SME Fund – Financial support for IP protection across the EU

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has announced the return of its flagship Ideas Powered for Business SME Fund, which opened on 2 February 2026. The programme, run in collaboration with the European Commission, is designed to help small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) protect their IP by providing vouchers that reimburse part of their IP-related costs.

With a total budget of €60 million, the scheme represents a significant investment in supporting business innovation for SMEs established in EU member states.

Patents

For SMEs seeking to protect technological innovation, the Fund will cover a portion of national and European patent costs. This includes reimbursement of official fees, novelty searches, and certain legal services, with funding of:

• up to 1000 EUR for national patent filings and prior art searches
• up to 2500 EUR towards costs associated with filing applications at the European Patent Office (EPO).

Trade Marks and Designs

Funding is also available for EU, regional and national trade mark and design filings, with SMEs able to claim up to 700 EUR towards eligible costs.

Plant Variety Rights

The agricultural sector is also supported by the fund through reimbursement of up to 1500 EUR for Community Plant Variety Rights applications.

Eligibility

The SME Fund is available to SMEs established within the European Union, based on the European Commission’s definition (fewer than 250 employees and turnover ≤ €50 million or balance sheet ≤ €43 million). Following the departure of the UK from the EU, UK-based SMEs are not eligible.

Application requirements and process

Applicants can apply online via the EUIPO website. Once approved, SMEs can proceed with filings and request reimbursement from the EUIPO.

There is expected to be high demand and so it is advisable to apply early once the Scheme opens.

The application page for the scheme can be found here: SME Fund 2026 – EUIPO