Apply for the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East (POESAM) in support of social innovation and entrepreneurship

On Monday, March 13, 2023, applications for the 13th Orange Social Venture Award in Africa and the Middle East will be accepted. On the website https://POESAM.orange.com, applicants from the 17 nations covered by Orange’s footprint have until May 21, 2023, to submit their project.

Since 2011, innovative projects by start-ups utilizing information and communication technologies that have a positive social impact in Africa and the Middle East in the areas of education, healthcare, e-commerce, and agriculture—or that aid in the pursuit of sustainable development objectives—have been given the POESAM prize.

Through this award, Orange, a dedicated operator, hopes to foster social and environmental innovation, promote entrepreneurship, and aid in the socioeconomic growth of Africa and the Middle East.

There are two phases to the contest:

• A national application stage for Orange’s 17 subsidiaries in Africa and the Middle East, which will be open from March through May. A jury made up of members of Orange’s startup ecosystem will convene in each subsidiary following the completion of this round to choose three national winners (per subsidiary), who will automatically advance to the competition’s second stage, the international stage;

• A global stage, where each subsidiary will be represented by the works of its three winners, which will be judged by a panel of Group employees. Following their assessment, they will choose 10 finalists. The three winners of the POESAM International Grand Award will be chosen by a final committee of African tech influencers in October/November 2023. What they will get is

• 
  €25,000 for 1st place;
• €15,000 for 2nd place;
• €10,000 for 3rd place.

Orange’s policy prioritizes equal opportunities, hence the International Women’s Award will be given for the fourth year in a row. This award will go to a woman who provides a technical solution to enhance the lives of women (e.g., promoting women’s independence, preserving or creating jobs, gathering gender data, promoting digital and financial inclusion, etc.). The prize is worth €20,000.

Almost 30 winners have received prize money totaling about €600,000 since the 2011 debut of POESAM, and Orange is happy to have offered funding for more than 90 businesses to get assistance from Orange specialists or its partners. Orange underlines its dedication to businesspeople having a good influence in Africa and the Middle East through POESAM. Submit your application here https://POESAM.orange.com.