Deadline: February 2, 2025
Applications are now open for the Bank of Montreal (BMO) Fellowship 2025, a fully-funded program designed to empower diverse, promising entrepreneurs and leaders in environmental sustainability. The BMO Fellowship offers top-tier training in entrepreneurship, sustainability, and leadership, aimed at fostering ventures that tackle critical environmental challenges in communities. This program supports entrepreneurs from historically underserved communities with lived experience in the issues they aim to solve.
Powered by Watson Institute, the BMO Fellowship provides a detailed roadmap to help you grow and scale your venture. Participants will enhance their skills, build a compelling pitch, and have the chance to present at the prestigious Summit event. Fellows will also have the opportunity to lead a community workshop or training session (Basecamp), supported by a stipend, resources, and team guidance.
Fellowship Benefits:
- Eligible participants may receive a venture development stipend of up to $6,000 based on their active engagement in the program, leading a Basecamp, and completing workshop assignments.
- All Fellows are also eligible for a $1,000 stipend to support the implementation of their Basecamp initiative.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Entrepreneurship & Leadership: Applicants must be BIPOC, women, or Indigenous entrepreneurs or community leaders with a strong commitment to creating scalable, sustainable impact. Ideally, your venture focuses on environmental sustainability.
- Stage of Development: This Fellowship is designed for entrepreneurs in the “missing middle” stage—those who have moved beyond prototyping and need support to scale their ventures. You should have a track record of community impact, revenue generation, and measurable outcomes, with your venture positioned at the Problem-Solution Fit or Product-Market Fit stage.
- Commitment: Fellows must commit to the 16-week program, including a 2-week virtual immersive. Preference will be given to applicants ready to fully engage in the program and contribute to the collaborative learning environment.
- Location Preference: Although BMO operates across North America, preference is given to applicants from Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico.
- Expert Training & Mentorship: The Fellowship seeks applicants eager to access expert-guided entrepreneurial training, join a supportive feedback-driven community, and leverage a broad mentor network to enhance leadership skills.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicants must be 18 years or older.
- Ventures must have demonstrated impact in their communities, with clear engagement from customers and measurable success in both social impact and revenue generation.
How to Apply:
To apply, complete the online application, which should take around 45 minutes. The priority deadline is February 2, 2025, but applications will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis until all spots are filled.
