The 7th Annual Edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East, calls for your applications

Nathan Ernest Olupot March 3, 2017

2 minutes read

Developers Week goes to Nairobi, Kenya from April 25 to May 1, 20116. Image Credit: NairobiDesignWeek

Following previous years, the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East (OSVPAM) will be awarded to innovative projects which make use of information and communication technologies to improve living conditions for the peoples of Africa and the Middle East in fields such as health, finance, education and agriculture.

This years’ competition will start with a national phase during which each of Orange’s 17 participating subsidiaries will examine projects submitted in its country and will designate three winners from each country. The next phase will be an international one in which the 51 winners (three winners selected from 17 countries) will compete before an international panel of judges for the OSVPAM Grand Prize, declaring only three final winners.

Award Winning
This year, 17 countries in which Orange operates will recognize three (3) winners and will be receiving their awards during the AfricaCom Awards Ceremony in South Africa, on November 8th, 2017. In addition to national prizes, they will also receive €25000 (roughly 95,103,600 UGX) for the Grand Winner, €15000 (roughly 57,062,200 UGX) for the First Runner’s up, and finally €10000 (38,041,500 UGX) for the Second Runner’s up, along with support from professionals in start-up creation and funding.

Bruno Mettling, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, in a press statement said, “Recognizing these three winners is our way of reaffirming our ambition of becoming a major partner, in particular by showcasing innovation that serves people.”

Orange Social Venture Prize 2015 winners, (1st) was awarded to Bassita, an Egyptian startup that allows businesses to host their social, cultural or environmental projects and receive donations depending on whether the project reaches its objectives, (2nd) was awarded to upOwa, a Cameroon statup that aims to provide electricity to rural areas of Western and Central Africa that have not yet been connected to the national electricity grids, (3rd) was awarded to myAgro a startup which enables farmers to buy high-quality seeds and fertilizer, and to benefit from a range of training programs. Image Credit: Orange.com

Eligibility
The competition is open to students, employees or entrepreneurs over the age of 21 whose initiative is less than three (3) years old in Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Niger, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Tunisia, Jordan, Liberia, and Burkina Faso.

“With a record 750 candidates in 2016, the success of the OSVPAM prize with entrepreneurs in Africa and the Middle East speaks for itself.” Bruno said.

How to Apply
Interested applicants should send their applications before June 6th, 2017 21:00 GMT. Click here to apply.

2016 Winners
Orange Group recognized four innovative projects where the three prize-winners received grants of €25,000, €15,000 and €10,000, and the fourth winner; winner of the Special Prize for Cultural Content received €5,000.

Winners of the 6th annual edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East were;

First prize – MedTrucks, Morocco, a startup that was created to support patients and healthcare professionals through the deployment of mobile care units in “medical deserts” in Morocco and other emerging countries.

Second prize – Nanoe, Madagascar, a startup was to deploy a new kind of electrification system, known as “lateral electrification”, in order to meet the short-term needs of remote populations that do not have access to the main energy grid.

Third prize – Ma Tontine, Senegal, a startup that seeks to solve the problem of how to provide financial services, including the provision of small loans, to the poor.

And finally, the Special Prize for Cultural Content was given to Bulles Magazine, Côte d’Ivoire, a monthly magazine for 6 to 10-year old children that promotes African culture.