10th OSVP opens for entries

Today, Monday March 9 is the opening of entries for the 10th Orange Prize for Social Entrepreneurship in Africa and the Middle East.

Until June 5, 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, health care, agriculture, mobile payment and sustainable development.

The competition starts with a national phase during which each of the 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, 54 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 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 and 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.

Like the 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 and financial inclusion, etc.).

Furthermore, a special prize worth €10,000 will also be given by the international panel to a project that improves the daily life of vulnerable people (disabled or marginalised people or those who are socially and financially disadvantaged, etc.).

Orange is present in 18 countries in Africa and the Middle East where it had 122 million customers as at December 31, 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.