EUIPO ‘SME Fund’: grant promotes SME applications for IP rights
The EUIPO action ‘SME Fund’ supports applications for trademarks and designs by SMEs with a grant of 50% of the costs. The financial support program is designed for the year 2021 and is intended to promote IP protection rights for SMEs.
The ‘SME Fund’, a joint action of the European Commission and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), was created to support small and medium-sized enterprises in securing their property rights. This is because small and medium-sized enterprises account for 99% of all businesses in the EU. Yet only about 9% of SMEs have registered IP rights, i.e. applied for protective rights for trademarks, designs or patents.
More SME protection rights for trademarks, designs, patents
The financial support now offered with the EUIPO Action ‘SME Fund’ is intended to be a motivation and incentive for more applications in IP protection. The ‘SME Fund’ program was launched jointly by the European Commission and the European Trademark Office (EUIPO). It is aimed specifically at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and public research and can only be applied for by them.
It includes two funding offers:
- Grant for application costs for trademarks and designs:
The grant is given in the amount of 50% of the costs (with a max. limit). - Grant for IP consulting:
Funding is provided for a so-called initial IP audit. This includes an approx. two-hour orientation consultation on value creation and risk avoidance in dealing with intellectual property in companies.
The grant is awarded in the amount of 75% of the costs (with a maximum limit).
You can choose one of the two funding offers or both; in any case, the total amount for the grant is limited to a maximum of 1,500 euros per SME.
Who is an SME according to the EU definition?
Who is considered an SME according to the EU is clearly defined and is based on three factors: Number of employees, company category and either turnover or balance sheet total.
The EUR 20 million funding program will be made available in five fixed time windows in 2021. Only in the time windows is it possible to apply for the funding, the motto is “first come, first served“.
Here you can see the planned time windows of the ‘SME Fund’ campaign. Thus, an application for the SME grant is possible until September 30, 2021. Applications will be made available only in these time windows:
Sources:
SME grant “SME-Fonds”, Aktion des EUIPO
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