. Social cooperatives are non-profit organizations that combine economic activity with the social and professional reintegration of their members. The paper puts particular emphasis on the presentation of the social and economic potential of the social cooperatives sector in Poland. The paper presents the results of the monitoring of social cooperatives in Poland, which was carried out in 2015. It is the most comprehensive study that has been carried out among social cooperatives so far, which facilitated the acquisition of the comprehensive statistical information concerning the aforementioned sector. Additionally, the study presents contextual information concerning the legal and institutional conditions in relation to the functioning of social cooperatives in Poland.