Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East
The path to accelerating startups making a positive impact
An undeniable catalyst for progress, technological innovation can only reach its full potential if it is supported by a solid, viable business proposition that meets current and future social and environmental needs.
As well as encouraging innovation, Orange also rewards the positive entrepreneurial spirit of dynamic start-ups within the framework of its Social Venture Prize. Since 2011 this International Grand Prix competition has welcomed start-ups from 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East. It identifies, rewards, and supports business propositions that make a positive social and environmental impact.
To encourage sustainable, responsible, and inclusive development, the International Women’s Prize was introduced in 2020, promoting business ventures led by women entrepreneurs or with the primary purpose of improving women’s lives.
Eligibility criteria
Candidates must:
- Be 21 years and over
- Present a social entrepreneurship project-based on NICT (New Information and Communication Technologies)
- The candidates must present a project that involves at least one of the 17 countries
Ideally, the business idea should include a prototype or demo.
Awards International Grand Prize
- 1st prize: €25,000
- 2nd prize: €15,000
- 3rd prize: €10,000
The 10 finalists within the OSVP International Grand Prix and the winner of the International Women’s Prize will also receive 6 to 9 months of business development support.
International Women’s Prize
Winner: €20,000
Phases of the competition
The first phase will take place between June and September: each application will be assessed according to the rules of the national competitions and up to three winners will be selected in each country. The international phase will then begin. An evaluation committee of Orange employees will preselect 10 finalists from the national winners.
In October, these finalists will be evaluated by a grand jury of influential representatives from the African tech world, who will choose the three overall winners of the International Grand Prix.
This jury will also be responsible for choosing the winner of the International Women’s Prize, from five finalists selected by an evaluation committee made up of Orange’s diversity and inclusion teams.
Overview
| Organizer | Orange Ventures Africa & Middle East |
| Website | Visit website |
| Targets |
Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Jordan, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tunisia
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| Sectors | Clean technology, Clean technology and energy, ICT |
