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This chapter focuses on the study of the role and importance of small, high-growth firms for innovation and competitiveness, and the way in which policy support can stimulate their further development and growth. The chapter begins with a discussion of how these firms (usually known as gazelles) have become a policy priority area. Gazelles are placed in the policy context and rationales for policy support are examined. The issue of what definitions are used in this area is a key one. By varying size and growth criteria in the definition of a gazelle firm, it is possible to define various sets of growth firms, each of which have fundamentally different characteristics and policy requirements. We examine these definitional issues and consider the ways in which policymakers should address support for gazelle firms. We put forward the difficulties of defining precise and effective policies and illustrate the different measures …