The Orange Summer Challenge is presented as the flagship competition of the Orange Digital Center network, operating across 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East. The 2026 edition is designed to function as a lever for co-innovation, connecting high-potential startups and young talents with Orange business entities. The program aims to accelerate projects, develop skills, and transform specific business needs into tangible business opportunities, with a focus on deployment and scaling up.
Program Details
• Program Duration: July - September 2026
• Location: Orange Digital Center
• Application Deadline: June 20, 2026
Program Focus
• Co-Innovation: Connects high-potential startups with real and priority business needs.
• Theme: AI as a Business Accelerator.
• Structure: An immersive and professionalizing 12-week pre-acceleration program where participants develop and refine real use cases.
• Support: Participants receive high-level technical and business support from Orange Digital Centers experts, Orange employees, and leading international partners.
• Outcome: Aims to prepare sufficiently mature and market-ready projects for potential acceleration and rollout through commercial contracts with Orange Fab.
Benefits for Startups
• Project Evolution: Evolve an AI solution to meet a real business need through development, testing, and refinement.
• Business Opportunities: Access real business opportunities with deployment and scaling perspectives.
• Qualified Team: Collaborate with qualified and committed young talents selected to contribute to project development.
• Professional Network & Support: Benefit from tailored technical and business support to strengthen the solution.
• Visibility & Networking: Gain visibility during national and international events and receive media coverage through Orange channels.
• Financial Grant: Winners of the international competition will receive a financial prize for project development and acceleration.
• Intellectual Property: Project ideas and all data disclosed during the program remain the intellectual property of the startup.
Opportunities for Young Talents
• Entrepreneurial Immersion: Experience an immersive startup environment and discover the startup universe.
• Real Projects: Develop skills through work on concrete projects with high impact.
• Skills Development: Benefit from multidisciplinary support covering tech, business, and soft skills.
• Teamwork: Join a team with diverse profiles to strengthen collaborative spirit and adaptability.
• Recruitment Opportunities: Access potential recruitment opportunities.
• Visibility and Recognition: Participate in national and possibly international ceremonies with the chance to win prizes and rewards.
Eligibility for Startups
• Project Focus: Must have a business-oriented AI project or solution aligned with the 'AI as a Business Accelerator' theme that addresses an Orange business need.
• Team Commitment: Applicants, whether applying alone or with a team, must be available throughout the entire competition.
Competition Timeline
• From May 2026 - Applications: Launch of the communication campaign and opening of registrations.
• May – June 2026 - Selection: Selection of participating startups and young talents.
• July – September 2026 - Development: Teams receive support and develop their projects over a 3-month period.
• October – November 2026 - National Ceremonies: A national ceremony is organized in each country to select the winning project for the international prize.
• February 2027 - International Ceremony: The international ceremony and award presentation for the three grand winners of the competition.
Official Partners
• International reference partners contribute their expertise to help accelerate the development of each team's project.
This initiative serves as a catalyst for opportunities and startup growth by providing technical and human support. It offers a structured path for AI-focused projects to address genuine business challenges, supported by a network of experts and partners, while simultaneously fostering skill development for emerging talent in the tech ecosystem.