East Midlands construction companies looking for advice, support or financial help on sustainable refurbishment are encouraged to attend Sustainable Refurbishment: 'Reducing Carbon in Existing Housing Stock,' a free one-day event, being staged at Pride Park Stadium on 9 December, from 9.30 am until 4 pm. 

The event will focus on the challenges of refurbishing and upgrading existing building stock in-line with new standards and government legislation, featuring key-note speakers from the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), Mark Group and Nottingham City Homes. 

Specialists and Innovation Advisers from the Sustainable Construction Innovation Network (iNet) and Building Research Establishment (BRE) will offer advice and details of grants available to help encourage budding start ups and established small to medium sized enterprises (SME) alike.

Topics to be covered at the event include; skills requirements, methods of achieving sustainable refurbishment and identifying regional opportunities.

Funded by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Sustainable Construction iNet has a number of roles, particularly in helping SME-sized companies innovate and generate profits and jobs. The iNet focuses on a number of key annual themes in delivering support to those businesses promoting, through targeted grants and in-depth, sector specific advice.

"The East Midlands has traditionally had a very strong construction sector," says Charles Meynell, Senior Innovation Adviser at the Sustainable Construction iNet. "However, in the midst of a very serious economic downturn which is having a particularly savage effect on the industry, it is vitally important that everyone starts to seriously invest in research and development, however difficult that might seem. We are breaking into a whole new world in construction where the old ways and means are no longer sufficient to ensure our planet's future, and the recession is providing the added impulse of the catalyst to ensure that necessity really is the "mother of invention"'

"As well as offering 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, in collaboration with Higher Education Institutions, which can offer larger grants for projects.

To qualify for an Innovation Support Grant (ISG) the applicant must be operating commercially in construction or an associated industry sector such as mining, quarrying, waste management, energy or water, or in the professional services such as architectural or surveying practice. 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 SME 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 must also enable the applicant to bid for even larger sums from the European Union and other sources.