FEMALE entrepreneurs in the region should consider applying to participate in a special national funded programme aimed at early stage enterprises.
The ACORNS (Accelerating the Creation of Rural Nascent Start-ups) programme is designed to unleash the potential of female entrepreneurs who have recently started a business or who have taken concrete steps towards doing so.
“The programme will provide entrepreneurs with the knowledge, support and networking opportunities to advance the development of their business,” explained Helen Downes, CEO, Shannon Chamber.
ACORNs are in a position to select up to 56 start-up female entrepreneurs living in rural areas as defined by CEDRA – the 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.
There is no charge for successful participants, as ACORNS is fully funded under the CEDRA 2015 Rural Innovation and Development Fund through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Successful candidates will also have the costs associated with the residential elements of the programme covered.
Michael Creed, TD, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has welcomed the launch of the second year of ACORNS, which he describes as “a significant opportunity for new female entrepreneurs in rural areas”.
Applicants must have set up a new business very recently (no earlier than the 29th of June 2014), which they either own or part-own or be in the advanced stages of starting a business. Those who are not already trading must be actively planning a new venture and have a clear idea of what they want to achieve. 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.
Potential applicants can get further information on, and register their interest in, the ACORNS programme at www.acorns.ie
The deadline for receipt of completed applications is Thursday September 22 and the programme will begin on October 10th at the ACORNS residential Development Forum in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
