Symposium

SME Green Horizons: Tackling Financing for Nature-Friendly Ventures

London, Middlesex University, 4 Feb 2025, 12.00-17.30 GMT

Join us for the forthcoming SME Green Horizons Symposium supported by Middlesex University, the UK Natural Environment Research Council’s Integrating Finance and Biodiversity programme and CUSP. With its focus on finance for nature-friendly SME ventures, the event is open to academics and industry professionals alike.

The conference starts by looking at the funding challenges faced by cleantech and nature tech startups in the UK. One solution is creating accelerators that are tailored to the specific needs of these startups based on their sector and stage. These accelerators bring together different stakeholders to tackle issues around business, markets, and funding. The MDX NP Accelerator is leading edge and will be discussed as a prototype potential solution to early stage innovative nature tech financing.

The second half of the conference shifts to supporting established SMEs in becoming more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Researchers from University College Cork and Middlesex University, along with organisations like Green Business Action, will discuss policies and funding schemes, including ways to combine grants and loans. There will also be a proposal for a micro-SME finance programme, with London or England as possible pilot locations.

The symposium will feature keynote presentations and panel discussions from experts in the field. The event is designed for anyone interested in incorporating ecological considerations into financial strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 

Keynote presentations from researchers and practitioners and discussion panels:

• Prof. Robyn Owen, Middlesex University – Lessons from developing a nature positive accelerator
• Dougal Fleming, Consultant at Green Business Team – Exploring SME Nature Positive
• David Ellis, Regulatory Consultant at W Legal – Cleantech innovation IP
• Olivia Sibony, Impact Amplified – Supporting SME green transition
• Gemma George, Green Business Action – Supporting London’s SME green transitions
• Dr Sylvia Gottschalk, Middlesex University – SME green debt finance provision in England
• Dr Eimear McGeown, University College Cork – Alternative Debt Finance in Republic of Ireland
• Dr Amy Burnett, Middlesex University – SMEs and Biodiversity Net Gain

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