Intellectual property (“IP”) legal protection is the only way to avoid unauthorized use of your unique ideas, products or services. IP protection can cover many different assets: trademarks, designs, patents, corporate identity, products, services and processes. Therefore, the Ideas Powered for Business SME Fund already provided €20 million in grants to help EU-based SMEs protect their IP rights at national, regional and European level.

In 2023, a new simplified grant scheme for funding IP rights has started through the Small and Medium Enterprise Fund (“SME Fund”). Grants will come in vouchers form, with applications opening on 23 January 2023. 

Who can apply: All European enterprises, which qualify as small and medium (“SME”s1) .

What expenses can be reimbursed by EUIPO:

Voucher 1 scheme will reimburse up to 90% of the costs of services for the preliminary diagnosis of objects of intellectual property (the so called IP Scan) up to EUR1,350.

Voucher 2 scheme will cover trademark and industrial design registration at national, regional, European, and international level up to EUR1,000. The reimbursement rate will be 75% for trademarks and designs filed at national, regional, and European level and 50% for trademarks and designs filed at international level.

Deadline: Applications can be submitted starting January 23 and end on December 15, 2023. However, IP vouchers will be granted on the first come first served basis, so do not wait till the last moment.

More information regarding EUIPO can be found here

For more information, please contact Milanova and Partners Law Firm at office@milanova-law-firm.com