The LendInvest Property Development Academy was established by LendInvest, an online lender of property finance to professional investors and developers.

To date, LendInvest has lent more than £1 billion to borrowers to buy, build or renovate almost 4,000 homes in 120 UK towns and cities.

Housing minister Kevin Stewart MSP joined attendees at the two-day course in Edinburgh to mark the Academy’s Scottish launch.

Mr Stewart said: “It is essential that we get more enterprising developers delivering the housing stock we need, where we need it most. Small developers are essential to a healthy property market and initiatives like the LendInvest Property Development Academy demonstrate the opportunity for industry, government and communities to work together to build more homes.”

The LendInvest Property Development Academy was launched in 2016 and runs two-day courses in five cities across the UK: Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham. Through intensive training, case studies and talks by industry experts, Academy courses aim to create a new generation of property entrepreneurs. More than 200 students will attend courses nationwide during 2017.

This is understood to be the first non-profit educational course of its kind to be launched in Scotland.

Ian Thomas, co-founder & chief investment officer at LendInvest, added: “This Development Academy provides Scottish property entrepreneurs with the tools they need to get their projects off the ground, supporting them to navigate the challenges of securing land, obtaining finance, and ultimately adding new homes to Scotland’s housing stock.”

LendInvest champions the small developer and, through collaboration with the Home Builders Federation in England and Wales, is aiming to ensure that the government’s housing policy addresses challenges for SMEs in access to land, finance and skills.