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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a model of a university-led business support programme that ran in the West Midlands region of the UK. The initiative was designed with the specific aim of assisting businesses to grow into the renewable energy technology markets by engaging them in a spectrum of support activities. A distinctive form of university-industry collaboration was used in the implementation of the programme where the leadership and management roles were carried out by Staffordshire University, while technical consultancy was delivered by external industry experts. The effectiveness of this model is investigated through a survey of businesses assisted by the programme. Design/methodology/approach – The case study first describes the design and rationale of the support programme and then goes on to present findings from a survey conducted with firms who part took in the support programme (41 per cent response rate, n=54). Findings – Respondents’ overall satisfaction with the programme indicate that the university-business collaborative model worked well. However, the survey findings show that businesses preferred group-based activities over one-to-one, direct consultancy type of support. Results suggest that the overall effectiveness of the scheme could have been improved through greater industry focus and better management of companies’ expectations through clearer articulation of the programme's ability and scope for support. Research limitations/implications – The survey was carried out with participating businesses only four months after the programme had ended, which may have limited the time for programme-related impacts to mature and/or materialise. Practical implications – The presented model of university-led business support programme and recommendations can be of use to other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as well as business organisations seeking to establish such collaborative initiatives. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the discourse on university-industry relationships and the nature of business support programmes by presenting a “real-world” case study of a university-led business support initiative. The findings and recommendations may be of interest and use to researchers, HEIs, policy makers as well as business support and training organisations.

Despite the widely recognised importance of the impact that built environment has on health and well-being, the concept of sustainable housing is still regarded largely in terms of environmental sustainability. However, given the urgent need to increase the quantity and sustainability of new homes in the UK, it is essential that the design and delivery of sustainable housing does not neglect health and well-being aspects that are essential for enhancing the quality of life and the development of sustainable communities. \ud \ud This study focuses on the ‘soft’ features of sustainable housing, that is, the non-technological components of housing and neighbourhood design that can affect occupants’ health and well-being as well as their satisfaction with their homes. The research aims to conceptualise and identify these ‘soft’ features of housing design and establish whether the opinions of housing users regarding their importance are aligned with those of the housing providers. Using a case study approach, the study also assesses the extent to which such features are being provided by new housing developments.\ud \ud The research begins with a review of literature of the sustainable housing and healthy housing concepts, which lead to the development of a framework for sustainable housing design with an emphasis on health and well-being. Building on this foundation, three phases of the methodology were developed to address the aims of the research: Firstly, a content analysis of sustainable housing standards is carried out, followed by a survey to ascertain the relative importance that housing stakeholders attach to these ‘soft’ features, and lastly, six housing developments are evaluated with regards to their provision of these features. \ud \ud The findings reveal that housing user preferences are not always aligned with those of housing providers, and indeed, a number of notable differences in opinion are also found between the private sector and social housing providers. Lastly, assessment of the six case studies indicates a low level of provision of such features new housing developments. These findings indicate that a more comprehensive approach is necessary for addressing and providing for the softer features of housing and neighbourhood design.

It is widely recognised that the quantity and sustainability of new homes in the UK need\ud to increase. However, it is important that sustainable housing is regarded holistically, and not\ud merely in environmental terms, and incorporates elements that enhance the quality of life, health and\ud well-being of its users. This paper focuses on the “soft” features of sustainable housing, that is, the\ud non-technological components of sustainable housing and neighbourhood design that can impact\ud occupants’ health and well-being. Aims of the study are to ascertain the relative level of importance\ud that key housing stakeholders attach to these features and to investigate whether the opinions of\ud housing users and housing providers are aligned with regards to their importance. An online survey\ud was carried out to gauge the level of importance that the key stakeholders, such as housing users, local\ud authorities, housing associations, and developers (\ud n\ud = 235), attach to these features. Results revealed\ud that while suitable indoor space was the feature regarded as most important by all stakeholders,\ud there were also a number of disparities in opinion between housing users and housing providers\ud (and among the different types of providers). This implies a scope for initiatives to achieve a better\ud alignment between housing users and providers.