Here’s what you need to know about the 2019 Orange Social Venture Prize

The 2019 Orange Social Venture Prize is offering three of the best innovative and socially responsible tech startups in Africa and the Middle East a grand total of €50 000 in prize money.

Now in its ninth year, the Orange Social Venture Prize seeks to promote social innovation by supporting high-tech solutions — that are based on mobile tech and the internet — that serve the needs of the poorest populations in Africa and the Middle East.

The competition’s first, second and third grand prize winners will receive €25 000, €15 000, and €10 000, respectively. In addition, French telecoms corporation Orange will provide the three grand prize winners with support for six months from business and telecoms professionals.

Applications for the 2019 Orange Social Venture Prize will close on 30 May

For this year’s edition, Orange will hold the competition in two phase — a national and international competition. Applications opened on Monday (4 March) and will close on 30 May. The prize is open to startups that have been operating for less than three years, while the founders have to be over the age of 21.

Although there are no nationality requirements. To be considered, African projects must be implemented in countries in which Orange operates in.

These countries are: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Botswana, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Mali, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar, Niger, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone.

Judges will select winners based on the social and environmental impact of an applicant’s projects and the project’s degree of innovation, as well as the scalability of the solutions. The judges will also considered the financial viability and the feasibility of submitted projects.

During the national and international phase of the competition, the public will also be able to vote for a “Favourite Project” through Orange’s Entrepreneur Club portal.

Three winners from each participating country will automatically qualify to enter the international phase of the competition.

National winners will be nominated by September, while an international jury — chaired by former Sonatel CEO Cheik Tidiane Mbaye — will meet in October to select the three international grand prize winners from among 11 projects ( including the winner of the “Favourite Project”.

The international awards ceremony will take place on 13 November at the AfricaCom Awards in Cape Town.