Grants and Free Training Help Small Businesses Benefit from HIPs

3 August 2007 – The new Home Information Packs, and related Energy Performance Certificates, now required of all people selling 4 bedroom houses and soon to be required by all home-sellers, have opened new opportunities for small businesses in the residential sector, but they may not realise how to take advantage of them.

Innovative Enterprise Action (IEA), a UK business support charity, is holding a one day free programme in conjunction with London Metropolitan University’s Low Energy Architecture Research Unit on Friday 7^th September 2007.  The programme will give small businesses an overview of the energy and environmental performance legislation and will introduce a grant opportunity of up to £12,000 for companies who can come up with a way to collaborate with each other offering new services related to the new energy and environmental legislation. 

Hilary Taylor of IEA explained, ‘We want small companies to think not just about accessing training as assesors, but also about how estate agents, builders of loft extensions or kitchen refurbs and others in this sector can work together to build their businesses while helping homes become more energy efficient. That’s the purpose of the grants.’

The kick-off free training will take place from 9.30 to 17.00 at the London Metropolitan University Building on 40- 44 Holloway Rd, London N7 8JL, and is available to any business trading in London that has fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than £30 million.  Companies wishing to register for the course should contact Miranda at mmeme@ieaction.com.

Funding for the course and grants comes from the London Development Agency Opportunities Fund, and is part of IEA’s BuildON project that assists small businesses in the built environment sector.  Other BuildON activities include free training for small businesses in restoration and conservation skills and in solar thermal hot water installation as well as canal boat cruises in the Olympics area to build awareness of sustainable transport and development and to provide networking opportunities.

Home Information Packs  include title deeds, copies of planning approvals, local searches, guarantees for any work done and an energy performance certificate, and are likely to cost sellers between £300 and £500. 

IEA is a UK charity with a trading subsidiary that, taken together, focuses not only on the UK but also on international activities.  Our mission is to achieve regeneration through strategic enterprise development.  We have targeted specific strategic sectors which have economic growth potential and which also serve as catalysts for broadly based regeneration and the social inclusion of disadvantaged populations.  These sectors are: creative enterprise (see our website www.hybridlab.org), sustainable eco-friendly development (including historic restorationand conservation) and local retail trading.  Company registration No. 3169990 (England & Wales)   Registered Charity No: 1053819

Contact: Miranda Meme.  Email: mmeme@ieaction.com Telephone: 020 7553 7190 

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