ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the main types of social enterprise (SE) in Poland against the background of their history and institutional setting. It presents a short overview of the history of social enterprise in Poland, from the period preceding World War II to the turbulent period of the communist regime, and finally to the transition period, after 1989. The chapter provides an examination of the main types of social enterprise in Poland. It describes the institutional trajectories of the SE types. The chapter discusses the process of political recognition and institutionalisation of Polish social enterprise by discussing the main legal acts and drafts that regulate social enterprise, either in a direct way or indirectly. Non-profit organisations and cooperatives are among the organisations with a long history in Poland. The main role of non-profit organisations, before World War II, was to provide support to disadvantaged groups, such as the young, the poor, the unemployed or the disabled.
