Louth female entrepreneurs urged to apply for ACORNS new business development programme

Louth female entrepreneurs are encouraging others from the county to join the latest cycle of ACORNS - a highly-successful free development initiative to support early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland. 

The call for applications for the 9th cycle of ACORNS was recently launched by Charlie McConalogue T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine. ACORNS is funded through the Department’s Rural Innovation and Development Fund.

The programme comes highly recommended by previous participants, with 100% of those surveyed at the end of the 8th cycle saying they would recommend the programme to others.

The 46 entrepreneurs in ACORNS 8 made significant progress over the six months of their involvement, reporting significant growth in their new businesses. Their combined turnover almost doubled in the six months to April 2023 - from €1.9m to €3.6m. Participants in ACORNS 8 employed 96 (55 full-time, 41 part-time) staff at the end of the cycle, an increase of 16. There were also five new exporters over the cycle. 

There are 50 places available for ACORNS 9 which will run from October 2023 to April 2024. Those wishing to receive an application form for ACORNS 9 should register on the website (www.acorns.ie). The deadline for applications is midnight, September 22. 

Past participants from Louth include Emma Lynch of EQ Vibration (www.eqvibration.com),  Ali Molloy of High Tide Experience Management (www.hightidexm.com), and Joan McCann of The Code Lab (www.thecodelab.ie ).

Emma Lynch’s 16-year career working in the pharmaceutical industry revealed emotional intelligence training as the key to unlocking team and individual high performance. She decided to set up a consultancy firm, EQ Vibration (EQV), to help medical affairs professionals thrive in the pharmaceutical industry. Emma was a participant on ACORNS 6 and has also completed ACORNS Plus, a further development cycle. 

Emma says: “An entrepreneur’s journey can be isolating – the ACORNS programme solves this problem and more! It creates a community of like-minded women, leadership and mentorship from business women that have walked in your shoes before, a mirror of self-reflection and accountability each month that inspires and uplifts!

"I am proud and energised to have taken part in the ACORNS 6 cycle and look forward to always being a member of this amazing and uplifting community of women in the future!" 

Ali Molloy, founder of High Tide Experience Management, was a participant on the most recent cycle, ACORNS 8. High Tide creates experiences that rise like the tide – they are memorable, powerful and leave an unforgettable impact on our minds.

They help brands connect face-to-face or online through highly-curated experiences.  Ali was a participant on ACORNS 8 and says: “I couldn’t recommend the ACORNS programme enough. It opens up a massive supportive network of inspiring female entrepreneurs who all learn from one another.

"This programme celebrates initiative, courage and success in a positive and open environment. The roundtable sessions are invaluable – you really share and learn from each others’ businesses and you walk away feeling empowered. Overall, a top class programme!” 

Joan McCann was also a participant on ACORNS 8. Launched in February 2021, her company, The Code Lab, offers online courses and hands-on workshops to children in coding, robotics, and electronics. The courses, which are recorded from Joan’s studio in Castlebellingham, Co. Louth, are available through The Code Lab website.

Joan says: “ACORNS has been a fantastic experience for me and for my business.  It has given me the confidence and motivation to drive my business forward.  The biggest thing I gained from ACORNS is support, both from my Lead Entrepreneur and from the amazing business women in my group.

"It’s hard to explain how a group of women with very different businesses can support each other so much, but they do.  We all have each other’s back, we all encourage and question each other and drive each other forward to success and we will continue to do so into the future.

"I am delighted to be part of the ACORNS network and encourage any woman thinking of applying to do so, you won’t regret 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. Each of the Lead Entrepreneurs give their time to the programme on a voluntary basis, as they believe in the philosophy of ‘entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs’. 

Only early-stage female entrepreneurs operating in rural Ireland, and who have had no sales before the end of June 2020, are eligible to apply. 

There will be no charge for those selected to participate in ACORNS 9, thanks to the continuing support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the voluntary contribution of time by the Lead Entrepreneurs.

While 46 participants completed ACORNS 8, the initiative also provided continued support to more than 200 past participants through the ACORNS Community, which provided past participants with the opportunity to take part in workshops, roundtables, and other networking events.

This year’s voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs are Anne Reilly, formerly Paycheck Plus; Caroline Reidy, The HR Suite; Deirdre McGlone, Hospitality & Tourism Advisor; Eimer Hannon, Hannon Travel; Larissa Feeney, Accountant Online; Mary B Walsh, Ire Wel Pallets; and Triona MacGiolla Rí, Aró Digital Strategies. 

Speaking at the launch, Minister McConalogue said: “While there are many rewards to being an entrepreneur, it can be a lonely journey with many challenges. To provide support in dealing with these challenges, I am pleased to be able to provide further funding to female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland through the 9th ACORNS Programme.

"This programme will not only help develop businesses, but will provide networking opportunities to participants that may not be as available in rural parts of the country.  

“To date through the ACORNS programme, I have been able to support over 400 female entrepreneurs to realise their business ambitions, while contributing to society in a meaningful way. The impact of this support has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants reporting both increased sales and the creation of additional jobs. 

“Considering the wide-ranging benefits accrued, I am delighted that we are in a position to continue to support a further 50 participants for this year’s initiative which is funded under the Rural Innovation and Development Fund".