With May 18, 2025 Deadline Approaching, Applicants Urged to Apply for Orange Social Venture Prize and Win Exciting Prizes


The 18th May 2025 marks the end of the application process for the 7th edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) in Sierra Leone, marking its 15th edition across Africa and the Middle East.

The competition has gathered momentum as applications are coming in droves. Those that are yet to send in their application are encouraged to apply on or before the 18th May 2025.

Orange Social Venture Price is an undeniable catalyst for progress on technological and social innovation with the view of supporting startups to attain their full potential with the Competition supporting a solid, viable business proposition that meets current and future social and environmental needs.

The OSVP competition invites applicants from 17 Orange affiliates across Africa and the Middle East, including Sierra Leone, to submit their applications for both the National and International competition.

Interested individuals must submit their applications by May 18th, 2025. The registration portal/link is available at: https://poesam.orange.com/en/

while further information about the OSVP can be accessed at:

https://www.orange.com/en/osvp

Since its inception in 2019, the OSVP has awarded innovative projects in fields such as education, healthcare, e-commerce and agriculture, with a focus on digital solutions that contribute to sustainable development goals. How the Competition plays out.

The competition is divided into two stages:

  1. The National Stage:

Applications for the National and Women’s competition will be accepted from 11th March – 18th May 2025. At the end of this application phase, a national pitch competition will be held in August 2025 to determine the winners of the National and Women’s categories. The winners will receive the following prizes:

  1. The International Stage:

The winners from the National and Women’s categories in each of the 17 Orange affiliates will automatically be enrolled into the international phase. After evaluation, 10 finalists will be selected. A final jury, consisting of African tech influencers, will determine the top three winners of the OSVP International Grand Prize, which will be awarded in October/November 2025.

International Women’s Prize:

In line with Orange’s commitment to gender equality, an International Women’s Prize will be awarded for the fifth consecutive year. This prize will recognize a woman who offers a technological solution that improves the living conditions of women, such as enhancing women’s independence, job creation, gender data collection and digital or financial inclusion.

The international and women’s competition winners will receive the following prizes:

  • €25,000 for 1st place International Winner
  • €15,000 for 2nd place International Winner

  • €10,000 for 3rd place International Winner

  • €20,000 for the Women’s International Winner.

As the OSVP team is currently touring all major universities in the Country to talk about the fantastic opportunity it brings, OSVP competition serves as an important platform for social entrepreneurship, technological innovation, and the sustainable development of Africa and the




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Bank of Sierra Leone Extends Deadline for National Payments Switch Integration


The Bank of Sierra Leone has announced an extension of the deadline for all financial institutions and fintech companies to fully integrate into the National Payments Switch.

In a press release issued on April 10, the bank stated that the new deadline is now set for June 30, 2025, extending the original date of March 31, 2025.

This extension is aimed at accommodating financial institutions and fintechs that were not ready to complete their integration by the initial deadline. All institutions are now required to route all domestic transactions through the National Switch to enhance the efficiency and security of payments in Sierra Leone.

The Bank of Sierra Leone has formally instructed all financial institutions and fintechs that have not yet joined the National Switch to engage with the National Switch Department to ensure complete integration into the system.

Additionally, the bank has confirmed that all existing bilateral arrangements between financial institutions and fintechs will remain permissible during the extended period from March 31 to June 30, 2025. By the end of this period, the Bank of Sierra Leone expects all institutions to be fully integrated into the National Payments Switch.




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What to Do if You Still Have Old Money After December 31st Deadline


The Bank of Sierra Leone has announced that the grace period for exchanging old Leones has ended, meaning the pre-redenomination notes and coins are no longer legal tender as of January 1, 2024.

However, there’s still a window of opportunity to swap your old bills for the new ones. If you still have old Leones, don’t panic! You have until March 31st to exchange them for the new currency.

Individuals and businesses that are still in possession of the old Leone are encouraged to effect the change at any commercial bank between the 1st January 2024 and 31st March 2024. Most banks will be happy to exchange your old Leones for the new ones during the designated period.

If you can’t get to a commercial bank, you can also exchange your old Leones at the Bank of Sierra Leone or its designated agents.

After March 31st, the commercial banks may no longer accept old Leones. You can only exchange them at the Bank of Sierra Leone or its designated agents.

The redenomination of the Leone was introduced in July 2022 to address inflation and make the currency easier to use. The new Leones are worth 1,000 times the value of the old Leones.






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