The Social Business Initiative, launched on 18 November, aims to foster an enabling environment for the social economy,  by increasing funding and easing access to funding, strengthening the reputation of the social sector, and rationalising the legal environment and cutting red tape. In the European Commission’s 2014-20 budget, €90m of new funding has been planned for social enterprises and social enterprise on top of introducing an investment priority that will improve access for social entrepreneurs and innovators to the €375bn of structural funds.