EUIPO launches 2026 SME Fund

On 2 February 2026, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) launched the 2026 edition of its SME Fund. The SME Fund is a European Commission initiative that provides EU-based small and medium-sized enterprises with funding for eligible IP services.

Any EU-based company that meets the EU definition of a SME, that is, it has fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than €50 million or a balance sheet of less than €43 million, will be eligible for the fund.

The eligible IP services covered by the fund include up to €2,500 for European patent application drafting and filing, and up to €700 for filing EU or international trade marks and designs. Other services covered include IP Scan services provided by certain national patent offices, including the German patent office, and plant variety protection.

The same company can secure funding for each category of activity separately, meaning companies can receive in excess of €7,000 of funding through the fund, and this applies even if the company has benefitted from the fund in previous years.

The funding is provided in the form of vouchers that must be applied for and reimbursed in accordance with the following process:

1. Apply for the grant
2. Application is approved and voucher received
3. Proceed with the IP activity and pay for the services
4. Obtain reimbursement by activating the voucher

Importantly, the vouchers cannot be applied retroactively to costs incurred before the application was approved. The vouchers must also be redeemed within a specified activation period, which can be as little as one month (extendable to two months) from issue for patent, trade mark and designs services. We therefore recommend that you consult with an IP professional and establish your IP strategy before applying for the vouchers to ensure that activities are completed before expiry of the vouchers.

Further information on the 2026 SME fund can be found on the EUIPO website here. If you would like a free consultation to discuss the IP needs for your SME with one of our attorneys, please contact us at gje@gje.com.