A new programme aimed at supporting rural-based female entrepreneurs with early-stage businesses is currently looking for applicants, ahead of the deadline of September 11.

The programme, called ACORNS (Accelerating the Creation Of Rural Nascent Startups), is being funded by the department of agriculture and the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA).

Up to 50 female entrepreneurs will be mentored through ACORNS by successful and experienced entrepreneurs to develop and advance their enterprises.

The ACORNS initiative will consist of interactive roundtable sessions that are facilitated by the female entrepreneurs signed up as mentors.

They include:

In Association with

• 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
• Mary B Walsh, Ire Wel Pallets, Wexford.

Known as ‘lead entrepreneurs’, these role models will work in a voluntary capacity to facilitate the monthly roundtable 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.

All of the lead entrepreneurs are past participants of another female entrepreneurship initiative, the Going for Growth programme.

The locations being targeted for the initiative are all areas of the country outside the administrative city boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

To qualify for consideration, applicants 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 startup team, looking for equipment/facilities, saving money for the startup 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 September 11 and the pilot programme will begin on September 30 at the ACORNS residential development forum in Portlaoise.

Paula Fitzsimons is the founder of Fitzsimons Consulting, the company awarded the contract to run the ACORNS programme and which also runs the Going for Growth initiative.

According to Fitzsimons, significant untapped entrepreneurial potential exists among women in rural Ireland. “I am convinced that we can harness that potential for the good of the individuals concerned, their local communities and the wider economy.”

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.

(from left) Voluntary ACORNS lead entrepreneurs Mary B. Walshe (Ire Wel Pallets), Alison Ritchie (Polar Ice) and Deirdre McGlone (Harvey's Point)