A MALVERN-based internet company has been shortlisted for a top European industry prize only six months after being set up.

Pageweb Networks Ltd is one of four finalists in the "best contribution to public awareness" category of the European eWeek Awards 2001.

The company has been nominated for its website Egrindstone.co.uk, which was launched in April this year.

Egrindstone.co.uk connects homeworkers and gives them the opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise by adding their own reviews, links and forum messages to the site.

Editor Emma Scanlon said: "We're very proud that, after just six months, our site has already won recognition for its achievements.

"Much of the site has been planned and produced on PCs and laptops in spare bedrooms and kitchens, so to be competing alongside established contributors to the ework/telework cause is an honour."

The site includes information of use to all homeworkers, not only those in the information technology sector, on matters such as insurance, legal advice and much else.

"We even did a review of various makes of slippers, because homeworkers might be wearing slippers around the house quite a bit," said Emma.

The awards ceremony is being held in Brussels on Monday, November 12, and Emma said the four-strong staff of the company were hoping to attend.

Emma and her husband Neil live in Leigh Sinton and Joe Allsopp in Malvern. The fourth member of the company, Todd O'Neill, lives in Staffordshire.

All are homeworkers although they do share an occasional office at Whit-bourne Lodge in Church Street, Malvern.