🌍 beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship 2026/2027 | Fully Funded Environmental Innovation Fellowship
🌍 beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship 2026/2027 | Fully Funded Environmental Innovation Fellowship. The beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship is a global fellowship for young environmental innovators aged 16–28 who have an idea or project aimed at addressing environmental and sustainability challenges.
Funded through donations from Mercedes-Benz and implemented by The DO School Fellowships gGmbH, the programme combines training, mentoring, networking and financial support to help young people turn environmental ideas into practical projects.
For the 2026/27 fellowship year, eligible applicants include people currently living, studying or residing in Zimbabwe, as well as a number of other countries and regions.
Fellowship at a Glance
- Programme: beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship
- Funder: Mercedes-Benz
- Implementing organization: The DO School Fellowships gGmbH
- Age: 16–28
- Duration: 12-month foundation year, followed by a longer-term fellowship community
- Format: Hybrid
- Language: English
- Focus: Environmental innovation and sustainability
- Project funding: Up to €20,000 in project scholarships after the foundational year
- Financial support: Needs-based financial stipend may be available
- Participation cost: None
- 2026/27 eligible locations: Includes Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the USA and others
- Current 2026/27 status: The regular application period has ended, although the official application page indicates late applications may be submitted until the fellowship commencement date.
What Is the Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers Fellowship?
beVisioneers is designed for young people who want to create practical solutions to environmental problems.
Mercedes-Benz provides financial support to the programme, while The DO School Fellowships develops and implements the fellowship. The programme was launched in 2023 and entered its fourth year in 2026.
Rather than being a conventional academic scholarship, beVisioneers is an innovation and leadership fellowship.
Participants receive training and mentoring to help them move an environmental idea toward implementation.
The programme covers areas including:
- Clean energy and energy access
- Alternative materials
- Waste and circularity
- Sustainable transport
- Mobility
- Environmental sustainability
- Other environmental innovation areas
💰 Up to €20,000 in Project Funding
One of the most attractive features is access to project scholarships of up to €20,000.
According to the official fellowship listing, participants spend the first 12 months developing their environmental ideas and can subsequently access project scholarships of up to €20,000 to advance project development.
This is important to understand correctly:
The €20,000 is project funding, not a €20,000 personal scholarship or salary.
The fellowship also provides access to a needs-based financial stipend, according to the programme’s current participation information.
🎓 What Does the Fellowship Provide?
🌍 beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship 2026/2027 | Fully Funded Environmental Innovation Fellowship
The programme combines several forms of support.
1. Environmental Innovation Training
Fellows participate in structured learning designed to help them develop their ideas into practical solutions.
The foundation year includes three core learning areas:
- Personal Sustainability Lab
- Project Sustainability Lab
- Environmental Sustainability Lab
2. Mentoring
Fellows receive mentoring from experts and can access venture coaching and specialist expertise.
Mercedes-Benz employees can also participate as mentors after completing dedicated mentor training.
3. Peer Support
Participants become part of an international community of young environmental innovators.
The programme includes peer coaching, communities of practice and opportunities to collaborate with other fellows.
4. Project Funding
After completing the foundational phase, eligible fellows can access project scholarships of up to €20,000.
5. International Events
The programme includes local hub gatherings, regional summits and opportunities for selected fellows to attend an international global summit.
👤 Who Can Apply?
The 2026/27 fellowship is designed for young environmental innovators aged 16–28.
The official programme listing states that applicants must have been born between:
26 January 1997 and 17 September 2009
for the 2026/27 application cycle.
Applicants should also have an environmental or sustainability-related idea or project they want to develop.
You do not necessarily need to be a university student.
The programme is intended for young people from diverse educational and professional backgrounds who are committed to environmental innovation.
🇿🇼 Zimbabweans Can Apply
This is particularly relevant for applicants in Zimbabwe.
For the 2026 fellowship, Zimbabwe is explicitly included among the eligible locations. The programme states that fellows must currently live in an eligible country and remain within the eligible-country list during the fellowship.
Other eligible locations include:
- South Africa
- Kenya
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- United States
- Vietnam
- Australia
- Canada
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Panama
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- South Korea
- Hong Kong
- European Union countries
🌱 What Kind of Projects Are Suitable?
The fellowship is aimed at environmental and sustainability projects.
Potential areas include:
Clean Energy
Ideas addressing renewable energy, energy access or energy efficiency.
Waste and Circularity
Solutions that reduce waste, reuse materials or develop circular production models.
Sustainable Materials
Innovations involving alternative or environmentally friendly materials.
Sustainable Transport
Ideas addressing cleaner transportation and mobility.
Environmental Protection
Projects designed to address environmental challenges within communities.
The programme describes seven key impact zones, including clean energy and energy access, alternative materials, waste and circularity, sustainable transport and mobility.
💻 Is the Fellowship Online?
It is a hybrid programme.
The foundation year combines online learning with opportunities for participants to meet physically through local and regional events.
The programme includes:
- Weekly online live sessions
- On-demand learning
- Online expert workshops
- Venture coaching
- Local Hub events
- Regional Summits
- Potential Global Summit participation
This structure allows fellows from different countries to participate while still providing opportunities for in-person networking.
🗣️ English Requirement
The fellowship is conducted in English.
Applicants are expected to have a good command of both spoken and written English.
The programme assesses English proficiency through applicants’ written responses and interview video.
💳 Does It Cost Anything to Participate?
No.
🌍 beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship 2026/2027 | Fully Funded Environmental Innovation Fellowship
The official FAQ states that there are no costs to individual fellows and that participation is fully funded through donations from Mercedes-Benz.
This makes the programme particularly attractive for young innovators who may have strong environmental ideas but limited financial resources.
📅 Application Status
For the 2026/27 fellowship, the main application period has already ended.
However, the official application page currently states:
“Application period has ended, but late applications can be submitted until the commence date.”
Therefore, applicants who meet the requirements should check the official application portal immediately to determine whether late applications are still being accepted.
The programme also advises interested candidates to follow its updates for future application dates.
🌍 Why This Fellowship Is Different
🌍 beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship 2026/2027 | Fully Funded Environmental Innovation Fellowship
The beVisioneers Fellowship is particularly interesting because it does not simply provide training.
It combines:
Training + Mentoring + Community + Project Funding + Leadership Development
A young person might enter the programme with an early-stage environmental idea and use the foundation year to:
- Refine the problem.
- Validate the idea.
- Develop a prototype.
- Learn entrepreneurship.
- Build leadership skills.
- Connect with experts.
- Work with peers.
- Develop a viable implementation plan.
- Potentially access project funding of up to €20,000.
This makes it especially relevant to young people interested in climate innovation, green entrepreneurship and sustainable development.
About Mercedes-Benz’s Support
🌍 beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship 2026/2027 | Fully Funded Environmental Innovation Fellowship
Mercedes-Benz has funded beVisioneers through donations since the programme launched.
The programme’s seed capital originated from the €135 million auction price achieved in 2022 for the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé.
Mercedes-Benz reported that its donation volume associated with beVisioneers reached €12 million in 2025, demonstrating the scale of its ongoing commitment to the programme.
The company describes the programme as part of its corporate citizenship strategy focused on ecological sustainability and community empowerment.
Final Thoughts
The beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship is an excellent opportunity for young people who want to turn an environmental idea into a practical solution.
For eligible participants, the programme provides 12 months of structured learning, mentoring, expert support, peer networking and access to project scholarships of up to €20,000, alongside potential needs-based financial support.
And importantly for African applicants, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda are among the eligible locations for the 2026/27 fellowship.
🌱 Key Details
Age: 16–28
Focus: Environmental innovation & sustainability
Duration: 12-month foundation year + longer-term community
Funding: Participation fully funded; project scholarships up to €20,000
Location: Hybrid / eligible countries
Language: English
Zimbabwe eligible: ✅
2026/27 regular application: Closed
Late applications: Check official portal immediately
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