Bord na Móna, the Irish semi-state company that has transitioned from peat harvesting to climate solutions and renewable energy development, is looking for new, ‘green innovators’ in Offaly to apply for the ‘2024 Accelerate Green programme’. The programme is open to SMEs, early-stage companies and start-ups in the sustainability sector and aims to help them scale their business and contribute to the fight against the climate crisis.
Accelerate Green: A transformative programme for green businesses
The Accelerate Green programme was launched in 2022 and has already supported 25 Irish businesses from across the country that have successfully completed the programme and are on a continued journey to deliver innovative sustainability-focused products and services. Some of the past alumni include:
- Positive Carbon, a Roscommon-based enterprise that has developed an innovative system to reduce food waste
- Borrisoleigh Bottling, a Co. Tipperary-located cartoned water business that uses renewable materials and sources
- EpiSensor, an energy management and demand response solutions company based in Limerick that helps customers reduce their carbon footprint and energy costs
The programme will officially commence in January 2024 and will run for six months. It will bring the successful applicants through a series of expert learning modules delivered by industry leaders, entrepreneurs, potential investors and successful Irish business representatives. The participants will also gain insight into Bord na Móna’s commercial expertise and learnings as a business that has fully transitioned from brown to green.
Benefits of joining Accelerate Green
According to recent research among the 2022 alumni, all business participants felt the experience had a positive and tangible impact on the success of their business. The majority of alumni (80%) saw the scale of their company grow significantly in the 12 months following the programme – 60% of these expanded their business operations here in Ireland, with slightly more (80%) growing their operations abroad.
All participants also found the focus on networking to be extremely beneficial, with the vast majority leveraging the connections made to the benefit of their own business in varying ways. Across all companies that took part in Accelerate Green, 80% have increased the size of their workforce (85 jobs) since completing the programme, and the average revenue growth of the alumni is 150 percent.
Bord na Móna CEO Tom Donnellan said the accelerator is a “tremendous opportunity” for rising green innovators to learn and scale their businesses. “The modules and mentoring we offer as part of the programme are tailor made to help participants develop a thorough understanding of how to build a sustainable and resilient business model – an invaluable asset for all early-stage companies, and particularly those with the shared purpose of supporting a more sustainable future for Ireland through pioneering green innovations,” Donnellan said. “I would highly recommend all businesses keen to make a difference in the sustainability sector to apply.”
How to apply for Accelerate Green
Applications are now open until November 10th 2023, for companies to take part in Bord na Móna’s Accelerate Green programme. Bord na Móna is encouraging businesses in Offaly to apply with a particular focus on SMEs looking to scale, early-stage companies with innovative climate solutions, and start-ups with a strong sustainability ethos. The programme is open to businesses from any sector, as long as they have a clear environmental or social impact.
The application process is simple and can be done online on the accelerator website. Applicants will be asked to provide some basic information about their business, such as name, location, sector, product or service description, target market, revenue model, team size and funding stage. They will also be asked to explain how their business contributes to climate action or sustainability, what are their main challenges and goals, and why they want to join Accelerate Green.
