THE EMPOWER PROGRAMME

We support women in business and advance female entrepreneurship across Ireland’s Gaeltacht communities and the West & North-West, providing ambitious female founders with the confidence, tools, and network to START, GROW, and ELEVATE their businesses.

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About Us

The EMPOWER initiative, delivered by the Innovation Hubs at ATU, provides targeted entrepreneurship programmes that support women-led businesses from start-up to scale-up. Through programmes including EMPOWER Start, Cumasú Tús, EMPOWER Growth, Cumasú Fás and Elevate, women entrepreneurs gain the knowledge, confidence, connections and strategic support needed to succeed. Supported by a network of key partners, including Údarás na Gaeltachta and the Local Enterprise Offices in Mayo and Galway, EMPOWER is helping to create a vibrant and sustainable ecosystem for female entrepreneurship across rural Ireland.

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130+

EMPOWER
Start and Growth Participants

125+

EMPOWER Cumasú Participants

EMPOWER Elevate
Participants

Our Programmes

The EMPOWER initiative, delivered through the Innovation Hubs at Atlantic Technological University (ATU), offers a suite of specialised entrepreneurship programmes designed to fuel the success of women-led businesses across Ireland. From EMPOWER Start and Cumasú Tús, which help aspiring founders validate early-stage concepts, to EMPOWER Growth, Cumasú Fás, and the prestigious Elevate programme, which provide established entrepreneurs with the strategic tools and peer networks needed to scale. Supported by key partners including Údarás na Gaeltachta, Local Enterprise Offices, and the European Social Fund, these programmes serve as a vital engine for economic growth, fostering a vibrant ecosystem for female entrepreneurs from the Atlantic coast to the Gaeltacht regions.

Sandra Ganley

GROWTH 2021/2022 Programme

As the youngest member of my group, I learnt so much from women who had been in business for 10 or 20+ years and who had life experience, and the realities of running a business and having a family. The programme made me more focused, and I achieved all my goals I had set out to do at the start of the programme.

Sinéad Foyle

START 2022 Programme

I can not believe the amount of knowledge and direction I got from the Empower program. It completely opened up my mind to so many avenues I didn’t know about, and how to tap into so much information that’s out there. The help I got with conducting research and pitching our products was invaluable.

Margaret Leahy

Cumasú 2022/2023 Programmemme

Chríochnaigh mé an cúrsa Empower le déanaí agus bhí sé thar a bheith luachmhar. Bhí na teagascóirí eolach agus thug siad léargais luachmhara agus chuir samplaí praiticiúla ar fáil a chabhraigh liom tuiscint níos fearr a fháil ar conas mo ghnó a fhorbairt. Tugadh na huirlisí agus na hacmhainní a theastaigh uaim chun mo smaointí a fhíorú. Mholfainn an cúrsa seo go mór d’aon duine ar spéis leo a ngnó féin a thosú nó atá ag iarraidh a ngnó reatha a thabhairt go dtí an chéad leibhéal eile. Míle buíochas le ATU agus le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta agus leis na teagascóirí as eispéireas foghlama luachmhar a chur ar fáil.

Contact Us

Don’t miss this opportunity to join a community of ambitious female entrepreneurs. Register your interest today and take the first step towards accelerating your business growth.