The EUIPO's SME Fund reimburses small and medium-sized enterprises for part of their IP costs. The vouchers for trade marks, designs and IP Scan have run out for 2026. For patents, the voucher can still be applied for.
What is covered
National patents and searches: up to EUR 1,000. Reimbursement covers 75 per cent of filing, search and examination fees. For a German application filed electronically together with a search request, this amounts to EUR 255, or around EUR 370 where the examination request is filed in good time.
European patents: up to EUR 2,500. Reimbursement covers 75 per cent of the EPO filing and search fees, plus 50 per cent of the attorney costs for drafting and filing the application, up to EUR 1,500. In practice, this voucher is regularly used in full.
The application itself is quickly done
Unlike conventional funding schemes, neither a project proposal nor any explanation of the invention is required. The online form only calls for a VAT certificate and a bank statement of the company; the grant decision takes no more than 15 working days. Reimbursement is paid directly into the company's bank account, with the EUIPO transferring payment within 30 days. An authorised representative may also file the application.
The order of steps is what matters: apply first, file second. Services commissioned before the grant decision has been notified are not eligible for reimbursement. Once notified, there is one month to activate the voucher, extendable by a further month.
Apply now
Funds are allocated until the budget is exhausted. The formal deadline is 4 December 2026 – for trade marks and designs it was reached considerably earlier in practice. Anyone still planning a German or European patent application this year should therefore apply to the EUIPO promptly.