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Applications have opened for the seventh edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East, which recognises innovative projects in fields such as health, finance, education and agriculture.

Orange will be accepting applications here until June 6, with three overall winners to receive cash prizes totalling EUR50,000 (US$53,000).

The competition will start with a national phase, during which each of Orange’s 17 participating subsidiaries will examine projects submitted in its country and will designate three winners.

These 51 winners will then compete before an international panel of judges for the Grand Prize, with three winners receiving their awards during the AfricaCom Awards Ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa in November.

The competition is open to any student, employee or entrepreneur over the age of 21 whose initiative is less than three-years-old and based in Botswana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Niger, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Senegal, Tunisia, Jordan, Liberia or Burkina Faso.

“With a record 750 candidates in 2016, the success of the OSVPAM prize with entrepreneurs in Africa and the Middle East speaks for itself. This year, 17 countries in which we operate will recognize three winners, the better to promote the local startup ecosystem, in addition to the winners at the international level. This is our way of reaffirming our ambition of becoming a major partner, in particular by showcasing innovation that serves people,” said Bruno Mettling, deputy chief executive officer (CEO) of the Orange group and CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa.

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