The 9 th edition of the European Small and Mid-Cap Awards will take place in November 2021 during the European Commission's SME Week in Portoroz, Slovenia. Small and mid-cap companies are vitally important in supporting the European economy. Equity is needed to buffer exogenous shocks and will be needed more than ever following the recent crisis so that public equity capital markets can perform to the best of their ability in helping businesses refinance their growth once the situation has subsided. Our Awards this year are even more significant as it is exactly these types of companies that will be key to re-equitising the European economy. We therefore need to recognise and congratulate them on their successes to date.