Department announces continued support for Female Rural Entrepreneurship under the Rural Innovation and Development Fund

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, following a competitive public procurement procedure, has announced Fitzsimons Consulting as the successful tenderer under the 2024 Rural Innovation and Development Fund for delivery of a Programme for Nascent Rural Female Entrepreneurial Development.

Fitzsimons Consulting will provide a programme for up to 50 female rural entrepreneurs which will run from October 2024 to April 2025. Their programme is based on the belief that early-stage entrepreneurs learn best from their peers. Participants will interact with each other and will be facilitated by Lead Entrepreneurs.

ENDS

Editor Notes:

The Department’s Rural Innovation and Development Fund evolved from the report of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) which contained a recommendation that a Rural Innovation and Development Fund should be developed, to support “innovative, small scale pilot initiatives that explore the diverse range of potential identified through the CEDRA process.