Reimagining Transition in Eastern Wielkopolska

In 2023, the EU Coal Region’s in Transition technical assistance programme (START) worked with worked with the Wielkopolska Social Economy Support Center (WOES)1 and “Europe, a Patient” to engage with local stakeholders to map the potential opportunities for the development of social enterprises and to set out the steps that need to be taken in partnership to deliver these opportunities. This document is a synthesis of this work. It explains the rationale for supporting social enterprise development in the context of coal phase-out and attaining Net Zero, and how this can be embedded in a framework of Community Wealth Building. It considers good practices for promoting a Community Wealth Building approach to local economic development and social cohesion. It outlines the ways that EU and national enabling policies and public procurement frameworks can support social and sustainability objectives, especially regarding social enterprises. Finally, the document outlines a three-year pathway plan for developing social enterprises and Community Wealth Building in Eastern Wielkopolska and identifies some potential opportunities areas where this development could be taken forward.