Grants for trademarks, designs, and patents: the Ideas powered for business Fund

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has published the 2022 call for grants from the Ideas powered for business SME FUND. The initiative was launched in 2021 through a joint effort by the EUIPO, the European Commission, and the national IP offices of the EU in response to the challenges faced by European SMEs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beneficiaries

The grants are aimed at businesses that meet the EU definition of an SME. The main indicators are:

• 250 employees or fewer.
• Turnover equal to or less than €50 million.
• Balance sheet total equal to or less than €43 million.

Benefits

Each SME may apply for a grant of up to €2,250, but certain limits apply:

• 90% reimbursement of preliminary intellectual property diagnostic services (IP Scan).

• 75% reimbursement of trademark and design fees at the EU level: You can apply for a 75% reimbursement of trademark and design application fees, fees for additional classes, and examination, registration, publication, and deferment of publication fees at the EU level. Registration for this type of protection must be made through the EUIPO.

• 75% reimbursement of trademark and design fees at the national and regional levels. You can apply for a 75% reimbursement of trademark and design application fees, fees for additional classes, and examination, registration, publication, and deferment of publication fees at the national and regional levels. Registration for this type of protection must be made directly through a national IP office or the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (for regional protection covering Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg).

• 50% reimbursement of trademark and design fees outside the EU. You can apply for a 50% reimbursement of basic trademark and design application fees, designation fees, and subsequent designation fees outside the EU. Designation fees for EU countries are excluded, as are the handling fees charged by the office of origin. The application for this type of protection must be filed through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

• 50% reimbursement of patent fees at the national level. You can apply for a 50% reimbursement of pre-grant patent fees (e.g., filing, search, and examination), grant fees, and publication fees at the national level. Registration for this type of protection must be made directly through a national IP office or the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (for regional protection covering Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg).

What is the process?

The vouchers are not retroactive; that is, they must be applied for before the corresponding procedures are carried out at the industrial and intellectual property office:

1. Apply for the grant

2. The Office assesses the application and gives notice of its assessment.

3. If the grant is awarded, apply for registration of the trademark(s) and/or design(s) and/or file the patent application. At least one of them must have been applied for within four months of the notice of approval (extendable to six). If that requirement is met, the applicant has 12 months from the notice to file the patent application

4. Apply for reimbursement of the amount of the voucher obtained

Application period

The call will remain open from January 10 to December 16, 2022.

If the budget is exhausted, the call will be closed.

Compatibility with the grants of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (Oficina Española de Patentes y Marcas, OEPM)

These grants are compatible with the grants that the OEPM announces each year, which, unlike those of the Ideas powered for business Fund, are awarded retrospectively, that is, once the procedures have been completed.

More information

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has prepared guidance for applicants, which can be consulted by clicking here.

The website with the official information can also be accessed by clicking here.

Any specific questions related to this call should be addressed to the EUIPO Information Center.