This Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and CEDRA funded programme will see up to 50 start-up female-led businesses mentored by successful and experienced entrepreneurs to develop and advance their enterprises. Applications are being sought for a new fully funded programme aimed at providing early stage Mayo based, female entrepreneurs with the knowledge, support and networking opportunities to advance the development of their businesses. Entitled ACORNS (Accelerating the Creation Of Rural Nascent Start-ups ) - the programme is focused on unleashing the potential of female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland who have recently started a business or who have taken concrete steps towards setting up a business.
ACORNS is dedicated to seeking out and assisting up to 50 start-up female entrepreneurs living in rural areas such as Mayo, as defined by CEDRA (Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas ). These are all areas of the country outside the administrative city boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. As ACORNS is fully funded under the CEDRA 2015 Rural Innovation and Development Fund through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, there is no charge for successful participants.
To qualify for consideration, Mayo based entrepreneurs must have recently set up a new business (no earlier than July 9, 2013 ), which they either own or part-own. Those who are not already trading must be actively planning a new venture and have a clear idea of what they want to achieve. If they are not already trading, activities such as organising the start-up team, looking for equipment/facilities, saving money for the start-up or writing the business plan would all be considered as active commitments to starting a business.
There is no restriction on the sector in which the new business is focused. However, the selection process is competitive. The deadline for applications from interested candidates is Friday September 11 and the pilot programme will begin on September 30, at the ACORNS residential Development Forum in Portlaoise.
The ACORNS initiative will consist of interactive round table sessions that are facilitated by other female entrepreneurs who have started and successfully developed businesses in rural Ireland and believe in the philosophy of entrepreneurs supporting entrepreneurs. They include Alison Ritchie (Polar Ice, Laois ), Anne Cusack, (Critical Healthcare, Westmeath ), Anne Reilly, (Paycheck Plus, Louth ), Caroline McEnery (The HR Suite, Kerry ), Deirdre McGlone (Harvey’s Point, Donegal ) and Mary B Walsh (Ire Wel Pallets, Wexford )/.
Known as lead entrepreneurs, these role models will work in a voluntary capacity to facilitate monthly round table sessions with up to eight participants. These will take place once a month over six months and will address enterprise challenges and support participants to consider how best to develop and advance their early stage businesses for sustainability and growth.
Female entrepreneurs interested in applying for the ACORNS programme can access information and register their interest at www.acorns.ie Application forms will be sent to interested applicants immediately. The closing date for the receipt of completed applications is Friday September 11.
