Orange has launched the 11th edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East (POESAM) with an aim to contribute to the socio-economic development of Africa, support social and environmental innovation and encourage entrepreneurship
The competition includes two stages: a local phase that takes place between March and June in the 17 Orange subsidiaries. The countries then each choose three prizewinners. During the second phase, the winners from each country are in competition with each other and an international jury consisting of representatives of the Orange start-up ecosystem meet to decide on the international POESAM prizewinners.
In 2021, in addition to the International Grand Prize which rewards three prize winners with prizes of approximately US$11962 (3rd place) to US$29905 (1st place), Orange launched the International Women's Prize with a value of US$23924, sponsored by the Orange Group Diversity and Inclusion Department. This prize will either go to a woman, or to a project offering a technological solution to improve the living conditions of women.
Alioune Ndiaye, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, noted, “Africa is undergoing major changes: rapid population growth, accelerating urbanisation, technological breakthroughs in mobile communication and mobile financial services, for example. These structural trends are creating major economic opportunities which mean we must innovate in response and thus build a more prosperous and inclusive continent.”
Since 2011, this prize has been awarded for innovative projects by start-ups, based on information and communication technologies that have a positive societal impact in Africa and the Middle East in the fields of education, healthcare, e-commerce and agriculture, or that help to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
