The winner of the 2025 Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) in Sierra Leone is encouraging aspiring innovators to submit their projects for the 2026 edition, saying the programme helped transform his idea into a scalable business.

Edward Kamara, founder of MiBuks, a digital business management platform for small businesses, said OSVP provided the environment his startup needed to grow. Before the competition, he said MiBuks was a young idea with ambition but lacked the structure to scale responsibly.

Kamara said he almost did not apply to the competition because he doubted whether his solution was ready. He noted that OSVP is not about perfection but about potential, adding that the programme supports evolving ideas that respond to real challenges.

MiBuks was developed to help micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises manage finances using accessible digital tools, even in areas with limited internet connectivity. The platform enables businesses to record sales, expenses, inventory, and operational performance.

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Since winning OSVP 2025, Kamara said the platform now supports 2,379 users across all 16 districts of Sierra Leone, including hard-to-reach areas such as Falaba District. The platform is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Kamara said the financial and mentorship support from OSVP enabled MiBuks to strengthen its technical infrastructure, expand its development team, and transition from a minimum viable product to a more stable solution. He added that the platform has introduced additional language support, including Arabic, and a branch management feature.

MiBuks is also finalising a partnership with Kakebo Financial Services to pilot access to credit for users in Kenema District, allowing businesses to use verified transaction data to support financing applications.

Applications are now open for the 8th edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize 2026. Entrepreneurs in Sierra Leone can submit projects from March 26 to May 17, 2026.

Prizes include SLE 200,000 for the national winner, SLE 120,000 for the Tech Queen women’s category, international prizes ranging from €10,000 to €25,000, and an international women’s prize of €20,000.

Kamara encouraged young innovators to apply even if they feel uncertain about their ideas. “Progress often begins with the decision to take part,” he said.