Access to Risk Finance - Work Programme 2018-2020

These inputs consist of but will not be limited to:

• the reports from and exchanges with the 'Access to Risk Finance' Advisory Group;
• discussions at the Latvian, Luxembourg and Dutch 'Innovative Enterprise' Presidency conferences;
• the conclusions of the Dutch Presidency event on Philanthropic and Social Investments;
• reports made by the European Investment Bank (EIB) via 'InnovFin Advisory' at the request of the European Commission;
• the final report of the 'Action 9' Independent Investment Expert Group;
• the Communication on the Capital Markets Union;
• the outcome of the call for ideas on a European Innovation Council;
• working papers from the European Investment Fund (EIF);
• reports by the OECD;
• the OXEPR roundtable on equity crowdfunding;
• and exchanges in the Horizon 2020 Programme Committee in its configuration 'SMEs and Access to Risk Finance'.

Advisory Group and stakeholder recommendations cover a stronger focus on alternative financing, especially equity crowdfunding; measures to increase cross-border investments; enhanced support for technology transfer offices and operators; greater efforts to increase potential clients' awareness of the funding opportunities offered by the financial instruments, and to simplify their offerings; improving the investment-readiness of SME Instrument clients; fostering the prospects of women entrepreneurs; and supporting VC funds with a lifespan that better matches the funding needs of 'deep tech' sectors such as cleantech and the bio-economy.