ACORNS is inviting female entrepreneurs from rural areas to submit their applications for the 11th cycle of the business development programme.
The call comes as ACORNS has been selected as Ireland’s national entry for the European Enterprise Promotion Awards, in the Investing in Entrepreneurial Skills category. A shortlist of nominees from across Europe will be announced in September, ahead of the finals in Copenhagen in November.
The programme is also celebrating being named a ‘good practice’ on the EU’s INTERREG Learning Platform.
ACORNS is a free initiative for early-stage female entrepreneurs based in rural Ireland. It has been running since 2014 and is funded through the Rural Innovation and Development Fund by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM).
Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, has opened of the call for applications for ACORNS 11. The deadline for applications is midnight, September 22.
According to feedback, all 52 participants who completed ACORNS 10 felt closer to achieving their business ambitions following the programme and would recommend ACORNS to others. Some 90% said their participation brought about practical change within their business.
Four businesses started to trade for the first time during the ACORNS 10 cycle. The combined annual turnover of the ACORNS 10 participants grew by 54%, increasing from €2.8m to €4.3m. ACORNS 10 participants employed a total of 104 staff at the end of the cycle, an increase of 15. There were eighteen participants with export experience at the end of the cycle.
ACORNS is based on the belief that early-stage entrepreneurs learn best from their peers. Participants interact with each other in the monthly round table sessions, which are facilitated by a Lead Entrepreneur, who has first-hand experience of starting and successfully growing a business in rural Ireland.
The programme is available to early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland who have generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2022. There are up to 50 places available. Those wishing to apply must first register their interest via the website. They will then be sent an application by email.
ACORNS 11 will run from October 2025 to April 2026 and will include six monthly round table sessions, a briefing by various development agencies and an end-of-cycle celebration.
There will be no charge for those selected to participate in ACORNS 11, thanks to the continuing support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the voluntary contribution of time by the Lead Entrepreneurs.
To-date, since 2014, some 550 participants have completed a cycle of ACORNS, with more than half continuing to avail themselves of support through their membership of the ACORNS Community. The benefits of membership includes the opportunity to take part in workshops, roundtables, a Community Forum and other networking events.
Each of the Lead Entrepreneurs give their time to the programme on a voluntary basis, as they believe in the philosophy of ‘entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs’.
This year’s voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs are Alison Ritchie, Polar Ice; Caroline Reidy, The HR Suite; Eimer Hannon, Hannon Travel; Geraldine Jones, Skin Formulas; Mary B Walsh, Ire Wel Pallets; and Triona MacGiolla Rí, Aró Digital Strategies.
In addition, experienced businesswomen, Clare Duignan and Geraldine Kelly, who are on the Going for Growth advisory panel, will facilitate ACORNS Plus round tables for previous participants, who are committed to continuing driving forward the development of their businesses.
Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, said:
“Following a decade of support from my department for female rural entrepreneurs under the Rural Innovation Development Fund, I am delighted to launch the latest cycle. The programme continues to go from strength to strength and has supported over 550 women in rural Ireland over the last ten years.
“The ACORNS programme is a hugely successful programme, designed to support early-stage female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland. It aims to address the skills, enterprise and capability gaps that female entrepreneurs can face and in doing so provides support to help overcome the barriers which often limit entrepreneurial activity in rural areas. I Encourage female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland to apply for the ACORNS programme, which will help them realise their dreams of starting and growing successful businesses.”
ACORNS Lead Entrepreneur, Mary B Walsh of Ire Wel Pallets said:
“It is my pleasure to be a Lead Entrepreneur on the ACORNS programme for the 11th year in a row. I was delighted with the progress from previous participants and to see their development and growth on a personal and professional level. I look forward to supporting female colleagues living in rural Ireland at the earliest stage of their entrepreneurial journey.”
Paula Fitzsimons, Director of ACORNS, said:
“We are delighted to open the call for applications for another cycle of the ACORNS, a programme which has delivered significant results for both its participants and the wider economy over the past 10 years. We look forward to receiving the applications of the next group of prospective ACORNS and working closely with those selected to continue the positive trends we’ve seen in terms of revenue and employment.”