Monday 9 March will mark the opening of the 10^th Orange Prize for Social Entrepreneurship in Africa and the Middle East. Until 5 June 2020, entrants will be able to upload their projects to the website https://startup.orange.com/, in the OSVP section.

Awarded by Orange (www.Orange.com), this prize recognises technological projects with a positive impact that improve living conditions for populations in Africa and the Middle East, in essential fields such as education, healthcare, agriculture, mobile payment or sustainable development.

The competition starts with a national phase during which each of the 17 Orange subsidiaries taking part will examine the projects submitted in its country and nominate three winners maximum. Then there will be a second international phase in which the winners from each country, up to 54 winners in total, will compete before an international panel which will award the OSVP grand prize at AfricaCom, the largest technological fair in Africa, which takes place in November in Cape Town, South Africa.

Furthermore, the 10 international finalists will have the opportunity to receive personalised support from experts in founding and financing new companies.

OSVP is aimed at students, employees or entrepreneurs aged over 21 years and start-ups that are less than three years old, in the following countries: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Jordan, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Tunisia.

10 years of support to technological start-ups with a positive impact! Two additional prizes to celebrate POESAM’s 10th anniversary. 

Like our three 2019 winners: Chaque Souffle Compte (Cameroon), J-Palm Liberia (Liberia) and Flit Ride (Madagascar); the three international winners will receive, in addition to the national prizes, respectively €25,000, €15,000 and €10,000. 

A novelty this year: a women’s prize worth €20,000 is added to the 3 international prizes, to encourage Women’s Entrepreneurship on the continent. This prize will reward either a woman, or a project offering a technological solution to improve the living conditions of women (women’s independence, creating or maintaining jobs, data collection on gender, digital inclusion and financial inclusion, etc.).

Furthermore, a special prize worth €10,000 will also be given by the international panel. As part of the Group’s strategy, whose ambition is to make digital technology an opportunity for everyone, the special prize will reward a project that improves the daily life of ‘vulnerable’ people (disabled or marginalised people or those who are socially and financially disadvantaged, etc.). 

1,333 entries were received in 2019 and among these 10 won personalised support from Orange and its partner, the start-up incubator Bond’Innov.

Since 2011, the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East has been part of an approach to detect and support start-ups. 

Orange is present in 18 countries in Africa and the Middle East where it had 122 million customers on 31 December 2019. With 5.6 billion euros in turnover in 2019 and 6% annual growth, Orange MEA is the Group’s main region of growth. Orange Money, its mobile-based money transfer and financial services offer is available in 17 countries and has 45 million customers. Orange, a multi-service operator, benchmark partner of the digital transformation, provides its expertise to support the development of new digital services in Africa and the Middle East.