Ideas powered for business SME Fund
What is the SME fund?
The SME fund is an initiative by the EUIPO to give financial support to European small and medium sized businesses in helping them with the government/EUIPO fees with trademark and design applications.
How can apply?
In order to qualify, you need to have a company registered in the EU, and you need to fullfil the official EU requirement of an SME (less than 250 employees, annual turnover less than 50 million EUR, annual balance sheet total less than 43 million EUR).
What is the funding for?
The funding can be used to pay the government application fees or the EUIPO fees of trademarks and designs. For EU and national applications in the EU (whether trademark or design) you can get 75% reimbursement of government/EUIPO fees. It can also be used to get 50% of international trademark and design registration made through World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
How much is the funding?
The maximum amount that can be reimbursed is 1500 EUR per SME, covering 75% of the government and EUIPO fees. The EUIPO fee for an EU trademark application in 3 classes is 1050 EUR. The reimbursement (75%) for that is 787,5 EUR, so the applicant has to pay only 262,5 EUR in the end.
When is the reimbursement paid?
The reimbursement is given after the application has been filed. The applicant has to pay the government/EUIPO fee in full and will be reimbursed later. The applicant must submit a form to request reimbursement. It will be paid within 30 days after the request is made.
What is required to apply?
To apply for the funding, you will to submit your bank statement showing the company name as the account holder, full IBAN number with country code, and BIC/SWIFT code. You will also have to submit your company’s VAT certificate or national registration number certificant, issued by the compentent national authority.
Can a representative apply for the fund?
Yes. We regularly apply for funding on behalf of our clients. They need to simply email us the required documents, and we take care of the rest.
What’s next?
Book a time for a free meeting with a trademark professional to discuss more.