Accelerate and scale your business with Bord na Móna in 2024
Bord na Móna’s Accelerate Green programme, delivered in collaboration with Resolve Partners, aims to foster the growth of a larger community of sustainability-oriented businesses and expand the reach of their environmentally friendly solutions, both nationally and globally.
Applications for participation in Bord na Móna’s Accelerate Green programme for 2024 are currently being accepted until November 10th, 2023. This opportunity is open to sustainability focused STEM companies; from SME’s in the scaling stage seeking investment, to early stage companies with innovative green solutions.
Accelerate Green is scheduled to officially commence in January 2024 and is designed as a transformative accelerator programme. Its primary goal is to provide Irish business owners in the climate action and sustainability sector with the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully grow their businesses, not only in Ireland but also on a global scale. In collaboration with Resolve Partners, Accelerate Green will guide successful applicants through a series of modules led by industry experts, and facilitate talks from entrepreneurs, potential investors, and accomplished representatives from the Irish business community.
The businesses chosen to participate in Accelerate Green will be prepared for investor pitching and will benefit from valuable networking opportunities, mentoring, and publicity. Additionally, participants will gain valuable insights into Bord na Móna's commercial expertise and its journey from a traditional peat harvesting company to a leader in climate solutions and renewable energy development.
Following their participation in the programme, recent research conducted by Bord na Móna indicates that all participants from the 2022 cohort reported a positive and tangible impact on the success of their businesses. On average, the alumni have experienced an impressive revenue growth of 150% within the 12 months following the programme. Furthermore, all participants found the networking opportunities provided by the programme to be highly beneficial.
Bord na Móna has experienced transformative change as a business in recent years, transitioning from traditional peat harvesting to delivering climate action and renewable energy solutions today. The company’s Brown to Green strategy has informed this transition and continues to guide its growth as a climate solutions business that is supporting Ireland in achieving its 2030 carbon emissions targets and net zero goal by 2050.
“A key element of Bord na Móna’s mission is to lead the way and help the country re-imagine how it engages with climate action and Accelerate Green is an important element of this. This year, we have committed €5 million to the continued rollout of this important programme and we are delighted to see the impact it has already made on our growing alumni since we first launched in 2022, with many reporting experiences of thriving business operations not only here in Ireland but internationally too.
“Accelerate Green is a tremendous opportunity for Ireland’s rising green innovators to learn, grow and scale their business. 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. I would highly recommend all businesses keen to make a difference in the sustainability sector to apply.” – Tom Donnellan, Chief Executive, Bord na Móna
What did the class of 2023 have to say…
“I thoroughly enjoyed the programme. One of the key benefits is the small, close-knit cohort of business participants and that the status, problems and developments are clearly understood. There's a deep level of understanding of both the stage that participating companies are at and the potential opportunities in store for us. I found that being in a strategic frame of mind for two days [of workshops] created a different flow of thinking for me - I had a few eureka moments!” - Mike Keane, CEO of Hibra
“Through the process, we really changed our business model to something far more robust than just product alone and that is absolutely down to the Accelerate Green programme and the work Resolve Partners did with us.” - Mary O’Riordan, Founder, HaPPE Earth
“The cohort knowledge share was excellent. We were lucky to have a very engaged and engaging group. The two-day overnight format is definitely a winner. One day, although less time consuming from a work/company perspective, would not be as impactful.” – John O’Connell, CEO, CW Applied
“The one-to-ones with the mentors were really excellent and it was great to get their time.”- Denise Kelly, CEO, Hub360
If this sounds like the right fit for your company’s sustainability mission please visit here for further information on how to apply for the Accelerate Green programme in 2024.