A government-backed research body focused on stimulating the social investment market has launched.

Today, the Big Lottery Fund, Big Society Capital, Citi, the City of London Corporation and the Cabinet Office have announced the formation of the Social Investment Research Council.

The partners have committed £100,000 collectively to fund the Council which will commission research into social investment.

The inaugural 2013-2014 research programme will focus on improving the understanding of social investment market products, and the specific investors needed to finance them.

Over the next six months, the Council will call for ideas from researchers and other industry bodies for potential projects to add to the research programme agenda.

Nat Sloane, the Big Lottery Fund England chair, said:

“This council has the potential to offer real benefits to the whole social investment market by co-ordinating research activity, enabling the members to combine resources and knowledge to focus on some of the most complex issues in the field.

"This very much contributes towards our aim of catalysing the social investment market in a way that supports the development and growth of VCSE organisations.”