Orange has today announced the launch of the 6th edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East. The competition, which aims to encourage start-ups that use innovation to fuel development on the African continent, is being extended to the Middle East and, this year and includes a Special Cultural Content Prize.
During the competition, the projects of 4 start-ups will be recognized during the awards ceremony with prizes of 25,000, 15,000 and 10,000, while 5,000 Euros will go to the winner of the Special Cultural Content Prize. The 10 finalists of the Prize and the “Entrepreneur Club’s choice” award will also receive special support from the Grow Movement NGO for 6 months.
Any entrepreneur of 21 years and older from any country and with any legal entity in existence for less than 3 years is eligible to participate in the Prize at no cost. The projects presented must also concern a service to be deployed in at least one of the 18 African and Middle Eastern countries listed in the contest rules.
The Orange Social Venture Prize showcases entrepreneurs offering innovative products and services meeting the health, agricultural, educational, energy, commercial or industrial needs of local communities.
Internet users are invited to participate in the selection by choosing their favorite project on the new Orange portal for entrepreneurs in Africa and the Middle East, EntrepreneurClub.Orange.com.
Last year, more than 600 candidates responded to the call for projects in the competition, which ran from May to September 2015, reflecting the potential of the telecommunications sector to support development in Africa in fields as diverse as healthcare, agriculture, education and energy. Three prize-winners received grants of 10,000, 15,000 and 25,000 euros, along with six months of support from Orange experts.
Applications are open from 18 May to 21 September 2016 on the EntrepreneurClub.Orange.com website, Orange’s new portal for entrepreneurs in Africa and the Middle East.
