Through the establishment of this Award, Orange is actively supporting dynamic, youngentrepreneurs and start-ups across its footprint in Africa. The prize aims to offer support to entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas for promoting social development by using IT and telecommunications technology, but do not necessarily have the financial or technical resources to put their ideas into action.
Following numerous requests by interested candidates and to allow entrepreneurs to complete their file, the deadline for submitting projects has now been extended by two weeks. Candidates are invited to submit their dossiers via www.starafrica.com by 30 September to be eligible for the award.
Telecommunications’ networks: a new approach to aid development
The Orange African Social Venture Prize will be awarded to three entrepreneurs or start-ups that offer solutions based on mobile networks or IT systems that are designed to address various social and welfare issues faced by Africans across the continent. Projects may range from banking or payment services to applications in essential areas such as healthcare, education and agriculture.
In addition to the prestige of winning the award, Orange is committed to financially supporting and offering expert assistance to the winning entrepreneurs or start-ups. The three prize winners will receive an endowment of between EUR 10,000 and 25,000, and will benefit from six months of support from management and ICT experts at Orange.
Any entrepreneur or company that has been in existence since June 2008 may participate at no cost and with no restriction on nationality. Submitted projects must be designed to be deployed in at least one of the 17 African countries in which Orange operates.
The Orange African Social Venture Prize is coherent both with the Group’s strategy for development and with its Corporate Social Responsibility policy. By encouraging social entrepreneurship, Orange hopes to underscore the role that telecommunications technologies can play in the economic and social development of emerging countries.
