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 2 and 3 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.