Poland’s social economy: EU-funded cooperative targets long-term unemployment

By Jeremy Wilks Published on 29/04/2026 - 15:00 GMT+2•Updated 17:33 Share Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp Copy/paste the article video embed link below: Copied

In the southern Polish town of Bielawa, a social economy initiative is providing vocational pathways for men facing chronic homelessness and addiction.

The Arte cooperative operates as a non-profit enterprise, offering a structured environment for individuals typically excluded from the commercial job market.

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A central component of this effort is the "Butterflies from Lower Silesia" project. Operating with a total budget of €630,000, the initiative receives 70% of its funding from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the European Union's primary instrument for investing in people and supporting the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. This funding facilitates technical training, such as European welding certifications for workers like Artur Maciejewski, while providing the flexible oversight necessary for those with complex needs.

Jarosław Pilecki, President of the Arte cooperative, notes that the model allows for a period of "normality" and recovery that commercial firms cannot provide. The sector is a significant component of the broader European economy; according to the European Commission, there are 4.3 million social economy organisations across the EU, representing 11.5 million jobs, or approximately 6% of the total workforce.

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• European politics
• Jobs
• Poland
• Unemployment
• European economy