Financing the Eco-InnovatorsAccess to finance is essential for the start up and growth of businesses in general and particularly so for the development and successful exploitation of eco-innovation in Europe. These will also benefit the design of similar programmes at national and regional levels.Financing is recognised as essential for the realisation and mainstreaming of eco-innovation, particularly in the early stage of business development. The first ETAP forum in 2006 already explored the range of financing opportunities available for eco-innovation, with an emphasis on approaches that harness public/private interactions for financing various stages of the innovation process. This ninth forum will focus on how to improve access to finance, particularly in the early stages.The programme will cover:Access to finance and eco-innovation from the eco-innovator and the fund provider point of view;Case studies and practical experiences of private enterprises and financial institutions that will highlight the challenges and solutions of access to finance related to eco-innovators. The aim is to identify areas where public support may be needed;An overview of EU actions supporting eco-innovation – such as Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) Financial instruments, CIP eco-innovation Pilot projects, Life Environment and Risk Sharing Finance – targeting different stages in the innovation cycle; andThe additional efforts needed in terms of public support and public-private partnerships to facilitate access to finance for early stage eco-innovators, as well as those necessary to get national/regional financial actors more involved in financing eco-innovation.