Orange, a multinational telecommunication operator, has opened applications for its fifth Orange African Social Venture Prize. The company began accepting entries yesterday and applications will close on September 18, 2015, according to a news release on Orange’s website.
The initiative aims to encourage innovative startup projects that help to accelerate development on the African continent. The prize showcases entrepreneurs offering innovative products or services that meet the needs of Africans in fields such as health, agriculture, education, energy, industry or trade.
“The prize will recognize three projects with grants of 10,000, 15,000 and 25,000 euros, along with six months of support from Orange experts. The first prize will also be offered a patent registration in the country of the project’s deployment,” an excerpt in the news release reads.
There’s no cost or restriction to register and entrepreneurs who are 21 years and older or legal entities that has been in existence for fewer than three years are eligible to participate.
Projects to be submitted by participants must be deployable in at least one of the African countries where Orange operates and must innovatively use ICT to help people improve their living conditions in those countries.
Participants may get more information or apply via Orange’s pan-African web portal, StarAfrica.
Image: Businesstech
