Who qualifies for the programme?
ACORNS is designed for nascent female rural entrepreneurs. To qualify for consideration, a woman must have recently set up a new business (no earlier than 29th June 2014) which she owns or part owns, or must be actively planning a new venture and have a clear idea of what she wants to achieve. If she is not already trading, activities such as organising the start-up team, looking for equipment/facilities, saving money for the start-up, or writing a business plan would all be considered as active commitments to starting a business. She must also be living in a rural area as defined by CEDRA. These are all areas of the country outside the administrative city boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. There is no restriction on the sector in which the new business is focused. Favourable consideration will be given to those who expect to grow their business and to employ others over the next three years. If selected, applicants must be available to attend the first residential session on 10th October/11th October 2016 in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
How to apply?
Please register your interest on the website here in the first instance and you will be sent an application form by email. Complete the application on your system and return it to us by email attachment. Application Forms can also be sent and received by post. Please contact us on 01 845 0770, if you would like a form posted to you or if you have any difficulties in registering online. Closing dates for receipt of completed applications is the 22ndSeptember 2016. No applications received after this date can be considered.
Selection process
As was the case in the pilot, it is expected that there will be many more applicants than there are places available. Accordingly, it will be a competitive selection process. Preference will be given to those who expect to employ others over time. The ACORNS Lead Entrepreneurs will be central to the selection of successful candidates. They will be seeking out those who are prepared to fully engage with the programme; demonstrate a determination to advance their fledging businesses; and are prepared to work hard in pursuit of their entrepreneurial goals.
There are up to 56 places available for suitable candidates. The ACORNS Lead Entrepreneurs will meet in late September to assess the applications received. Successful candidates will be notified in the following days.
What’s involved?
The cycle will start with a residential Developmental Forum, which will get underway in Mullingar on the 10th October / 11th October 2016. The theme of this Forum is Establishing Good Foundations. At this event, the participants will meet each other, their ACORNS Lead Entrepreneur and their round table group for the first time. An overnight stay is incorporated into the event.
Participants will subsequently meet with their ACORNS Lead Entrepreneur and their group of eight peers in separate round tables in November, December, January, and February. These sessions will last for about three hours and will explore the themes of Strategy, Marketing/Sales, Finance, and Implementation. The location of these sessions will be close to the assigned Lead. Some travel may be involved on the part of the participants.
A second residential Development Forum will be held on the 4th April / 5th April 2017. The theme of this Forum will be SMART Planning – The Roadmap Ahead.
Selected candidates are expected to attend all events.
Who are we?
Fitzsimons Consulting
F
itzsimons Consulting specialises in areas related to entrepreneurship and growth. Paula Fitzsimons, founder and managing director of Fitzsimons Consulting, is a recognised expert on entrepreneurship. Paula has been the national coordinator for GEM for Ireland since 2000. The annual GEM report is recognised as giving a unique insight into early stage entrepreneurial activity in Ireland. Paula is a former President of the consortium of GEM national teams, and a former Director of GERA, the governing body for the Global Entrepreneurship Research Association.
Recognising that fewer women start new businesses and, of those that start, fewer have significant growth ambitions than do men, Paula Fitzsimons designed and developed the Going for Growth programme, which is focused on peer support as a means of assisting established women entrepreneurs who wish to grow their businesses. The Going for Growth initiative is funded by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG. (www.goingforgrowth.com).
Having just completed an 8th cycle, Going for Growth has supported over 450 women entrepreneurs to achieve their growth ambitions and measures its success in terms of the participants’ increased turnover, additional employment created and the number of new exporters. Going was Growth was awarded the European Enterprise Promotion Award 2015, Investing in Entrepreneurial Skills, and featured extensively in a book Inclusive Business Creation – Good Practice Compendium, published in May 2016 by the OECD and European Commission.
In recognition of her work in the area of female entrepreneurship, Paula received the WMB Boots Empowering Women Award 2014. Having successfully designed and managed the ACORNS pilot, Paula and her team in Fitzsimons Consulting are very enthusiastic about implementing this further development of the ACORNS initiative.