East Midlands construction companies looking for advice, support
or financial help to develop their innovative ideas are encouraged
to attend the Code for Sustainable Homes and Resource Efficiency
briefing events.
The Code for Sustainable Homes briefing and the Resource
Efficiency briefing will take place at the Sunley Management Centre
in Northampton on 2nd and 3rd September 2009, respectively, from
8.15 am.
Both the Sustainable Construction Innovation Network (iNet) and
the University of Northampton will be at the Code for Sustainable
Homes event with advisers on hand to give advice and answer
questions about the Code, how to achieve specific Code levels, as
well as funding and support available for innovations which can
help companies to reach higher Code levels.
The Resource Efficiency event will give local businesses advice
on how to get the best out of their resources, how to improve their
individual resource uses, as well as information on support and
funding. Experts will be present from Envirowise, the Building
Resource Establishment (BRE) and the Sustainable Construction
iNet.
Introduced by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda), the
Sustainable Construction iNet has a number of roles, including
helping companies create and safeguard jobs. The iNet focuses on a
number of key themes in delivering support to businesses.
Not only does the iNet promote resource efficiency, it
encourages businesses to introduce innovative, sustainable
construction processes into new-build and refurbishments as well as
renewable energy products. The iNet is fully-supportive of the Code
for Sustainable Homes and is committed to the development of
intelligent buildings.
"The East Midlands has traditionally a very strong construction
sector," says Charles Meynell, Senior Business Adviser at the
Sustainable Construction iNet. "However, in the midst of a serious
economic downturn that is having a particularly savage effect on
the construction sector, it is vitally important that builders and
organisations throughout the supply chain continue to innovate and
invest in research and development.
"Primarily, we are here to support companies with fewer than 250
employees who have commercially-viable, well defined ideas,
products or processes that we can help them develop and exploit.
"Not only does the Sustainable Construction iNet offer specialist
advice and information, we can also provide funding programmes to
support innovation in the construction sector to increase
productivity, long term sustainability and business growth.
" The iNet offers financial support through two schemes; the
Innovation Support Grants offering up to £10,000 and the
Higher Education Collaboration Grant, offering up to £50,000.
To qualify for an Innovation Support Grant (ISG) the application
must be operating commercially in construction or an associated
industry sector such as mining, quarrying, waste management, energy
or water.
They must also require technical or consultancy assistance for
their idea, product or process and expect to protect or create jobs
in the East Midlands as a result. The Higher Education
Collaboration Fund (HECF) provides grants for companies to access
the support and expertise of the region's universities.
The fund requires two or more East Midlands higher education
institutions and one or more construction companies, employing
fewer than 250 people, to work together towards a commercial goal
that will ultimately deliver competitive advantage.
The partnership created as a result of the HECF may also enable
the applicant to bid for even larger sums from the European Union
and other sources. Businesses wanting to find out more about the
Sustainable Construction iNet and the grants available should visit
them at the Code for Sustainable Homes breakfast briefing or
telephone 01604 892020 or visit www.eminnovation.org.uk.