Applications are open for the beVisioneers: the Mercedes-Benz Fellowship. This two-year fellowship supports young people who want to develop and scale environmental projects through training, mentoring, local hub gatherings, and regional summits.
In Year 1, fellows complete a 12-month intensive program and commit at least 24 hours per month. Then, selected participants continue into an Acceleration Year with added coaching, workshops, scholarships, and a cost-of-living stipend.
Application Deadline: 31 January 2027
Tell Me About The Award:
beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship is a fellowship designed to equip young people with the skills, networks, mentorship, and resources needed to develop and scale environmental projects.
The programme is designed and implemented by The DO School Fellowships and funded by Mercedes-Benz. It combines online learning, community-based activities, mentoring, venture coaching, international opportunities, and project funding.
The fellowship begins with an intensive 12-month programme, followed by a second-year Acceleration Year focused on scaling environmental projects into sustainable impact ventures.
Which Fields are Eligible?
The fellowship is focused on:
- Environmental challenges
- Environmental leadership
- Sustainability
- Innovation
- Social and environmental impact
- Sustainable ventures
- Project development and scaling
Applicants must have identified an environmental problem they want to address through concrete action.
Type:
Fellowship and e-learning programme.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants must:
- Be between 18 and 28 years old on the application closing date, 31 January 2027.
- Have a strong command of English.
- Reside in one of the eligible countries listed below.
- Have identified an environmental problem they want to tackle with concrete action.
- Not work for Mercedes-Benz.
- Not have a parent or guardian who works for Mercedes-Benz.
How Are Applicants Selected?
The application process is competitive and consists of three sections:
1. Written application
Applicants provide:
- Basic personal and contact information.
- Information about their environmental challenge and project idea.
- Their learning and financial needs.
- A self-assessment test.
- A scanned passport or national ID card.
2. Video interview
Applicants must record a three-minute video interview through the application platform explaining the environmental challenge they are passionate about and their idea for addressing it.
Applications without a recorded interview video will not be considered.
3. Financial support application
This section is optional and only applies to applicants requesting financial assistance to participate in the fellowship.
Applicants requesting financial support must provide:
- Two employed, non-family referees who can testify to their living situation.
- Household/yearly income information from 2024 through an income declaration.
The source states that English proficiency will be assessed through written application responses and the interview video.
Which Countries Are Eligible?
Only residents of the following countries are eligible for this admissions round:
Albania, Andorra, Åland Islands, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Kenya, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, and Zimbabwe.
Where Will the Award Be Taken?
The fellowship is hybrid, combining online learning with community-based activities, international opportunities, and other fellowship activities.
The programme is conducted in English.
How Many Awards?
The source does not specify the number of fellows selected for this cohort.
What Is the Benefit of the Award?
Fellows receive access to:
- Innovation training through online modules.
- Community-based Local Hub gatherings.
- International travel opportunities to Regional Summits.
- Venture coaching.
- One-to-one mentoring.
- Expert and peer support.
- Skills and networks for developing environmental projects.
- Project scholarships of up to €15,000 after the first year to advance project development.
During the Year 2 Acceleration Year, fellows receive:
- Venture coaching.
- Scaling mentors.
- Skills-gap workshops.
- Project scholarships.
- A cost-of-living stipend.
- Access to global summits.
- Expert workshops.
- Network events.
- Connections to support continued project development.
How Long Will the Award Last?
The source describes the fellowship as a two-year journey:
Year 1 – Intensive Fellowship:
12 months, requiring a minimum commitment of 24 hours per month.
Year 2 – Acceleration Year:
Focuses on scaling ventures into sustainable environmental impact projects.
Important date note: The application section states that the closing date is 31 January 2027. However, another section of the supplied source says applicants should submit before 25 January 2026 at 23:59:59 Central European Time. These dates conflict, so applicants should verify the current deadline on the official application platform before submitting.
How to Apply:
Applicants complete the online application in three stages:
- Complete the written application.
- Record and submit the mandatory three-minute video interview.
- Complete the optional financial-support application if financial assistance is required.
Applicants should ensure that all required information is submitted before the applicable deadline.
