Launch of the 12th edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East (POESAM)

Over 11 previous editions, it has awarded around €555,000 to African business projects with positive social and environmental impacts in various sectors.

 

March 28 will mark the opening of the 12th Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East. Candidates can submit their applications until May 27 on the website https://POESAM.Orange.com.

POESAM was launched in 2011. Over 11 previous editions, it has awarded around €555,000 to African business projects with positive social and environmental impacts in various sectors: health, education, e-commerce and farming.

There are two stages to the competition:

A national stage to gather applications, between March and late May at Orange’s 17 subsidiaries. When this stage is complete, a jury with representatives from Orange’s start-up ecosystem will meet in each subsidiary to choose 3 national winners (per subsidiary) who will qualify for the international stage;

An international stage, where the projects of the 3 winners from each subsidiary will be reviewed by an evaluation committee made up of group employees. They will select 10 finalists following their evaluation. A final jury of African tech influencers will choose the 3 winners of the POESAM International Grand Prize in October. They will receive:

€25,000 for 1st place;

€15,000 for 2nd place;

€10,000 for 3rd place.

As equal opportunities are a crucial aspect of Orange policy, the International Women's Prize will be awarded for the 3rd year running. Supported by Orange Group Diversity and Inclusion, this €20,000 prize will either go to a project managed by a woman, or to a project offering a technological solution to improve the living conditions of women (women’s independence, creating or maintaining jobs, data collection on gender, digital and financial inclusion, etc.).

Learn more about the winners of the 11th edition: https://oran.ge/3LfnXyc

For more information about POESAM, visit: https://POESAM.Orange.com

About Orange Africa and Middle East: 

Orange is present in 18 countries in Africa and the Middle East where it had 135 million customers on December 31, 2021. With €6,4 billion in turnover in 2021, Orange MEA is the Group’s main growth region. Orange Money, with its mobile-based money transfer and financial services offer is available in 17 countries and has 60 million customers. Orange, a multi-service operator, benchmark partner of the digital transformation, provides its expertise to support the development of new digital services in Africa and the Middle East.

About Orange: 

Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with sales of 42.5 billion euros in 2021 and 140,000 employees worldwide at 31 December 2021, including 78,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 271 million customers worldwide at 31 December 2021, including 224 million mobile customers and 23 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 26 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business Services. In December 2019, the Group presented its new "Engage 2025" strategic plan, which, guided by social and environmental accountability, aims to reinvent its operator model. While accelerating in growth areas and placing data and AI at the heart of its innovation model, the Group will be an attractive and responsible employer, adapted to emerging professions.

Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN).

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Cassien Tribunal Aungane, Editor