Last chance for ambitious female entrepreneurs to apply for Going for Growth development programme

Final call for Going for Growth! The deadline for applications for the 17^th cycle of the award-winning business development programme is just days away. Supported by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG, the programme supports ambitious female business owners to grow their businesses. The deadline for applications is midnight on Friday, November 15^th and application forms can be requested through the Going for Growth website www.goingforgrowth.com. Pictured are (l-r): past participant Aimee Connolly, founder and CEO of Sculpted by Aimee; Olivia Lynch, Partner at KPMG; Lead Entrepreneur Fidelma McGuirk, founder and CEO of Payslip; and Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland.

• Initiative set to accept 1,000^th participant since 2008 launch
• Strong outcomes reported by women business owners in last cycle 

Only a few days remain for ambitious female entrepreneurs to send in their applications for the 17^th cycle of Going for Growth, the award-winning business development programme.

Supported by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG, Going for Growth aids female business owners as they seek to increase revenue, create employment, and export into new markets. 

The programme is for female entrepreneurs in any sector across the country who are serious about growing their business. There is no charge for those selected to participate. 

The 17^th cycle will mark a major milestone for Going for Growth with the programme set to accept its 1,000th female entrepreneur since its launch in 2008.  Some 60 places are available for the new six-month cycle, which is due to begin with a one-day Launch Forum on January 14, 2025. 

The deadline for applications for the Going for Growth is midnight on Friday, November 15^th. Application forms can be requested from the website – www.GoingforGrowth.com. 

The programme brings together female entrepreneurs —  past participants include Aimee Connolly of Sculpted by Aimee; Shauna Delaney of Liberty HomeCare and Margaret Rae of Konree Innovation — for monthly peer-to-peer roundtable discussions.

These discussions are facilitated by successful businesswomen, known as Lead Entrepreneurs, whose participation is completely voluntary and is done in a spirit of altruism. An incredible EIGHT of this year’s 11 Lead Entrepreneurs themselves are former participants of Going for Growth. 

They are: Anne Cusack, formerly Critical Healthcare; Chupi Sweetman-Durney, Chupi; Hannah Wrixon, of Kella and formerly WrkWrk; Jeananne O’Brien, Artizan Food Co.; Leonora O’Brien, formerly Pharmapod; Marissa Carter, Carter Beauty; Oonagh O’Hagan, Meaghers Pharmacy Group; and Tara Beattie, Prepsheets.com. The other three highly successful Lead Entrepreneurs are: Fidelma McGuirk, Payslip; Monica Flood, formerly Olas IT and Susan Spence, formerly SoftCo.

Going for Growth has been repeatedly recognised by the EU, OECD, and European Institute of Gender Equality as a key initiative in helping to foster greater ambition among female entrepreneurs and to support their growth aspirations. 

Between Going for Growth (54) and Starting Strong (28), eighty two participants  were involved in  the 16^th cycle. In total, their combined turnover increased from €95.2 million to €105.4 million over the six month cycle. This represents an increase of €10.2 million (10.7%). They also grew their number of employees by 132 (79 full time, 53 part-time) to 792 (566 full time, 226 part time) over the six months. 

An end of cycle survey of participants from  the 16^th cycle of Going for Growth, including  Starting Strong, revealed that 93% said that the programme met their expectations and 91% said that they felt nearer to achieving their growth ambitions. All participants reported that they would recommend the programme to others and planned to stay in contact with others from the programme. 

The support provided does not end on completion of the six-month cycle, with most past participants becoming part of the Going for Growth community. Going for Growth alumni can apply to participate in the Continuing the Momentum programme, which offers Lead Entrepreneur-facilitated roundtables to those looking to continue their growth journey, with the aid of peer support, focused goals, and milestones. Lead Entrepreneurs Aine Denn, formerly Altify, and Fiona O’Carroll, The Digital Mindset, will facilitate the round tables for Continuing the Momentum.

CEO of Enterprise Ireland, Leo Clancy, said: 

“Enterprise Ireland is committed to increasing opportunities for women entrepreneurs and supporting them at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey.  We strongly believe that key to Ireland’s economic success is a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem which utilises the skills, ambition, and talent of a diverse population. Our partnership with Going for Growth is an important element in fostering a supportive ecosystem, as this programme provides excellent support to our incredible women entrepreneurs and leaders on their business journey, as they scale and grow and work to achieve their global ambition.  With the excellent resources, learning and networking opportunities, we would encourage anyone considering this opportunity to engage and wish the next cycle a fruitful and rewarding experience.”

Partner at KPMG, Olivia Lynch, said: 

"KPMG is dedicated to championing female entrepreneurship in Ireland. Through our continued support of Going for Growth, this programme empowers ambitious women with the resources, mentorship, and community they need to elevate their businesses. Just as we proudly support female role models like Leona Maguire, Rhasidat Adeleke, and Rachel Blackmore in sports, we are equally passionate about helping women excel in business. With invaluable guidance from Lead Entrepreneurs, KPMG workshops and strong peer networks, participants gain the insights and support needed to drive inclusive, innovative growth—fostering a thriving future for women in entrepreneurship across Ireland."

National Director of Going for Growth, Paula Fitzsimons, said: 

“Going for Growth has a proven track record of helping established female entrepreneurs to fulfil their growth ambitions. Feedback from past participants reveals the effectiveness of the programme at increasing revenue, staff numbers, and supporting businesses as they expand into new markets in Ireland and abroad. Going for Growth adds value to the businesses of the programme’s participants, which in turn adds value to the country’s economy. I am delighted that the programme is returning for another six-month cycle, and I would encourage all female entrepreneurs with ambitions to grow their businesses to submit their applications.” 

Quotes from past participants who are included in photos attached:

Aimee Connolly of the beauty brand Sculpted by Aimee participated in Starting Strong, Going for Growth and Continuing the Momentum programmes.  She says: 

“The programmes have been a super asset to me personally and professionally since 2018. When you go through the stages of business and meet challenges, obstacles and equally successes, it is so lovely to have a roundtable of like-minded businesswomen to discuss these with, gain advice from, and of course learn from your Lead Entrepreneur. I just can’t rate the Lead Entrepreneurs that I had and the programmes highly enough”.

Margaret Rae, of aquaculture technology company Konree Innovation, says: 

“You know right from the start that you are in safe hands, in an unwaveringly warm and supportive environment led by women who started their businesses, scaled them successfully and may even have exited them. There’s no substitute for the meeting we do in person, discussions with our peers, and invaluable advice shared. It’s incredibly helpful and a terrific support.

Shauna Delaney of Liberty HomeCare, says: 

“Going for Growth gave me so much more than a once-a-month check in. With the help from my Lead Entrepreneur and my fellow entrepreneurs, through engaging discussions and expert-led workshops, I've gained new strategies for managing and growing my business. The collaborative environment has not only inspired me, but also equipped me with practical tools to enhance my business.”

Log onto www.goingforgrowth.com for more details.

For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact or Martha Kearns at StoryLab on +353 87 2720212

Notes to editors:

• About Going for Growth
  Going for Growth is an initiative to support female entrepreneurs, regardless of sector, who are seriously committed to growing their businesses. Designed and developed by Paula Fitzsimons, Fitzsimons Consulting, more than 900 female entrepreneurs from across the country have taken part in the initiative to date.  For more information, please visit www.goingforgrowth.com.

   

• Eligibility criteria
  Applications will be considered from female entrepreneurs across all sectors who are located in the Republic of Ireland. Businesses of all sizes will be considered if a strong growth ambition can be demonstrated.  The applicant should already be the owner-manager of a business of which she is a major shareholder and key influencer and should be working full time on the business. It is expected that the business will have been trading for several years. 

   

• Starting Strong - In exceptional cases, businesses with some revenues, but less than two years sales,  or those who have raised significant equity investment, will be considered, if it is felt that the business is highly innovative, plans to have export customers and the entrepreneur has very significant growth ambitions. If accepted, these participants are included in the ‘Starting Strong’ element of the programme.

   

• Lead Entrepreneurs
  You can read more about the successful businesswomen, who have committed to become voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs for the next cycle of Going for Growth, here - http://www.goingforgrowth.com/lead-entrepreneurs/

   

• International Recognition for Going for Growth
  Since 2009 the merits and excellence of Going for Growth have been recognised repeatedly by the EU, OECD and European Institute of Gender Equality. In 2015, Going for Growth was awarded the European Enterprise Promotion Award, Investing in Entrepreneurial Skills. In 2016, the initiative was included by the EU and OECD in a compendium of examples of innovative initiatives https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/industry-and-services/inclusive-business-creation-good-practice-compendium_9789264251496-en.  The entrepreneurship tool for policy makers, released by the EU and OECD includes Going for Growth as a case study https://www.betterentrepreneurship.eu/en/content/going-growth-ireland