Orange, a leading telecommunications company, has launched registration for the 13th edition of the Social Entrepreneur Prize in Africa and the Middle East. This prestigious competition, known as Poesam, rewards the best technological social entrepreneurship projects based on new information and communication technologies (NTIC).

The competition is open to entrepreneurs from 17 African and Middle Eastern countries in which Orange operates. It seeks to identify, select, reward, and support the development of projects with current or future social and environmental impact.

To participate, natural persons over the age of 21 and legal entities able to justify that they have been carrying out their activity, in complete legality, for less than three years on the day of the launch of the competition can submit their projects on this link until May 21, 2023.

This international competition has two prize categories: the International Grand Prize and the International Women’s Prize. The preselection stage will take place between June and September and will allow the selection of three winners in each country. Among the national winners, ten will be chosen for the international phase.

In October, the finalists will be evaluated by a jury, made up of influential personalities from the African tech world, who will choose the three winners of the International Grand Prix. The same jury will designate the winner of the International Women’s Prize.

Read also : Orange Launches 13th Edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize

For the International Grand Prix, the prizes are as follows:

• First prize: €25,000
• Second prize: €15,000
• Third prize: €10,000

The company is responsible for paying an amount of €20,000 to the winner of the International Women’s Prize. Additionally, the ten finalists of the International Grand Prize and the winner of the International Women’s Prize will benefit from six to nine months of support to develop their project.

Overall, the Social Entrepreneur Prize in Africa and the Middle East represents a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative ideas and make a significant impact on their local communities and beyond.

Orange Social Prize Africa

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard