Firms seeking cash from a £26 million fund to kickstart new infrastructure projects will get the first opportunity to apply for support at a major business conference in Bradford next week.

The second round of loans from the Growing Places Fund will be made available to companies in the Leeds city region, including Bradford, during the Base conference at Bradford University on Tuesday, which will bring together decision-makers from the public and private sector to consider ways of developing low-carbon business opportunities.

The Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership is urging companies to apply for money from the Going Places Fund.

A Leeds City Region spokesman said businesses of all sizes and sectors could apply, but the fund would particularly welcome bids from companies in the LCR’s key growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing, creative and digital, low carbon industries, health and life sciences, financial and business services.

Details of the fund and the latest information about round two applications are available online at business.leedscityregion.gov.uk/support/funding/ gpf/ Application forms and full guidance for applicants will be available from September 11.

Round one of the fund was announced in March and legal issues surrounding shortlisted bidders were still being sorted out.

The spokesman said: “An announcement about successful round one bids will be made once we have reached legal agreements with the bidders and the companies concerned are happy for us to release details.”

The Base conference will feature speakers including former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, who will deliver a keynote address on the central conference theme of inspiring a world-class vision for low-carbon built environment and infrastructure.

Conference organisers say the event could be over-subscribed due to a high level of interest.

The event is designed to inspire more companies to “go green” as the global low carbon market is expected to hit £4 trillion by 2016.

Other speakers will include Communities Minister Andrew Stunell, IBM’s vice-president of strategy Steve Wood, Bradford Council chief executive Tony Reeves and Leeds City Region chairman Neil McLean, whose group is backing the event.