Attention: 2024 SMEs Fund now open!
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Commission have recently launched the 2024 edition of the Ideas Powered for Business SME Fund. The SME Fund 2024 provides EU-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the opportunity to request a partial reimbursement of costs related to their intellectual property rights. Grants for 2024 are now available and can be applied for until 6 December 2024 or until the funds are exhausted. Reimbursements can be obtained via vouchers, of which there are four types.
Voucher 1 can be used in connection with IP scans and IP scan enforcement.
IP scans can be used for an IP pre-diagnostic service provided by an EU national IP office to identify your potential intellectual properties and teach you how to incorporate an IP strategy into your company’s business plan. Unfortunately, IP scans are not offered in all EU Member States under the SME Fund, but alternatives are sometimes available. In Belgium, for example, an alternative pre-diagnostic intellectual property analysis is available.
Besides IP scans, voucher 1 also applies to IP scan enforcement, which addresses existing or potential conflicts related to IP rights infringement.
Voucher 1 reimburses 90% of the costs of an IP scan or IP scan enforcement, up to a maximum amount of EUR 1 350.
Voucher 2 reimburses costs associated with trademarks and designs.
A refund of these costs can be requested for the following activities, with a maximum reimbursable amount of EUR 1 000:
75% reimbursement of EU trademark and/or Community design application fees, additional class fees, and examination, registration, publication, and deferment of publication fees.
75% reimbursement of national or regional trademark and/or design application fees, additional class fees, and examination, registration, publication, and deferment of publication fees.
50% reimbursement of international trademark (Madrid) and/or design (The Hague) basic application fees, designation fees, and subsequent designation fees including EU countries. Handling fees charged by the office of origin are excluded.
Voucher 3 can reimburse costs associated with patent applications. SMEs can receive a 75% reimbursement of the official fees related to filing, search, publication and grant of a national patent application or of costs of prior art searches provided by IP offices at the national level. On top of this, 75% of the filing and search fees for European patent applications can be reimbursed as well. The maximum reimbursable amount for both national and European patent applications is EUR 1 500. New in 2024 is that voucher 3 can also be used to reimburse 50% of the costs for drafting and filing European patent applications, up to a maximum amount of EUR 2 000, if it is done by a qualified European patent attorney.
Voucher 4 can be used to partially reimburse Community Plant Variety Protection costs. In particular, the online application fees for a community plant variety right (EU level) as well as the examination fees can be reimbursed for 75% (instead of 50% in 2023), with a maximum amount of EUR 1 500.
It is further important to note that an SME can only be awarded each type of voucher once. An awarded voucher is valid for two months (extendible by two months on request) and only reimburses costs incurred after the voucher is awarded.
More details are available on our website for the SME Fund 2024 (see here). For more information contact our experts at info@dcp-ip.com.
