Call for SME Fund 2024

The “Ideas Powered for business” SME Fund is a grant program designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the EU protect their industrial or intellectual property (IP) rights.

Protecting your IP is a necessity in the digital age. It is a legal way to prevent your unique ideas, products or services from being copied or used without permission. The protection of industrial or intellectual property through the SME Fund can cover many different assets, such as trademarks, designs, patents and plant varieties.

Who can benefit?

The SME Fund offers financial support to SMEs established in the European Union. The request can be submitted by an owner, an employee, or an authorized third-party representative acting on his or her behalf. The grants are awarded to the SME and the reimbursement is always transferred directly to the SME's bank account.

How can the SME Fund help my company?

The SME Fund provides financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in the European Union (EU) for the protection of their industrial property (IP) rights. SMEs can apply for vouchers that will allow them to access a partial refund of the fees paid. The Fund offers the following:

For IP Scan Enforcement service:

90% refund for IP Scan Enforcement service provided by an EU national IP office. The service must be requested from the national IP office of the country in which the company is based, provided that this office offers such service under the SME Fund initiative. More information can be found on the IP Scan Enforcement service website.

For brands and designs or models:

Refund of 75% of EU trademark and design application fees, fees for additional classes and fees for examination, registration, publication and deferral of publication.

Refund of 75% of application fees for national or regional trademarks and designs, fees for additional classes and fees for examination, registration, publication and postponement of publication.

Refund of 50% of basic trademark and design application fees, designation fees and subsequent designation fees outside the EU. Designation fees from EU countries are included in the SME Fund 2024 scheme. Processing fees charged by the home office are excluded.

Patents:

Refund of 75% of the fees for a “prior art search report”. The report, prior to applying for a patent, covers the entire world and must be carried out or coordinated by a national IP office of an EU Member State or the Visegrad Patent Institute. Please contact your national IP office to find out what procedures apply in your country.

Refund of 75% of fees for patent pre-grant (filing, search and examination), granting and publication of national protection in an EU Member State.

Refund of 75% of filing and search fees for European patents filed at the European Patent Office (EPO). All other fees corresponding to a European patent are excluded.

Reimbursement of 50% of legal costs arising from the drafting and filing of European patent applications, for a maximum amount of EUR 2,000.

In the case of a community plant variety protection right:

Refund of 75% of online application and examination fees for Community Plant Variety Protection (EU level).

The maximum reimbursable amount per SME is:

EUR 1,350 for activities related to the IP Scan service (the amount varies depending on the country);

EUR 1,000 for activities related to trademarks, designs and models;

€3,500 for patent-related activities;

1,500 EUR for activities related to the community protection of plant varieties.

Calendar and rules

The call for proposals will be opened according to the following provisional calendar:

Application submission period: from 01/22/2024 to 12/06/2024
Evaluation of applications submitted during the period: weekly deadline: every Friday
Evaluation and notification period: Ten business days from the limit

More information at EUIPO