Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, has officially opened the call for applications for ACORNS 11 (Accelerating the Creation of Rural Nascent Start-Ups), a flagship initiative supporting early-stage female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland.
The deadline for applications is midnight, 22 September 2025.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Heydon said:
“Following a decade of support from my department for female rural entrepreneurs under the Rural Innovation Development Fund, I am delighted to launch the latest cycle. The programme continues to go from strength to strength and has supported over 550 women in rural Ireland over the last ten years.”
The ACORNS programme, now in its eleventh year, continues to provide vital backing to women launching new businesses in rural areas. Minister Heydon praised the programme’s long-standing impact:
“The ACORNS programme is a hugely successful programme, designed to support early-stage female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland. It aims to address the skills, enterprise and capability gaps that female entrepreneurs can face and in doing so provides support to help overcome the barriers which often limit entrepreneurial activity in rural areas.”
This announcement coincides with ACORNS being selected as Ireland’s national entry for the European Enterprise Promotion Awards in the Investing in Entrepreneurial Skills category — a prestigious recognition of its impact.
Encouraging applications, Minister Heydon added:
“Encouraging female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland to apply for support under the ACORNS programme which will help them realise their dreams of starting and growing successful businesses.”
Returning once again as a Lead Entrepreneur for ACORNS, Mary B Walsh of Ire Wel Pallets shared her enthusiasm for the initiative:
“It is my pleasure to be a Lead Entrepreneur on the ACORNS programme for the 11th year in a row.”
She added:
“I was delighted with the progress from previous participants and to see their development and growth on a personal and professional level. I look forward to supporting female colleagues living in rural Ireland at the earliest stage of their entrepreneurial journey.”
ACORNS — Accelerating the Creation Of Rural Nascent Start-ups — is a free programme designed specifically for early-stage female entrepreneurs based in rural Ireland. It is funded by the Rural Innovation and Development Fund, managed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The initiative is delivered by Fitzsimons Consulting.
Now in its 11th cycle, ACORNS continues to offer structured peer support and expert mentorship, with up to 50 places available in this round. Applicants must have started generating sales no earlier than June 2022.
Thanks to the Department's funding and the voluntary input from Lead Entrepreneurs, there is no charge for selected participants. Those interested must register at www.acorns.ie to receive an application form via email.
ACORNS was previously recognised as a runner-up in the 2018 European Enterprise Promotion Awards and has recently been named a ‘good practice’ on the EU INTERREG Learning Platform.
The recently completed ACORNS 10 cycle delivered strong results:
Four businesses began trading during the programme
Combined annual turnover increased by 54%, rising from €2.8 million to €4.3 million
Employment rose to 104 staff, an increase of 15
Eighteen participants reported export activity by the programme's end
With ACORNS 11, the initiative continues its mission of enabling female entrepreneurship in rural Ireland, providing a supportive network, expert-led mentoring, and a practical path to business success.
