Acorns
Supporting early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland
Provided by Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
How to apply
Apply on the official National Enterprise Hub listing — applications and eligibility are administered by Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, not Tenderwatch.
Apply on neh.gov.ieAbout this support
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.
Who is it for?
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 2023 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.
At a glance
- Provider
- Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
- Type
- Education & Training
- Categories
- Education & Training
- Industries
- Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing, Construction, Design & Crafts, Energy, Financial, Food, Healthcare, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Professional Services, Real Estate, Retail, Tourism & Hospitality, Transport & Storage
- Business size
- Less than 10 Employees
- Source
- National Enterprise Hub
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Auto-imported fromneh.gov.ie. First seen 8 June 2026; last verified 9 November 2026. Always check the official listing on the National Enterprise Hub before applying — eligibility and amounts change without notice.