News and Events
The Sustainable Construction iNet is pleased to announce that our Innovation, Advice & Guidance awards are again open for applications.
Construction sector SMEs looking to exploit a new idea can win up to £10,000 of support.
- You are an SME with fewer than 250 employees?
- You are based in the East Midlands?
- You have an idea for a sustainable product, or process that is innovative and, if developed, may result in successful commercialisation leading to profits and jobs?
- You need 3rd party expertise to get to the next stage or point of development?
- You have sufficient resources in staff, cash and time to complete a (typical) 3-month project cycle?
- You haven't received an IAG grant from us since April 2010?
If you can say ‘yes' to each of these, and can complete your project (if approved) before 30th June 2011, then the Sustainable Construction iNet would love to hear from you.
Please contact them by phone 01604 892836 or email info@construction-inet.org.uk .
For more information about the Sustainable Construction iNet visit their website.
Around the world in great new ways
Wednesday 16 March
Enterprise Centre, Bridge St, DE1 3LD
Time: 5.30pm
Exploring global enterprise opportunties or, how travel broadens the business mind.
Guest speakers, Dr Bruce Johnstone (Enterprise Development Fellow, University of Derby) and Derek Hogg (Senior Economic Development Officer, Erewash Partnership Ltd), present a different viewpoint of business with ideas, opportunities, hints and tips from overseas.
Between them, Derek and Bruce posses an abundant knowledge of how businesses in other countries do business, and they will also share with you some interesting tales of business encounters away from home !
This will be a very enlightening and entertaining evening - don't miss it.
It is a FREE event, including light refreshments and plenty of time for networking.
For more information or to book a place please visit the Enterprise Centre website.
How's Your Broadband Connection?
An initiative, part-funded by emda (East Midlands Development Agency), is gathering information about the broadband connectivity speeds being achieved across the region. The Broadband Line Monitoring Project (BLIMP) requires businesses and residents to download a simple monitoring tool, which will take periodic measurements of their line speed and send the details, anonymously, to the BLIMP database. The database will enable emda to identify the relative levels of internet service being delivered across the region by specific locations. It will create a self maintaining atlas of internet connectivity.
Andrew Morgan, Director of Skills and Communities at emda, said: "We really need the support of East Midlands users to make this project a success. The sole aim is to gain information that will lead to an improvement in the quality of broadband services for businesses and communities in the region. It's a relatively easy way for us to build a map of internet connectivity, without having to commission reports which would quickly become out of date. Up to date information on connection speeds is vital if we are to create a broadband network that can compete with the best in the world. This will help us to ensure that rural areas in the East Midlands don't get left behind in the digital era."
The BLIMP tool can be downloaded free at BLIMP project website.
High growth businesses are vital to the competitiveness of the East Midlands economy.
Coaching for High Growth is a new intensive package of support to help ambitious and forward thinking businesses to unlock and sustain their high growth potential.
High Growth further information
The DD Enterprise Centre
The DD Enterprise Centre was set up In November 2009, they are the only business centre specifically aimed at supporting people with long term health conditions and disabled people to start up, and sustain their own businesses in the country.
The Centre has 10 units to let as office space (for disabled people and those with long term health conditions) and virtual offices (for everyone's use) with the added bonus of onsite corporate support and mentoring to help budding businesses really take off!
For more information please visit their website
The Ingenuity Programme
The Ingenuity Programme is an East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) funded project aimed at businesses throughout Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It brings together the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Derby to create access for small and medium-sized businesses to the expertise and resources within the three universities through showcase events, skills workshops, and one-to-one interactions.
Visit the website to find out more about the Ingenuity Programme and up-coming Ingenuity Programme events.
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Useful Links
In a Fish Bowl
Would you like to share the story of your business with a fast growing audience whilst receiving ongoing expert advice?
Inafishbowl.com, the UK's most exciting new business support website, is looking for new businesses to feature. Please visit the website for more information
Funding Available
Leaders First is a programme delivered through Train to Gain to provide training and support to leaders and managers. Train to Gain is the Government flagship service that supports employers of all sizes and in all sectors to improve the skills of their employees as a route to improving their business performance. Leaders First gives strategic decision makers within an organisation, the opportunity to develop valuable strategic skills to drive their organisation forward.
One grant is available per organisation of up to a maximum of £1,000.
Leaders First leaflet
The Lachesis Fund
The Lachesis Fund is an early stage seed fund investing in the technologies arising from research undertaken at the Universities of Derby, De Montfort, Leicester, Lincoln, Loughborough, Northampton, Nottingham and Nottingham Trent. The Fund Provides venture capital investment to transform innovative research into commercial reality. For more information call 01509 228 688 or visit the website.
Grant for Research and
Development
‘Micro' awards to develop
low-cost prototype of an innovative
product or process. For more information call 0115 988 8300.
Free IT advice for small businesses
e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for the information technology sector, has announced that its Business IT Guide website has been visited by over 60,000 small businesses in the last 12 months. The site provides free advice on IT and tools to help start-ups and established businesses make the most of technology. To mark this milestone e-skills UK has summarised the five most popular IT topics read by businesses using the website and has predicted the top technology trends for next year.
Getting British Business Online (GBBO)
The government is backing a scheme by Google, Enterprise UK and a number of other partners including PRIME to get more British businesses online. The campaign has kicked off with the launch of a set of free tools to simplify the building of a straightforward business web site, hosted by Google. It is a nationwide campaign that will offer small businesses located in the UK the tools and knowledge to do business online from their own free website, visit the GBBO website.
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