As part of its empowerment scheme for local entrepreneurs, Orange Sierra Leone (OSL) is calling on local innovators to submit their applications for the sixth edition of Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP).

Sierra Leoneans in different fields of endeavour such as agriculture, health, education, building and construction, digital technology can take part in the OSVP, and each applicant stands a chance to win.

Applications could be submitted online via https://poesam.orange.com/en to be part of the competition.

According to a press release by OSL, 26th May, this year is the deadline for the submission of all applications.
OSVP is highly competitive locally and globally and winner could take home attractive prizes to boost their businesses and benefit society.

A winner for the National prize could take home NLe200, 000 or Le200m (two hundred million. Leones) while that of the international prize bags 25, 000 Euros the equivalent of millions of Leones.

Special prizes also exist for female innovators under the tech and innovation aspect as the national winner gets NLe120, 000 or Le120m (one hundred and twenty million Leones) while the international champion receives 20, 000 Euros.

The deadline for submission essentially remains the same.

The OSVP competition started in 2019 and a number of Sierra Leonean entrepreneurs have taken part and won attractive prizes to expand their businesses and projects.

Two years back, Osman Yaah and Joseph Koroma of the digital irrigation and Blood Bank projects respectively won the local and international prizes.
For Yaah's projects, one could water their crops regardless of distance while Koroma's project is about digital donation and storage of blood to save lives particularly in Sierra Leone where patients die in health facilities for blood shortages.

The two projects had lasting impact as agriculturists and health for solutions to food and health problems.

Koroma's health project which attracted the international prize has been launched in four major hospitals in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown in the pilot phase encouraging the public to donate blood via digital means.

The winners are now OSVP ambassadors, and ladies have also won attractive prizes notably Isata Bah who now runs a thriving fish pond in Bo city, in Southern Sierra Leone. Currently, she officiates most of the OSVP competitions here in Sierra Leone.

Applicants who do not make it in the final rounds are educated on how to package their projects well to attract prizes in future competitions. Innovators who have participated and won prizes in the OSVP are now employers.

The OSVP is particularly relevant as the world strives to transform young graduates from job seekers to job creators. A bright future awaits those who will take part in OSVP competition.