Author: Štěpán Štarha, Petra Kováčechová

In 2025, as last year, SMEs will be able to receive financial assistance from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The grant provides the opportunity to protect your brand, designs or innovations with financial support from the EUIPO of up to EUR 6,420.

Small and medium-sized enterprises have the possibility to apply for a grant to fund the costs associated with the registration of:

• trade marks;
• designs;
• patents; and
• plant varieties.

The EUIPO also offers the possibility of financial support for IP Scan services aimed at diagnosing an enterprise’s intellectual property.

Please note that grant funds are limited and operate on a “first come, first serve” basis until they are exhausted. We therefore recommend that you apply for a grant as soon as possible.

Who can apply for a grant?

All SMEs established in the European Union with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than EUR 50 million are eligible to apply for grant support.

What is the grant amount?

The grant amount varies according to the type of protection as follows[1]:

1. for the IP Scan service performed by an expert assigned by a national office (with the possibility of choosing an expert), up to a maximum of EUR 720;
2. for a trade mark or design application at national, regional and/or EU level, up to a maximum of EUR 700;
3. for a national or European patent application, up to a maximum of EUR 3,500 in total;
4. for the registration of plant varieties for their protection in the EU, up to a maximum of EUR 1,500.

The maximum amount of costs that can be reimbursed under the EUIPO grant is:

1. 90% of the fees for:
   
   (i) IP Scan and IP Scan Enforcement services;
   
2. 75% of the fees for:
   
   (i) a (national, regional and European) trade mark or design application, including additional fees for additional classes for trade marks and designs;
   
   (ii) a European or national patent application;
   
   (iii) online application for Community plant variety rights (EU level); and
   
3. 50% of the fees for:
   
   (i) an international trade mark or design application;
   
   (ii) drafting and filing a European patent through a legal representative for a maximum amount of EUR 1,500.
   

Submitting applications and using a grant voucher

Grant applications can be submitted from 3 February 2025. If the applicant meets the grant conditions and there are still funds available, the EUIPO will issue a voucher and the applicant can apply for the relevant services, e.g. file a trade mark application.

Please note that individual services can only be applied for once the grant application has been approved and then within 2 months of approval, with the possibility of extending by additional 2 months. Thus, the grant cannot be used for costs incurred for a trade mark or design application filed before the grant application is approved.

After filing a trade mark, design or patent application and paying the relevant administrative fee, the voucher holder may apply for reimbursement of the costs.

A few words in conclusion…

The EUIPO grant scheme is an interesting opportunity for SMEs to strengthen the protection of their intellectual property rights. SMEs can benefit from the EUIPO’s support, for example, when extending their portfolio, expanding abroad or planning a rebranding.

Intellectual property law is one of the core areas of practice of our firm. According to THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR, we were the largest intellectual property law firm in Slovakia for the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. At the same time, we are very pleased that our female colleagues have played a major role in these successes. We are one of the few law firms to have a predominantly female IP/IT team, something we are extremely proud of.

If you decide to use the EUIPO grant, please feel free to contact us. We will be more than happy to assist you with its application.

[1] Amounts are subject to change.