Did you know that you can receive funding from the EUIPO – European Union Intellectual Property Office to protect your intellectual property? Protecting your IP is essential to avoid having your innovations and products copied or used without permission.
The Ideas Powered for Business SME Fund 2023 provides financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in the European Union (EU) for the protection of their intellectual property (IP) rights. SMEs can apply for vouchers that will provide access to a partial refund of the fees paid.
The fund offers support in the following areas:
IP Scans:
- 90 % reimbursement for an IP pre-diagnostic service (IP Scan) provided by an EU national IP office. The service must be requested to the national IP office of the country in which the company is based, provided that this office offers the service under the SME Fund initiative. You can find more information on the IP Scan web page.
Trade marks and designs:
- 75 % reimbursement of EU trade mark and/or design application fees, additional class fees, and examination, registration, publication and deferment of publication fees.
- 75 % reimbursement of national or regional trade mark and/or design application fees, additional class fees, and examination, registration, publication and deferment of publication fees.
- 50 % reimbursement of trade mark and/or design basic application fees, designation fees, and subsequent designation fees outside the EU. Designation fees originating in EU countries are excluded, as are handling fees charged by the office of origin.
Patents:
- 75 % reimbursement of the fees for a ‘Prior Art Search Report’. The report, prior to a patent application, is performed worldwide and must be conducted by a national IP office of an EU Member State.
- 75 % reimbursement of patent pre-grant (filing, search and examination), grant, and publication fees for national protection in an EU Member State.
- 75 % reimbursement of filing and search fees for European patents filed at the European Patent Office (EPO). All other fees for a European patent are excluded.
Community Plant Variety:
- 50 % reimbursement of the online application fee for a community plant variety right (EU level).
The maximum reimbursable amount per SME is:
- EUR 1 350 for IP Scan related activities;
- EUR 1 000 for trade mark & design related activities;
- EUR 1 500 for patent related activities;
- EUR 225 for community plant variety online application.
For more information: https://euipo.europa.eu/ohimportal/en/help-sme-fund-2023
Need help applying? Join the webinar: https://euipo.europa.eu/knowledge/course/view.php?id=4982
