Some 550 female entrepreneurs from across rural Ireland increased their collective revenue by almost €10m during their participation in the ACORNS business development programme, a new study has revealed.
Now beginning its 11th cycle, 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).
An analysis of the initiative by researchers at DCU Business School found that over the past ten years, the revenues of 550 ACORNS participants rose by an average of 51% during their participation in the six-month ACORNS programme. Combined end-of-cycle revenues for 550 ACORNS participants amounted to €29m, representing a total increase of €9.8m across all ten cycles of the programme.
Report authors Professor Colm O’Gorman, Professor Theo Lynn and Maggie O’Gorman found that aggregate pre-cycle employment rose from 822 to 1,023 staff post-cycle, an increase of 201. They reported that 29% of participants had exporting experience following the conclusion of their participation in ACORNS.
Of the 550 total past participants, some 330 entrepreneurs have continued as members of the ACORNS Community.
The full report is available to view here and via the ACORNS website.
Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, launched the opening of the call for applications for ACORNS 11. The deadline for applications is midnight, September 22.
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.
A survey of participants from the last cycle, ACORNS 10, found that all 52 participants who completed the cycle 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.
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, ACORNS Plus 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; Karen Kerrigan, Kerrigan Mushrooms; 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.
Earlier this year, ACORNS celebrated being 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 this month, 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.
Paula Fitzsimons, Director of ACORNS, said:
“The research from DCU Business School highlights the positive impact that the ACORNS programme has had for past participants in terms of revenue, employment, and growth into the new markets. That ACORNS has helped female entrepreneurs from rural Ireland increase their collective revenue by €9.75m since our pilot programme in 2014 is a testament to the quality of the programme, its participants and its Lead Entrepreneurs. We hope to continue the trends in revenue and employment with ACORNS 11 and look forward to receiving applications from the next group of early-stage female entrepreneurs.”
Professor Colm O’Gorman, co-author of the DCU study, said:
“While female entrepreneurs in rural areas face challenges in starting and growing new businesses, the women that have completed ACORNS report that participation has had a transformative impact for them and for their businesses. They speak of a sense of solidarity that develops through the roundtable interactions, through sharing business challenges, successes and setbacks, and through participation with the broader ACORNS community.”