Orange-SL Launches 7th Edition of Social Venture Prize to Boost Local Innovation
Freetown, March 11, 2025 Orange Sierra Leone has officially launched the 7th edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP), a competition aimed at promoting social innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. This initiative, which also marks the 15th edition across Africa and the Middle East, seeks to support innovative projects that leverage digital technology to address social and environmental challenges.
The competition is now open for applications from entrepreneurs and startups in Sierra Leone and across 17 Orange affiliates in Africa and the Middle East. Applicants must submit their entries between March 11 and May 18, 2025, through the official OSVP website: https://poesam.orange.com/en/.
Competition Stages and Prizes
The OSVP will unfold in two key stages:
1. National Stage
In Sierra Leone, a national pitch competition will be held in August 2025, where winners will be selected in two categories:
• National Winner: NLe 200,000
• Women’s Category Winner: NLe 120,000
2. International Stage
The national winners from each of the 17 Orange-affiliated countries will automatically advance to the international stage. From this pool, 10 finalists will be selected, and a panel of African tech influencers will announce the top three winners in October/November 2025.
The international winners will receive the following prizes:
• 1st Place: €25,000
• 2nd Place: €15,000
• 3rd Place: €10,000
Additionally, the competition includes an International Women’s Prize, awarded for the fifth consecutive year to a woman entrepreneur offering a tech-based solution to improve women’s lives. The winner will receive €20,000.
Orange’s Commitment to Social Innovation
Since its launch in 2019, the OSVP has recognized and supported groundbreaking projects in sectors like education, healthcare, e-commerce, and agriculture. Orange Sierra Leone’s goal is to empower entrepreneurs, drive human capital development, and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through digital technology.
As one of the leading telecom operators in Sierra Leone, Orange Sierra Leone continues to invest in corporate social responsibility programs aimed at improving livelihoods through digital inclusion.
For more details about the OSVP, visit: https://www.orange.com/en/osvp.
Press Contacts
• Orange Sierra Leone: Alfie Barrie – Alfie.Barrie@orange-sonatel.com, +232-76-450-815
• Orange Middle East and Africa: Anita Oyono – anita.oyono@orange.com, +33 6 75 02 03 79
