Our Aim

The ACORNS programme has been designed to support early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland and runs over six months part-time. Based on a belief that entrepreneurs learn best from each other, the ACORNS initiative is centred around interactive round table sessions that are facilitated by female entrepreneurs, known as ‘Lead Entrepreneurs’, who have started and successfully grown businesses in rural Ireland.

Call for Applications

The next cycle of ACORNS will run from October 2025 to April 2026. If you are interested in participating in the programme,  you can register your interest here and you will be sent an application form as soon as possible (within 48hrs Mon-Fri). The deadline for submitting completed applications is Monday 22nd September 2025.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for consideration, the entrepreneur (i) must have recently set up a new business which she owns or part owns, and which has generated sales no earlier than end June 2022 or (ii) must be at an advanced stage of planning a new venture and have a clear idea of what she wants to achieve. She must also be living in a rural area. These are all areas of the country outside the administrative city boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

Contact Us

If you would like to find out more about the initiative please feel free to contact us at info@acorns.ie, phone the office at 01 845 0770, download our brochure here or view the short video below.

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