Green SME scheme helps housebuilder lay the groundwork to become Green Deal Provider
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1st November 2012
A few weeks ago Debonair Design opened its first eco showroom. The design and build company, based in Ealing, west London, has spent the last 15 years developing new residential builds and refurbishing and extending existing ones – and in the last three years, the company’s focus has turned increasingly to green building and eco-living.
“We wanted to go further so we can expand the business,” says Debonair founder Paul Loboda, who has degrees in renovation, conservation and eco design. “Customers can come to the showroom and see what they can do.”
Early signs suggest the retail outlet is proving to have been a good investment for Debonair. Since it opened, it has brought in a number of enquiries and commissions ranging between £50,000 and £250,000 in value, says Loboda.
But the eco showroom is only part of the green growth story at Debonair. Loboda says he is laying the groundwork for the company to become a contractor for the Green Deal, the national energy efficiency scheme that launched this autumn. The Government estimates the Green Deal could create 65,000 jobs over the next two years and some reports suggest it could boost firms’ turnover by 20 per cent.
“We have taken initial steps to register for the Green Deal,” says Loboda. “We are installers of insulation, solar, hot water and we could provide the whole [Green Deal] package for a council or private individual.”
But to become a ‘Green Deal Provider’ is a potential minefield and could be costly for a small business like Debonair. Fortunately, Loboda was able to seek help from FLASH, a free support programme for London-based SMEs looking to take advantage of business opportunities being presented by the UK’s growing low carbon economy. The programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is led by the Institute for Sustainability. Debonair was able to access it through the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), of which the company is a member.
“I already have a quite a good knowledge of green stuff, so we went on courses and seminars that would help us become a Green Deal Provider,” he explains. “FLASH also put us in touch with the right organisations that could help with the Green Deal standard and certification.”
Meanwhile, Loboda says he gained extra practical knowledge on retrofitting measures, such as external wall insulation, and even visited the BRE Innovation Park, where the company was demonstrated how to incorporate green measures into a typical build. “That was very practical,” comments Loboda.
But perhaps the most valuable outcome of the programme for Debonair has been the networking it provided the company, which ultimately led to new orders.
“We’ve won two bits of business [through the Green Deal supply chain] because of the FLASH programme and we’ve got about three other enquiries which might happen when they get the finance or when the Green Deal finance launches next year,” says Loboda.
Early signs suggest the retail outlet is proving to have been a good investment for Debonair. Since it opened, it has brought in a number of enquiries and commissions ranging between £50,000 and £250,000 in value, says Loboda.
But the eco showroom is only part of the green growth story at Debonair. Loboda says he is laying the groundwork for the company to become a contractor for the Green Deal, the national energy efficiency scheme that launched this autumn. The Government estimates the Green Deal could create 65,000 jobs over the next two years and some reports suggest it could boost firms’ turnover by 20 per cent.
“We have taken initial steps to register for the Green Deal,” says Loboda. “We are installers of insulation, solar, hot water and we could provide the whole [Green Deal] package for a council or private individual.”
But to become a ‘Green Deal Provider’ is a potential minefield and could be costly for a small business like Debonair. Fortunately, Loboda was able to seek help from FLASH, a free support programme for London-based SMEs looking to take advantage of business opportunities being presented by the UK’s growing low carbon economy. The programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is led by the Institute for Sustainability. Debonair was able to access it through the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), of which the company is a member.
“I already have a quite a good knowledge of green stuff, so we went on courses and seminars that would help us become a Green Deal Provider,” he explains. “FLASH also put us in touch with the right organisations that could help with the Green Deal standard and certification.”
Meanwhile, Loboda says he gained extra practical knowledge on retrofitting measures, such as external wall insulation, and even visited the BRE Innovation Park, where the company was demonstrated how to incorporate green measures into a typical build. “That was very practical,” comments Loboda.
But perhaps the most valuable outcome of the programme for Debonair has been the networking it provided the company, which ultimately led to new orders.
“We’ve won two bits of business [through the Green Deal supply chain] because of the FLASH programme and we’ve got about three other enquiries which might happen when they get the finance or when the Green Deal finance launches next year,” says Loboda.
To find out more about the Institute for Sustainability’s FLASH programme visit www.instituteforsustainability.org.uk/FLASH.
