The recent evolution of the social economy sector in Poland proves that it has now the capacity to play a significant role in the Polish society. While the sector still has to face some impairments due to its non-linearly history, it has the large support of the Polish government which seems to grasp – at least partly – the importance of social economy for the socio-economic development of the country. This report will briefly describe the history of the social economy in Poland, explain how contextual events or regimes have shaped its actual forms, and how the sector structured itself in order to give the best response to social needs.