Female entrepreneurs urged to apply for new cycle of business development programme

Female entrepreneurs from Offaly are being encouraged to submit their applications for the latest cycle of ACORNS, a highly successful development programme supporting women living in rural Ireland who are in the early stages of starting their own business.

Offaly entrepreneur Alison Chambers of Slieve Bloom Organics recently completed the last cycle of the programme, ACORNS 10. She joins Anne Marie Feighery of Feighery’s Farm Beetroot Juice as previous Offaly participants calling on businesswomen to join the programme.

ACORNS has been providing support to early-stage female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland for more than a decade and has recently launched the 11th cycle of the business development programme.

Alison Chambers, Organic Horticulturist and owner of Slieve Bloom Organics says: “It was a great honour to be selected onto the ACORNS 10 programme. There was such a diverse group of female entrepreneurs, but all very interesting people and all interested in hearing each other's stories and problems and willing to lend advice. I think many long-term friendships and business connections have been established and countless businesses have benefited. It really is powerful to have people who genuinely listen and cheer you on.”

Anne Marie Feighery who is based in Kilcormac, is another Offaly past participant. Feighery’s Farm Beetroot Juice www.feigherysfarm.ie has already made a name for itself, winning numerous awards. Anne Marie Feighery attributes the success to date, not only to the wonderful quality of the product, but also to her fantastic support network and the inspiring women that she met through the ACORNS programme.

She says: “The ACORNS programme 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 grateful to the ACORNS network and proud to be a part of it.”

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.

Only early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland, and who have had no sales before the end of June 2022, are eligible to apply. As ACORNS receives many more applications than there are places available, selection is on a competitive basis.

ACORNS 11 will run from October 2025 to April 2026 and will include six monthly round table sessions, a workshop on understanding financials, 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.

The deadline for applications for ACORNS 11 is midnight, September 22. There are up to 50 places available for ACORNS 11. Those wishing to receive an application form should register on the website (www.acorns.ie).