Orange Social Venture Prize 2021 in Africa and the Middle East

Published: 12 Mar 2021 1,464 views

Applications are open for the Orange Social Venture Prize 2021 in Africa and the Middle East

The Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East (OSVP) has become a reference and has passed the 10-year mark by entering its 11th edition.

Every year, it rewards the best technological projects with a positive impact in Africa and the Middle East. The competition is organized in two stages: first a national competition in 17 countries; then an international jury selects the winners of the Grand Prix.

For the second consecutive year, Orange will reward more start-ups with the International Women’s Prize worth €20,000. This prize will reward any project carried by a woman or aimed at improving women’s living conditions.

OSVP start-ups Prize

Application Deadline	June 5, 2021
Type	Entrepreneurs
Sponsor	Orange Ventures
Gender	Men and Women

Benefits of OSVP start-ups Prize

For the International Grand Prix, awards are as follows:

1. 1st prize: the payment of an amount of €25,000 (twenty-five thousand euros).
2. 2nd prize: the payment of an amount of €15,000 (fifteen thousand euros).
3. 3rd prize: the payment of an amount of €10,000 (ten thousand euros).

For the International Women’s Prize, the award is as follows:

1. The payment of an amount of €20,000 (twenty thousand euros) funded by the Group Diversity and Inclusion Department.

Furthermore, support will be proposed to the 10 International Grand Prix
shortlisted finalists (including the 3 prizewinners) and the winner of the International Women’s Prize. Support will be offered in the form of quarterly telephone/video meetings during which the winners will present a progress report. They will benefit from advice given by business and finance professionals. If the award is attributed to a team, it will be awarded to the Project team leader who filled in the entry form.

If the prize is awarded to an organisation, it will be given to the legal
representative of the organisation.

Requirements for OSVP start-ups Prize

1. Entrepreneur: You must be aged over 21 years as of 9 March 2020
2. Legal entity: You have exercised the activity for less than 3 years on 9 March 2021
3. Your project is implemented in one of the 17 countries where Orange is present in Africa and the Middle-East
4. Your project offers an innovating solution using ICT (mobile or internet) to
   answer population or environmental needs.

Selection Process

The competition includes two stages; first, a local phase that takes place between March and June in the 17 Orange subsidiaries. The countries then each choose three prizewinners. During the second phase, the winners from each country compete with each other. An international jury consisting of representatives of the Orange start-up ecosystem then meet to decide on the international POESAM prizewinners.

The three (3) national winners will qualify automatically, without the need to resubmit their Project, for the International Grand Prix, organised by Orange MEA. The grand jury has the final decision on nominating the 3 prizewinners for the Orange Social Venture Prize Africa & Middle East.

International Women’s Prize:

Projects eligible for the International Women’s Prize are identified using two filters when candidates register their Project online: the Project must be led by a women or propose a technological solution to improve women’s lives.
Projects that are eligible for the International Grand Prix may also qualify for the International Women’s Prize, as long as they meet the identification criteria mentioned above. The grand jury has the final decision on nominating the overall winner of the International Women’s Prize within the Orange Social Venture Prize Africa & Middle East

Application Deadline

June 5, 2021

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to Orange Ventures on startup.orange.com to apply