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Have a
sustainability
project or a strong idea for one?

Bring it to life with a beVisioneers fellowship!

Are you
a planet-positive innovator?

Are you
16 to 28
years old?

Do you live in Denmark, Germany, Hungary, India, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden or the United Kingdom?

THE PROGRAM

Join a vibrant,
international
community

of environmental
change-makers.

Funded by Mercedes-Benz, beVisioneers provides young innovators like you with the training, resources and expert support you need to bring your planet-positive project or idea to life. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your financial status is. If you’re passionately committed to creating positive environmental change, whether in your community or across the world, beVisioneers is the fellowship for you.

As a beVisioneers fellow, you take part in a unique, one-year hybrid learning program designed and implemented by education pioneers The DO School Fellowships gGmbH. After completing the program and launching your project, you become a lifelong member of the beVisioneers community, getting support to continue developing your project as well as your leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

24

hours- per-month commitment

1-to-1 project
coaching

100

fellows
in the first year

opportunities to win project grants

50+

world-class
experts

masterclasses in entrepreneurship, leadership and environmental action

During your first year, you will receive one-to-one project coaching as well as guidance from top experts in relevant fields. You will have the chance to apply for project grants and join masterclasses. You will also learn the award-winning DO Method and use it to launch your product.

Upon completing the 12-month program, you remain a member of the beVisioneers community, a worldwide network of change-makers, working together at eye-level to confront the most pressing environmental challenges of our times. Continue to develop your skills, grow your project and contribute to positive environmental change!

membership in a global community of innovators

BACKGROUND

To fund this fellowship for the future, Mercedes-Benz auctioned off an icon of the past.

In May of 2022, Mercedes-Benz auctioned off the world’s most valuable automobile, a 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé from 1955, for 135 million euros. By donating proceeds from the auction to beVisioneers, Mercedes-Benz aims to empower a new generation of innovators.

“We are proud to support beVisioneers. This is a commitment that ties the pioneering heritage of the brand to the pioneering spirit of a new generation of change-makers. We envision an ever-growing community of fellows and experts, working together at eye-level to confront environmental challenges of our time.”

– Renata Jungo Brüngger,
Member of the Board of Management
of Mercedes-Benz Group AG
for Integrity and Legal Affairs

Any questions?

Explore our in-depth Q&A for the answers!

Q&A

Q1 I do not live in one of the target countries. Can I still apply?

For 2023, the first year of the fellowship, we are accepting applications only from residents of Denmark, Germany, Hungary, India, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden or the United Kingdom; applicants must have a project in, or a project idea intended for, at least one of these countries. In 2024, we will expand to more regions, with the goal of rolling out globally by 2025. Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about 2024 application dates, and keep developing your sustainability project or idea.

Q2 Do I need to have an environmental project or idea in order to apply?

To be considered for a beVisioneers fellowship, you must apply with a sustainability project or an idea for one. While it doesn’t have to be fully-formed, your project or idea should demonstrate a solid understanding of the environmental challenge you want to tackle. To help us assess its feasibility, try to define the scope and goals of your project or idea as well as your plan for implementing it. During the fellowship journey, your project may change or evolve as you learn new things, and that’s to be expected. Your passion and determination, together with the ongoing support of the beVisioneers community, will help you make it stronger and improve its chances of success.

Q3 Can I apply with my project team?

Fellows are selected on an individual basis. For this reason, every member of a project team who wishes to participate must apply individually, and the acceptance of one team member does not guarantee the acceptance of others. The fellowship experience is designed to help you grow personally as a leader, and significant emphasis is placed on individual development and reflection. We therefore recommend that project founders or leaders apply.

Q4 What are the program highlights?

beVisioneers is a 12-month hybrid intensive with a blend of weekly on-demand and live classes where fellows build knowledge and learn by DOing around 3 labs:

  • Personal Sustainability Lab
  • Project Sustainability Lab
  • Environmental Sustainability Lab

Key elements of the program include:

  • Weekly online live sessions
  • On-demand content (e.g. a content library micro-videos, downloadable toolkits & templates)
  • Mentoring
  • Masterclasses & co-working missions
  • Peer coaching
  • Access to experts in relevant fields
  • Access to earned project funding and needs-based access to a financial stipend
  • In-person gatherings: annual Regional Summits, quarterly local chapter meetups, annual Global Summit as “earned” opportunity
Q5 Are there any costs involved?

There are no costs to individual fellows. Participation in the program is fully funded by a donation from Mercedes-Benz. All fellows benefit, free of charge, from the beVisioneers training curriculum and from access to the beVisioneers online community. All expenses associated with travel to summits are covered.

Q6 Can I get funding for my project?

beVisioneers begins with a 12-month hybrid intensive program, a blend of weekly on-demand and live classes in which fellows build knowledge and learn by DOing. The program is structured around three labs. Grants will be awarded to the projects that demonstrate the highest potential for environmental impact. Whether or not you receive a grant, you will learn the DO Method for taking your idea from project phase to launch and beyond.

Q7 Is financial support available?

beVisioneers is committed to ensuring an accessible and financially inclusive fellowship experience. Active engagement in the fellowship program requires reliable and consistent access to a computer and the internet, as well as sufficient time for learning and project development. For this reason, beVisioneers offers two types of stipend (see below) to help fellows with specific needs overcome logistical and/or financial barriers that may prevent their full participation. Both stipends are available only for the initial, 12-month intensive learning program, and every candidate invited for a fellowship interview is welcome to apply for these stipends on a needs-blind basis.

  1. Stipend I: Monthly income replacement  For fellows whose current income would be compromised by the fellowship’s required time commitment, beVisioneers offers a basic monthly stipend to help replace lost earnings. 
  2. Stipend II: Technology and infrastructure  For fellows lacking an adequate technology set-up, beVisoneers offers one-time funds to purchase a laptop designated for fellowship purposes and/or  a stipend to cover the monthly costs of home-based internet.
Q8 Where does the program take place?

The fellowship is a hybrid experience, with most content and training over the initial 12-month learning period delivered in live online sessions and through access to on-demand content. During this period, fellows also attend quarterly local meet-ups (in person whenever possible) and a regional in-person summit. Based on their engagement and project achievements over the fellowship period, fellows may also be invited to participate in an in-person global summit.

Q9 What are the selection criteria?

Eligible fellows:

  • are between the ages of 16 and 28 at the time of applying 
  • reside in Denmark, Germany, Hungary, India, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden or the United Kingdom
  • show a strong dedication to positive environmental change 
  • demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit, including persistence, resilience and determination
  • show leadership in their communities
  • have an early-stage project or project idea for positive environmental impact in one or more of the target countries
  • may not work for, or have a parent or guardian who works for, Mercedes-Benz
Q10 Who owns the rights to possible inventions or products designed by fellows?

Fellows retain the exclusive rights to all intellectual property brought to and/or developed as part of the beVisioneers program.

Q11 How do I apply?

You may apply for a beVisioneers fellowship here until March 5, 2023. The application process consists of questions on topics such as your project or project idea, its impact, and your dedication to creating environmental change. The application should take about one hour to complete. You can save your application at any time and come back to it at a later point. Please note that you will need to upload an official proof of identity and record a motivation video of 90 seconds or less.

Q12 What is the timeline?

The key upcoming deadlines and time periods for beVisioneers are:

Application period: Jan. 10 – Mar. 5, 2023 
Selection period: March – May, 2023
Launch of the fellowship’s 12-month intensive program, year one: June, 2023

Read press releases, get updates, watch video and download images.

Ready to apply? ➲

Applying for a beVisioneers fellowship is easy. You can save your work in
progress and come back to it at any time. Here’s your checklist:

APPLY

Step 1

Register: You’ll receive an email from Dream ID to log in for the first time.

When you are registered, sign in with your email address.

Step 2

Fill in and submit your application.

Step 3

Record your motivation video:

Please read  this online motivation video process guide  before you record your motivation video.

Apply Now

Want to know more? Keep me updated

Over the past 10 years, The DO School has created some of today’s most ambitious fellowship programs for young impact entrepreneurs in partnership with UN agencies, companies and foundations. We are incredibly proud of the over 50,000 alumni in over 100 countries that have launched and scaled their initiatives through our programs.

“beVisioneers is an incredible new initiative of The DO School Fellowships gGmbH with great impact potential. We are proud to launch beVisioneers in an effort to empower young change-makers to develop and implement new solutions to benefit us all.”

– Katherin Kirschenmann,
Founder, The DO School

Advisory Board

Rhea Singhal

India
Founder
Ecoware

Sonia Medina

Spain
Executive Director, Climate
Children’s Investment Fund Foundation

Susannah Rodgers

United Kingdom
Founder
Susie Rodgers

Krithika Chandramouli

India
Co-Founder
KiRu

Bilha Ndirangu

South Africa
Co-Founder
Jacob’s ladder

Zuzanna Rudzinska-Bluszcz

Poland
Country Head
Client Earth

Ruchika Bhat

India
Co-Founder
KiRu

Nik Aaron Willim

Germany
Author
Grüne Tiger

Daniel Katz

Global
Founder
Rainforest Alliance

Shivi Dwivedi

India
Youth Engagement & Partnerships Lead
Climate Champions

Marlon Parker

South Africa
Founder
Reconstructed Living Labs

Michael Norton

United Kingdom
Founder
CIVA / Michael Norton

Rowan Spazzoli

South Africa
Founder
Accendio

Eric Levine

United Kingdom
Partner
Count us in

Krithi Karanth

India
Chief Conservation Scientist
Centre for Wildlife Studies

Tilmann Stolte

Denmark
CEO
Future Leaders Global

Priyanka Mandal

India
Co-Founder
Clan Earth

Sara Devenyi

Netherlands
Founder
Palanta

Partner Organizations

  • Association Biodiversa
  • Cherish Expeditions
  • Count Us In
  • Eswatini Climate Coalition
  • Green Schools Alliance
  • iamthecode 
  • Inkubator STARTER
  • India – Asian Environmental Youth Network
  • Kliptown Youth Program 
  • Leader’s Quest
  • Lightful
  • Nourishing Africa / African Food Change Makers
  • Opportunities for African
  • Red Española de Desarrollo Rural (redr) jóvenes
  • Seed Stars
  • Sustainability Institute
  • The Brain Builder
  • The DO
  • UK Youth Climate Coalition
  • UN Live
  • Why Waste?

Applications for our 2023 cohort are now closed.

We invite you to join the global community!

By signing up to our newsletter, you will be the first to know when applications re-open in Q4 2023 for our 2024 cohort. You will also stay up to date with our fellows success stories, receive educational content from beVisioneers and their partners, and discover other opportunities to get involved.