Cohort 5 of the Be-Visioneers Mercedes-Benz Fellowship hasn’t opened yet; the official site says only “in 2026,” with no specific month confirmed. When applications do open, this fellowship funds young environmental innovators aged 16 to 28 with a 12-month training and mentoring programme, followed by access to project scholarships of up to €20,000 to scale their work. Cohort 4 already ran its own cycle earlier this year and began in May 2026, so if you’re seeing an old January deadline referenced anywhere, that belonged to that previous round, not this one. This guide covers what to prepare now, ahead of Cohort 5’s actual opening.
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Designed by The DO School Fellowships and funded by Mercedes-Benz, beVisioneers isn’t a one-off grant — it’s a multi-year relationship that starts with a 12-month foundational year of training and mentorship, and only opens up serious project funding after that first year is complete. Fellows commit roughly 24 hours a month to online modules, local hub meetups, a regional summit, and one-to-one venture coaching, building toward a real environmental project rather than just completing a course. Since launching in 2023, the fellowship has grown steadily each cohort — from just over 100 fellows in its first year to roughly 1,000 fellows in its most recent cycle — spanning countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa.
Be-Visioneers Mercedes Benz Fellowship Summary
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship — Cohort 5 |
| Host Country ⇒ | Africa, Europe, America, Asia |
| Study Level ⇒ | Fellowships |
| Benefits ⇒ | Fully Funded training, mentorship, and travel for key events, plus project scholarships of up to €20,000 after year one; optional financial support for economically disadvantaged fellows |
| Funded By ⇒ | Mercedes-Benz, delivered by The DO School Fellowships |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | A specific list of around 75 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa, including Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | Cohort 5 has not opened yet. Expected sometime in 2026, no specific date confirmed. |
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Who Can Apply for the Be-Visioneers Mercedes Benz Fellowship
You must:
- Be between 16 and 28 years old at the time you apply — the exact qualifying birth-date range shifts with each cohort’s specific application window, so use “16 to 28 at time of applying” as the rule rather than any exact dates tied to a previous cohort
- Have a strong command of English, since all programme materials and interactions are conducted in it
- Have identified a specific environmental problem you want to address with concrete action, not just a general interest in sustainability
- Currently reside in, and plan to remain in, one of the fellowship’s eligible countries — this list includes Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe from Africa, alongside a wide range of countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia
- Not work for Mercedes-Benz, and not have a parent or guardian who does
What the Fellowship Actually Provides
- Innovation training delivered through online modules over the 12-month foundational year
- Local Hub gatherings and a Regional Summit, in person wherever possible
- Regular venture coaching and one-to-one mentoring
- A global peer network of fellow changemakers
- Travel, accommodation, and expenses covered for key fellowship events
- Project scholarships of up to €20,000, available once you complete the first year, to scale your environmental project
- Optional financial support for fellows facing genuine economic disadvantage — this is a separate, needs-based track, not something every fellow automatically receives
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The Be-Visioneers Mercedes Benz Fellowship Application Process
Based on the process used for the most recent cohort, expect three sections, taking roughly 30 to 40 minutes total:
- A written application covering your basic information, your project idea and the environmental challenge behind it, your learning and financial needs, a self-assessment test, and a scanned copy of your passport or national ID.
- A three-minute video interview, recorded through the application platform, about the environmental challenge you’re passionate about and how you plan to address it. Applications without this video aren’t considered — this isn’t optional.
- An optional Financial Support application, only for applicants who need financial assistance to participate. This requires two references from employed, non-family individuals, plus an income declaration covering your household’s prior-year earnings.
Understanding Financial Support
beVisioneers defines “economically disadvantaged” using the World Bank’s Poverty and Inequality Platform: you qualify if your income falls under your country’s median, or if that median itself sits below the poverty line for your income category. If you’re approved for Financial Support, it comes in two possible parts:
- Living Cost support: a monthly payment equivalent to 24 hours of Germany’s basic income, purchasing-power-adjusted to your country of residence, for the 12-month foundational year, plus local transport costs so you can attend in-person meetups
- Online Access support: additional funds for internet access and technical equipment — a laptop, cables, electricity, or repairs — though you’re required to upload purchase receipts to prove how the funds were used
You can receive Living Cost support alone, or combine it with Online Access support. If you’re under 18 and approved for Financial Support, your legal guardian has to countersign the additional financial support contract alongside you.
When to Expect Cohort 5
The official page states only that applications “will open in 2026,” without a specific month. Given Cohort 4 ran from September 2025 through a January 2026 deadline, it’s reasonable to expect a similar autumn opening for Cohort 5, but this is not confirmed — don’t plan around an assumed date. The most reliable move is registering directly for beVisioneers’ newsletter, since that’s the mechanism the programme itself points to for being notified the moment applications open, rather than relying on secondhand deadline information that may already be outdated.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cohort 5 open for applications right now?
No. As of the most recent update on the official site, applications for Cohort 5 haven’t opened — the timeline given is simply “in 2026,” with no specific date confirmed.
I saw a January 25, 2026 deadline mentioned somewhere. Is that still valid?
No. That deadline belonged to Cohort 4, which opened in September 2025 and closed January 25, 2026, with that cohort’s fellowship year already underway since May 2026. It doesn’t apply to Cohort 5.
Is this fellowship open to Nigerian applicants?
Yes. Nigeria is on the list of eligible countries, alongside several other African countries including Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Do I need prior entrepreneurial experience to apply?
No. The fellowship is built for people who may not yet be entrepreneurs but have a genuine, well-thought-out idea for tackling a specific environmental problem — passion and a concrete plan matter more than existing business experience.
When would I actually receive the €20,000 project scholarship?
Only after completing the first 12-month foundational year of the fellowship, not at the start. It’s designed to fund the scaling of a project you’ve already developed and refined during that first year, not to launch you from a blank page.
Disclaimer: All fellowship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official sources as of August 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official beVisioneers website before submitting your application. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with Mercedes-Benz or The DO School Fellowships.
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