Access to finance is a key issue for Advanced Oxford and is the focus of one of our active research projects. Availability of risk capital is critical to R&D/innovation-based businesses as they set up, grow and scale. The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) was set up over 25 years ago to support the flow of investment into early stage businesses. In 2012, the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) was set up to incentivise private investors to provide risk capital to very early stage businesses.
On 3 March, 2020, The Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA.org.uk) organised a roundtable in the House of Lords, with the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Entrepreneurship. Investors, investee companies, EISA members and parliamentarians discussed the importance of retaining and developing the enterprise investment scheme. Sarah Haywood, Advanced Oxford’s Managing Director joined the meeting and here reflects on the meeting and the recommendations from EISA on how the scheme can be taken forward to help even more growing SMEs. EISA APPG Entrepreneurship article v2
