beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship does not pay university fees. Mercedes-Benz funds it, and The DO School Fellowships, a Hamburg-based education organisation, runs it as a two-year, part-time programme for young people building projects that help the environment. South Africa is one of the countries where beVisioneers recruits, and applications for the fellowship year starting in 2027 are open now. The deadline is 31 January 2027 at 23:59:59 Central European Time, which is 00:59 on 1 February in South Africa, so submit on 31 January at the latest.
If you need money for tuition, a fellowship like this will not cover it; look at our general bursaries for study funding. If you already have an environmental idea or a working prototype, read on.
The five beVisioneers eligibility rules
- Age: 18 to 28 on 31 January 2027. If you turn 29 on or before that date, or are still 17, you cannot apply.
- Residence: you live in South Africa (or another eligible country), stay there for more than nine months of each fellowship year and run your project there.
- English: beVisioneers runs everything in English and judges your level from your written answers and video.
- A planet-positive project: its main purpose must be to regenerate nature, reduce environmental harm or build resilience to it. Environmental benefit as a side effect does not count.
- No Mercedes-Benz link: you may not work for Mercedes-Benz, and neither may a parent or guardian.
beVisioneers says it is mainly looking for founders who already have a prototype or a product that is ready but not yet earning money. Idea-stage applicants can still apply, but beVisioneers holds them to a higher bar: show research, early conversations with users or a rough test. Projects that already pay for themselves are not accepted. Your project should fall into one of seven impact zones, which include clean energy, water, biodiversity, sustainable farming and food, circular materials and waste, low-carbon transport, and green construction.
Two years, 24 hours a month
Year one, the Foundation Year, starts in June 2027 and runs online alongside work or university, with a minimum of 24 hours a month on your project. Fellows get online innovation modules, a venture coach, a one-on-one mentor, quarterly Local Hub meet-ups and a regional summit, with milestones to hit through the year. Strong fellows may be invited to a global summit. Year two, the Acceleration Year, adds scaling mentors and workshops for fellows whose projects keep progressing.
Where the Mercedes-Benz money goes
- No fees: Mercedes-Benz donations pay for the programme, and travel and accommodation for regional and global summits are covered.
- A Cost-of-Living Stipend based on 24 hours a month at the German minimum wage, adjusted for South African prices. Fellows from economically disadvantaged backgrounds get it from day one; others unlock it after two project milestones.
- An Online Access Stipend for disadvantaged fellows, covering a year of Wi-Fi and a mid-range laptop or other equipment, with receipts required.
- Project scholarships after the first year for the projects with the most environmental potential. The application portal says up to €15,000; beVisioneers’ FAQ gives a range of €2,000 to €20,000.
You keep full rights to anything you invent during the fellowship.
From written application to June launch
- Register on the beVisioneers application portal. A Dream ID email gives you your login.
- Complete the written questions and record a short video, about 30 to 45 minutes in total. Ask for financial support in the same step if you need it. You can save and return later.
- In March 2027 beVisioneers invites shortlisted applicants to a 15-minute online activity.
- Selection happens in April 2027, and the fellowship begins in June 2027.
beVisioneers selects people one by one, so every member of a project team must apply separately, and one acceptance does not carry the others. Full rules sit in the beVisioneers fellowship FAQ. South Africans who want a programme that pairs funding with entrepreneurship while they study can also compare the Allan Gray Orbis Fellowship.
Can I apply to beVisioneers while I am at university?
Yes. beVisioneers designed the fellowship to fit around work or study, with a minimum of 24 hours a month on your project. It does not pay your fees, so you would still need a separate bursary or NSFAS for tuition.
I dropped out of an earlier cohort. Can I reapply?
If you left for medical or other non-disciplinary reasons and still meet the age rule, you may reapply, but beVisioneers will not pay you stipends a second time. Fellows removed for disciplinary reasons cannot reapply.