Association for Social Cooperatives, Poland

Association for Social Cooperatives (ASC) was established in 2003 in Poznań as an umbrella organization for social enterprises, social cooperatives, and NGOs. The Association has vast experience in the management of the social economy projects co-financed by the European Social Fund and Erasmus+. ASC engages almost 35 experts and specialists. Among them, there are experts in the field of project management, social economy, education, marketing, accounting, evaluation, etc. The headquarters office of ASC is in Poznań (Wielkopolska) but we operate throughout the entire country. ASC’s CEO is Przemysław Piechocki.

ASC’s main goal is to create a sustainable and efficient ecosystem for growth and development for social cooperatives and social enterprises in Poland. To achieve that goal ASC is continuously creating multi-sectoral partnerships, coalitions, cooperation, and other collective initiatives. It gives us an opportunity to  implement socially and environmentally responsible solutions in the area of social policy, public procurement and support people at risk of social exclusion due to their social background, age, gender, or disability. The Association’s activity is a response to the disadvantages that we see in the social policy system.

ASC is a certified Social Economy Support Centre for local communities and social enterprises. ASC is also a support centre for SMEs in the field of their workforce education and development, providing support services to more than 1000 SMEs yearly. We provide help in setting up social enterprises and social economy entities, complying with the law formalities as well as creating adequate conditions for running the business. It offers financial support as well as counselling and information assistance to its co-operators in their current activities.

After almost twenty years of operation, Association is a well-known and respected organization in the Polish social economy sector (we founded nearly 300 social enterprises and nearly 500 got our support). It has strong cooperation with a wide range of local authorities that are acting in the social affairs and employment areas. The Association creates good conditions for social cooperatives to share experiences, and exchange information with one another and other economic entities. Over the years we have participated and organised lots of different debates, seminars, conferences, dissemination campaigns. We present also the experience of existing organizations at conferences, in publications, and through traditional and electronic media to both the interested parties in establishing social cooperatives and to general public opinion.

In our work, we follow the principle that new challenges require new solutions. That is why within a few last years we have been involved in actions related to the Territorial Just Transition Plans in Eastern Wielkopolska which is a leader in just transition in Poland. We are also a member of two international consortiums acting for the implementation of circular economy in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and social economy entities.

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Team (involved in the Green Labs project):

Anna Dranikowska

Project manager and PR specialist in the Association for Social Cooperatives in Poznan, also responsible for educational activities and international cooperation. Coordinator of the Association’s projects implemented under the Erasmus + program. Trainer and advisor, specialization: promotion of social enterprises and social economy entities. Editor-in-Chief of the SOC magazine promoting social entrepreneurship. The author of the textbook: Innovative models of social cooperatives: a model of a social cooperative that revitalized the communes resources.

Jarek Wypyszyński

research and analysis specialist. 10 years of experience in establishing supporting the social cooperatives in Poland. Scientific interest are focused on: sociology of the entrepreneurship and the sociology of economy. Author of many publications related to social exclusion in Poland.

Malwina Pokrywka

Trainer, coach, social economy expert. Experience in realizing innovative and international projects, in the area of professional integration, in the field of social research. Coach, adviser and trainer in the field of social economy. Authoress of publication Manual for the implementation of the innovative social cooperative model at Occupational Workshop Therapy, co-author: Young people in the system vocational education. Models of support paths.

Marek Gruchalski

Legal advisor, member of the Poznań Bar Association of Attorneys-at-Law, graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the same University. He completed postgraduate studies in “Sourcing Strategy and Management EU funds ”at the Poznań University of Economics and Business. He specializes in solving cases in the field of civil, economic, administrative and labor law. He advises on in the field of preparation and implementation of investment projects carried out with the participation of funds public and European funds. For 15 years, he has been providing legal assistance, in particular for non-governmental organizations and local government units from all over Poland.

Emilia Wasielewska

marketing specialist, trainer. For over 6 years, I have been cooperating with the Association for Social Cooperatives, where I help social entrepreneurs and social economy entities in marketing and promotional activities, I support them in communication, also online. I am a social worker and career counselor by education. MBA graduate from the University of Szczecin. She has recently completed postgraduate studies in Servis Design, 25 School for Leaders currently she performs public functions in the Konin City Council.
Initiator of many pro-ecological actions in Konin Co-author of the proclamation “Local Climate Action Footprint” adopted during the 137th plenary session of the European Committee and the debate on the Green Deal in Brussels in December 2019. Involved in Just Transition in Eastern Greater Poland. Organizer of the first long table discussion in Konin. Lonely travel enthusiast with a backpack.

COORDINATOR

  Pedagogical University of Krakow, Poland

PARTNERS

  Stimmuli for Social Change, Greece

  Prague University of Economics and Business, Czech Republic

  University of Macedonia, Greece

  The Square Dot team, Belgium

  Association for Social Cooperatives, Poland

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