Limerick female entrepreneurs encouraged to apply for new cycle of ACORNS business development programme

Limerick female entrepreneurs encouraged to apply for new cycle of ACORNS business development programme. Peter Johnston, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Ixis Santos, Forest Mist Skincare, Limerick. Pic Orla Murray/Coalesce

Limerick’s female entrepreneurs encouraged to join the ACORNS business development programme with applications open until midnight on September 22

Female entrepreneurs from Limerick are being encouraged to submit their applications for the latest cycle of ACORNS, a highly successful development programme to support women living in rural Ireland who are in the early stages of starting their own business.

ACORNS has been providing support to early-stage female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland for more than a decade and has recently launched the 11th cycle of the business development programme.

The deadline for applications for ACORNS 11 is midnight, September 22. There are up to 50 places available for ACORNS 11. Those wishing to receive an application form should register on the website.

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Limerick entrepreneur Ixis Santos of Forest Mist Skincare recently completed the latest cycle of the programme – ACORNS 10. Ixis started her skincare business from her home in Curraghchase, Co. Limerick, in 2023 out of desperation after she had suffered from severe skin sensitivities since childhood.

Forest Mist Skincare produces gentle, natural, organic and efficacy-tested products that help resolve issues for people with sensitive skin. Ixis was recognised as Best Emerging Entrepreneur at the Limerick LEO awards 2025. She says that one of the best benefits of the ACORNS programme was the way it helped her develop the right mindset to pursue her business goals.

“ACORNS has been one of the best things to happen to me as a startup business! The connections, the support, and the atmosphere when we were together – it was incredible. When we are together, we can achieve anything,” she says.

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.

Only early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland, and who have had no sales before the end of June 2022, are eligible to apply. As ACORNS receives many more applications than there are places available, selection is on a competitive basis.

ACORNS 11 will run from October 2025 to April 2026 and will include six monthly round table sessions, a workshop on understanding financials, a briefing by various development agencies and an end-of-cycle celebration.

There will be no charge for those selected to participate in ACORNS 11, thanks to the continuing support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the voluntary contribution of time by the Lead Entrepreneurs.

Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, launched the call for applications for ACORNS 11. Minister Heydon said, “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 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.

“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.”

A survey carried out at the end of ACORNS 10 revealed that 100 per cent of the programme’s 52 participants felt closer to achieving their business ambitions following the programme and would recommend ACORNS to others. Some 90% said their participation brought about practical change within their business.

Four businesses started to trade for the first time during ACORNS 10. The group’s combined turnover almost doubled over the course of the programme, increasing from €2.8m to €4.3m. ACORNS 10 participants employed a total of 104 staff at the end of the cycle, some 57 full-time and 47 part-time, an increase of 15. There were eight new exporters over the cycle.

Alongside the 52 participants in ACORNS 10, more than 300 past participants received continued support through the ACORNS Community, which provided them with the opportunity to take part in workshops, roundtables, a Community Forum and other networking events.

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’.

This year’s voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs are Alison Ritchie, Polar Ice; Caroline Reidy, The HR Suite; Eimer Hannon, Hannon Travel; Geraldine Jones, Skin Formulas; Mary B Walsh, Ire Wel Pallets; and Triona MacGiolla Rí, Aró Digital Strategies.

In addition, experienced businesswomen, Clare Duignan and Geraldine Kelly, who are on the Going for Growth advisory panel, will facilitate ACORNS Plus round tables for previous participants, who are committed to continuing driving forward the development of their businesses.