We are pleased to inform you that the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) grant program – The Ideas Powered for Business SME Fund – for 2025 has been exhausted. We are currently awaiting the official announcement of the new program for 2026, which will take place in early 2026.
Below we present a summary of the completed edition and recommendations on actions worth taking now to successfully apply for funds in the coming year.
Program Status
The SME Fund operated on a limited pool of funds, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds were exhausted. Due to overwhelming interest from entrepreneurs, the funds were exhausted and the program was terminated.
In the last edition, entrepreneurs could apply for funding for:
- Voucher IP Scan – Initial Intellectual Property Diagnostics.
- Trademark and Design Voucher – Registration at national, regional, EU or international level.
- Patent voucher – Registration of national or European patents.
- Community plant variety voucher – Registration of new varieties in the EU.
Taking into account the amount of funding granted in previous years, it can be expected that each eligible person will be able to apply for funding in the amount of approximately EUR 700-1000.
Prospects for 2026 – why is it worth preparing?
Although the 2026 schedule has not yet been officially announced by the EUIPO, the cyclical nature of the program suggests its continuation. Timing is key to success in applying for a grant – funds in the new round will again be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Instead of waiting for the application period to open, we recommend preparing a protection strategy in advance. Registering intellectual property rights is crucial to preventing competitors from using your products or ideas without your permission.
Who will be able to benefit from the funding?
We expect the eligibility criteria to remain similar to previous years. EU-based entities that meet the definition of an SME will be eligible:
| Company Category | Number of employees | Annual turnover | Total assets |
| Medium-sized enterprise | <250 | ≤ 50 million EUR | ≤ 43 million EUR |
| Small enterprise | <50 | ≤ 10 million EUR | ≤ 10 million EUR |
| Microenterprise | <10 | ≤ 2 million EUR | ≤ 2 million EUR |
How can we help during this transition period?
Graś i Wspólnicy Law Firm, with experience in helping many entities obtain funding in previous editions, offers support in preparing for the upcoming 2026 call for proposals.
Our support includes:
Monitoring: Tracking EUIPO announcements and immediately reacting upon fund opening. egal.pl.
Needs Audit (Pre-IP Scan): Determining which activities are worth receiving funding for in the new edition.
Preparation of documentation: Completing the required documents (including account statement, VAT/NIP certificate) in order to submit the application as soon as possible after the recruitment is announced.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
The law is current as of December 16, 2025.
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