beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship is a two-year programme for young people aged 18 to 28 who want to turn an environmental idea into a real, working project. It is funded by Mercedes-Benz and run by The DO School Fellowships. The fifth cohort starts in June with 250 places.
There are no fees. Training, events and travel for the key events are paid for. Fellows also get one-to-one mentoring, venture coaching and a chance to pitch for a project scholarship of up to €15,000 after Year 1.
What You Actually Get as a Fellow
The programme fits around a job or university schedule: Year one asks for a minimum of 24 hours a month, with learning, coaching and gatherings running alongside your normal life.
- A 12-month intensive first year: online training, Local Hub gatherings, a Regional Summit and a Global Summit, with travel and accommodation covered.
- One-to-one venture coaching and mentoring for your project and leadership skills.
- Project scholarships up to €15,000 after Year 1, pitched for to grow your project.
- An Acceleration Year with deeper coaching, scaling mentors, workshops and a cost-of-living stipend.
- Needs-based financial support, for example help with a laptop or internet connection.
- An alumni network with investors, accelerators and climate scientists.
What matters is not grades, degrees or money raised — it is what you have built and how deeply you understand your problem.
What Your Two Years Look Like
Year one builds your project. After onboarding, you meet your venture coach and mentor, then move through four milestones: Local Hub gatherings, a Regional Summit and the Global Summit in spring, closing with project scholarship pitches.
Year two scales it. With a tested prototype in hand, you get deeper coaching, scaling mentors, workshops, project scholarships and a cost-of-living stipend, plus global summits and expert workshops.
Who Can Apply — and Who Should Sit This Out
The rules are simple and strict — check each one honestly before you apply:
- Age: You must be 18 to 28 years old when you apply.
- Location: You must live in an eligible country — Europe, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, the USA or Zimbabwe — for the duration of the fellowship.
- English: You need good written and spoken English.
- Project: You need an existing environmental project or a strong, truly planet-positive idea. Idea-stage applicants are welcome but held to a high bar.
- Mercedes-Benz connection: You cannot work for Mercedes-Benz, and your parent or guardian cannot either.
Do not apply if your project is already financially sustainable, or if you live outside the eligible countries. Fellows are selected individually, so every team member must apply separately.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Programme | beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship, Cohort 5 |
| Funded by | Mercedes-Benz; implemented by The DO School Fellowships |
| Cohort starts | June |
| Places | 250 Fellows |
| Duration | Two years: 12-month intensive + Acceleration Year |
| Time commitment | Minimum 24 hours per month in Year 1 |
| Age range | 18–28 at the time of applying |
| Format | Hybrid: online learning + Local Hub gatherings + summits |
| Project scholarship | Up to €15,000 after Year 1 |
| Application deadline | Not published on the official pages |
How to Apply, Step by Step
The application takes 30 to 40 minutes and has three parts. Do the video early — applications without a recorded interview are not considered.
- Written application: Your details, your passion and idea for the environmental challenge, your learning and financial needs, a self-assessment test, and a scanned passport or national ID card.
- Recorded interview video: Up to three minutes through the portal, on the environmental challenge you care about and your idea to address it. Mandatory.
- Financial support application (optional): Only if you need help to take part. Declare your household income and give the email of a reference person — employed, not a family member — who confirms your living situation.
Check that every section shows complete before submitting, and read the portal questions carefully — some steps depend on the category you choose.
A Note on the Application Deadline
The official application page and the programme website do not publish a closing date for Cohort 5 at the time of writing. Several third-party sites mention a specific date, but we could not confirm it on any official page, so we will not repeat it as fact. Do not wait — applications are open now for a cohort starting in June with only 250 places.
Why This Fellowship Stands Out
Most youth fellowships offer learning or money. beVisioneers offers both in sequence: a structured first year to build a prototype through learning, coaching and milestones, then project money and a stipend in the second year to scale it. Local Hub gatherings give you a community near home, while the paid-for summits give you the international network.
Compare with the MOPGA 2027 Visiting Fellowship in France for early-career researchers, the Internet Society Fellowship Program 2027, or Dalai Lama Fellows for young leaders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need to pay anything to join?
A: No. There are no fees. Training, events and travel for the key events are covered, plus needs-based support, for example for a laptop or internet access.
Q: Can I apply with only an idea and no built product?
A: Yes, but the bar is high. You need a deep understanding of the problem and evidence that you have started. The cohort focuses mainly on founders with a working prototype or beyond.
Q: My country is not on the eligible list. Can I still apply?
A: No. You must live in an eligible country for the duration of the fellowship, and your project must be implemented there.
Q: Can my whole team join together?
A: Only if each member applies individually and is accepted on their own merits. One person’s acceptance does not guarantee the others.
Q: What is the €15,000 project scholarship?
A: At the end of Year 1, fellows pitch their projects for scholarships of up to €15,000 to advance their projects and create impact locally.
