Entries are now open for the 10th Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) in Africa and the Middle East.
Awarded by Orange, 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 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 startups 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.
Additional prizes
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 three 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.).
Deadline: 5 June 2020.
For more, go to https://startup.orange.com
