Sustainable Economy: Mayo businesses can apply for support programmes

Mayo businesses can now apply for Bord na Móna’s leading sustainable programmes: Accelerate Green GROW and Accelerate Green START. 

All Accelerate Green participants enjoy access to networking, mentoring and business development opportunities through engagement with experienced senior leaders across Bord na Móna’s businesses. The participants also gain insight into Bord na Móna’s corporate expertise and learnings as a business that has fully transitioned from Brown to Green – shifting from traditional peat harvesting to climate solutions and renewable energy development. 

Bord na Móna is accepting applications from early-stage companies and innovative start-ups operating in the sustainability sector and looking to grow at pace, as well as established SMEs pivoting from their existing offering to more climate-focused solutions.  

Accelerate Green GROW will commence in January 2025 and is suitable for early-stage enterprises and SMEs looking to scale. The successful applicants will be brought through a series of immersive learning sessions delivered by industry leaders, entrepreneurs, potential investors and successful Irish business representatives. 

Accelerate Green START is a shorter programme, with a series of learning sessions beginning on October 10^th. START was established as a sister programme to GROW, to support budding entrepreneurs and earlier-stage businesses in scaling their sustainable solutions. START participants engage in modules across key areas including - customer discovery, market mapping, network development and preparation for investment pitching.    

Since its launch in 2022, 42 businesses have successfully completed the Accelerate Green programmes. Many former participants have reported significant and sustainable progress in their companies since completing the programmes and the alumni have collectively raised €10 million in venture capital to date. According to recent research* among the Accelerate Green alumni, over 90% of past participants have more confidence in their ability as business leaders to scale their companies successfully. Additionally, 75% of past participants have grown their workforce since completing the programme and three in four have scaled their business operations in Ireland. 

Previous participating business leaders have come from across Ireland and operate within a range of sustainable industries, including: Feighery’s Farm Beetroot Juice an Offaly-based business manufacturing organic beetroot juice; Weev from Belfast, Ireland's leading privately owned EV charging network; Cavan’s I/O Agri, which is pioneering solutions for sustainable farming practices; and Limerick-based Hibra Design, a sustainable automotive design engineering company which is currently partnering with Bord na Móna on a pilot programme.  

 Applications can be made at www.accelerategreen.ie