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Orange Social Venture Prize Africa & Middle East

International Grand Prize pays EUR 25,000 first, EUR 15,000 second and EUR 10,000 third; the International Women's Prize pays EUR 20,000. Country affiliates may add separate national prizes. Ten grand-prize finalists and the women's winner receive entrepreneurship support. · Orange

Orange Social Venture Prize Africa & Middle East is a prize programme from Orange for Entrepreneurs aged 21 or older with an ICT-based social or environmental venture operating in an eligible Orange Africa or Middle East country Current lifecycle: closed. Real economics: International Grand Prize pays EUR 25,000 first, EUR 15,000 second and EUR 10,000 third; the International Women's Prize pays EUR 20,000. Country affiliates may add separate national prizes. Ten grand-prize finalists and the women's winner receive entrepreneurship support..

Tier 3prizeafrica-middle-eastsocial-impactnon-dilutive

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Key facts

FunderOrange
AmountInternational Grand Prize pays EUR 25,000 first, EUR 15,000 second and EUR 10,000 third; the International Women's Prize pays EUR 20,000. Country affiliates may add separate national prizes. Ten grand-prize finalists and the women's winner receive entrepreneurship support.
Decision timeRules schedule international preselection from 4 September and jury decisions from October, with ceremony in October/November. Because national timing varies and the deadline was extended, no single dependable decision-day interval applies.
EligibilityAn individual aged 21+ or private entity operating under five years, with a bank account and one original ICT-enabled prototype/experiment addressing social or environmental needs in at least one of the 17 eligible Orange markets; organizers, jurors and people who ceded project rights are excluded.
RestrictionsNo post-prize financial-report cadence is published. Applicants accept national/international rules and data processing; finalists answer interviews and verification. Winners must respond and confirm address/bank details, may forfeit after 60 days, and permit competition-related publicity. International prizes are paid by bank transfer and the rules publish no earmarked spending categories. No explicit matching-funds rule was verified, so match remains unknown. Awards are personal/non-transferable, cannot be substituted, and country-level prizes remain governed by separate national rules.
Statusclosed

Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.

Application process

  1. Create a portal account and accept international plus national rules
  2. Complete the English- or French-language form and upload the PDF project file before the national deadline
  3. Pass national eligibility and dossier pre-selection
  4. Attend an interview or pitch if requested
  5. National jury chooses up to three Grand Prize winners and, where offered, one national Women's winner
  6. Three national Grand Prize winners advance automatically to international review
  7. Orange selects ten international Grand Prize finalists from 4 September and five Women's finalists
  8. International grand jury chooses three main winners and one Women's winner from October
  9. Winners confirm contact and bank details; awards are presented in October/November

Background

Orange operates Orange Social Venture Prize Africa & Middle East. This pass separates direct cash, repayable finance, credits, incentives and umbrella programs so later ranking does not compare unlike instruments. Orange reports 17,600 applications over 15 years and 3,000 participants in 2025 The 2025 portfolio included Sand to Green, E-Blood Bank Makila, N'Zassa Fund, ProVerdy and Maarifa The programme has operated since 2011 across 17 countries and supports finalists through Orange Digital Centers

How the application really works

Create a portal account and accept international plus national rules → Complete the English- or French-language form and upload the PDF project file before the national deadline → Pass national eligibility and dossier pre-selection → Attend an interview or pitch if requested → National jury chooses up to three Grand Prize winners and, where offered, one national Women's winner → Three national Grand Prize winners advance automatically to international review → Orange selects ten international Grand Prize finalists from 4 September and five Women's finalists → International grand jury chooses three main winners and one Women's winner from October → Winners confirm contact and bank details; awards are presented in October/November

Tips

Watch out for

Track record

Orange reports 3,000 participants in 2025 and 17,600 applications across 15 years, but does not publish a realised 2026 eligible denominator. Maximum national nominations and finalist counts are process capacity, not an acceptance rate.

Frequently asked questions

Is this actionable now?
closed. The 16th edition accepted applications from 26 March 2026 at 09:30 GMT through 10 May at 23:59 GMT; Orange later announced an extension to 17 May. National review began in May, international review starts 4 September, juries decide from October and awards occur in October/November. Applications were closed on 10 August.
What is the real economic value?
International Grand Prize pays EUR 25,000 first, EUR 15,000 second and EUR 10,000 third; the International Women's Prize pays EUR 20,000. Country affiliates may add separate national prizes. Ten grand-prize finalists and the women's winner receive entrepreneurship support.
Who is eligible?
An individual aged 21+ or private entity operating under five years, with a bank account and one original ICT-enabled prototype/experiment addressing social or environmental needs in at least one of the 17 eligible Orange markets; organizers, jurors and people who ceded project rights are excluded.
How does selection work?
Create a portal account and accept international plus national rules; Complete the English- or French-language form and upload the PDF project file before the national deadline; Pass national eligibility and dossier pre-selection; Attend an interview or pitch if requested; National jury chooses up to three Grand Prize winners and, where offered, one national Women's winner; Three national Grand Prize winners advance automatically to international review; Orange selects ten international Grand Prize finalists from 4 September and five Women's finalists; International grand jury chooses three main winners and one Women's winner from October; Winners confirm contact and bank details; awards are presented in October/November. Rules schedule international preselection from 4 September and jury decisions from October, with ceremony in October/November. Because national timing varies and the deadline was extended, no single dependable decision-day interval applies.
What burden and restrictions apply?
No post-prize financial-report cadence is published. Applicants accept national/international rules and data processing; finalists answer interviews and verification. Winners must respond and confirm address/bank details, may forfeit after 60 days, and permit competition-related publicity. International prizes are paid by bank transfer and the rules publish no earmarked spending categories. No explicit matching-funds rule was verified, so match remains unknown. Awards are personal/non-transferable, cannot be substituted, and country-level prizes remain governed by separate national rules.
What evidence exists?
Orange reports 17,600 applications over 15 years and 3,000 participants in 2025 The 2025 portfolio included Sand to Green, E-Blood Bank Makila, N'Zassa Fund, ProVerdy and Maarifa The programme has operated since 2011 across 17 countries and supports finalists through Orange Digital Centers Orange reports 3,000 participants in 2025 and 17,600 applications across 15 years, but does not publish a realised 2026 eligible denominator. Maximum national nominations and finalist counts are process capacity, not an acceptance rate.

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Sources