Receive up to EUR 1,500 for protection (marks/designs/patents) 2023

SME Fund 2023 is an initiative of the European Commission implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). This is a grant scheme set up to support the intellectual property rights of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Who can receive funding?
The project is aimed at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (all SMEs) based in the EU: The application may, among others: submitted by an authorized representative, e.g. a patent attorney.

SMEs that:

does not receive funding from other EU programs for the same activities.
conducts a business activity within the EU, regardless of its legal form (including in particular self-employed persons and family businesses engaged in crafts or other activities, as well as companies or associations conducting regular economic activities):
micro enterprise: less than 10 employees / annual turnover less than EUR 2 million / total assets less than EUR 2 million
small enterprise: less than 50 employees / annual turnover less than EUR 10 million / total assets less than EUR 10 million
micro enterprise: less than 250 employees / annual turnover less than EUR 50 million / total assets less than EUR 43 million
is not in specific situations of exclusion (e.g. applicants in bankruptcy or liquidation, applicants who have committed serious professional misconduct, etc.)
is able to maintain its activities throughout the duration of the grant in order to carry out eligible activities

What activities will be reimbursed through the SME Fund?

The refund will take the form of intellectual property vouchers that will co-finance two types of activities:

actions related to the protection of trademarks and industrial designs in the EU and beyond: EUR 1,000
patent-related activities: 1,500 euros

Funding value and purpose:
The maximum value of funding is:

75% refund of eligible fees for regional or national trade marks and industrial designs or EU trade marks and registered Community designs or European patents
50% refund of eligible trademark and design fees outside the European Union

The maximum amount recoverable per SME is:
EUR 1,000 for activities related to filing a trademark/industrial design and EUR 1,500 for activities related to patents.

Application deadline: January 23, 2023 to December 8, 2023 (If funds are exhausted, applications will be closed before the indicated date)

The process must look like this: at the beginning, you submit an appropriate application for a voucher > when you receive it – you register and pay official costs > then you submit your voucher and ask for a refund.