The current study represents an important step in a longer-term agenda, intended to improve understanding regarding how to broaden the finance options available and accessible to SMEs and micro-enterprises, taking into account the heterogeneity of the sector, the challenges for small firms in actually accessing and using the instruments available, the implications of on-going financial reforms, and the specific financing needs of certain types of firms, such as innovative and high-growth enterprises, SMEs seeking international expansion or those undergoing a major transition. It follows the two-pronged approach advocated by the G20/OECD High Level Principles on SME financing, and specifically addresses its proposal to consider the feasibility of broadening the set of assets suitable for use as collateral to include intangibles, to ease access to lending for knowledge-based companies (with due regard for the associated risks). It also builds on recent OECD/STI work on KBC and the economic impact of intellectual property. In particular, this study provides a detailed, practically-oriented investigation of the topics raised by Chapter 9 of, “Enquiries into Intellectual Property’s Economic Impact” (OECD, 2015).