Offaly female entrepreneurs urged to apply for free ACORNS programme
Offaly female entrepreneurs are encouraging others from the county to join the latest cycle of ACORNS - a highly-successful free development initiative to support early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland.
There are 50 places available for ACORNS 9 which will run from October 2023 to April 2024. Those wishing to receive an application form for ACORNS 9 should register on the website (www.acorns.ie).
The deadline for applications is midnight, September 22.
Among the local entrepreneurs who have already participated in the scheme is Anne Marie Feightery from Feighery's Farm.(www.feigherysfarm.ie)who has successfully grown her beetroot juice business and built a relationship with over 250 stockists in 4 years of business.
Anne Marie attributes this to her fantastic support network and the focused and inspiring women that she met through the ACORNS programme. “ACORNS has been a truly rewarding experience for me on my entrepreneurial journey to date. To meet such a group of supportive, focused, and positive women was truly inspiring and incredibly motivating, alongside the wealth of knowledge and vast experience offered up by our Lead Entrepreneur. I am very proud to be a member of the ACORNS Community and very grateful for the continuing support.”
ACORNS is funded through the Department of Agriculture'sa Rural Innovation and Development Fund, and the highly recommended by previous participants, with 100% of those surveyed at the end of the 8th cycle saying they would recommend the programme to others.
The 46 entrepreneurs in ACORNS 8 made significant progress over the six months of their involvement, reporting significant growth in their new businesses. Their combined turnover almost doubled in the six months to April 2023 - from €1.9m to €3.6m. Participants in ACORNS 8 employed 96 (55 full-time, 41 part-time) staff at the end of the cycle, an increase of 16. There were also five new exporters over the cycle.
Only early-stage female entrepreneurs operating in rural Ireland, and who have had no sales before the end of June 2020, are eligible to apply.
There will be no charge for those selected to participate in ACORNS 9, thanks to the continuing support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the voluntary contribution of time by the Lead Entrepreneurs.
While 46 participants completed ACORNS 8, the initiative also provided continued support to more than 200 past participants through the ACORNS Community, which provided past participants with the opportunity to take part in workshops, roundtables, and other networking events.
Speaking at the launch of this year's programme. Minister McConalogue said:
“While there are many rewards to being an entrepreneur, it can be a lonely journey with many challenges. To provide support in dealing with these challenges, I am pleased to be able to provide further funding to female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland through the 9th ACORNS Programme. This programme will not only help develop businesses, but will provide networking opportunities to participants that may not be as available in rural parts of the country.
“To date through the ACORNS programme, I have been able to support over 400 female entrepreneurs to realise their business ambitions, while contributing to society in a meaningful way. The impact of this support has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants reporting both increased sales and the creation of additional jobs.
“Considering the wide-ranging benefits accrued, I am delighted that we are in a position to continue to support a further 50 participants for this year’s initiative which is funded under the Rural Innovation and Development Fund".