Steps to benefit from the SME Fund
1
Apply for the grant
Once you’ve decided which type of voucher(s) best suits your business needs, create an SME Fund account, log in and submit your application. Please refer to the FAQs for more information.
Before filling out the application form, make sure you have the required VAT certificate, company bank statement and, if you are a representative, the signed SME declaration.
2
Receive your grant award and vouchers
Once your application has been approved, you will receive your grant award and your vouchers. This can take up to 15 working days.
Vouchers must be activated before they expire. To activate a voucher, fill out and submit the request for reimbursement form before the expiry date.
You must activate the vouchers within the following time limits from the date you receive the grant award:
- IP Scan & IP Scan Enforcement (Voucher 1): 6 months
- Trade marks and Designs (Voucher 2): 1 month*
- Patents (Voucher 3): 1 month*
- Community plant varieties (Voucher 4): 1 month*
*You can extend the time limits for activating Voucher 2, Voucher 3 and Voucher 4 by an additional month.
3
Request and pay for IP services
In order to receive reimbursement for the IP services you’ve requested, you need to apply for the reimbursement after you’ve paid for the requested services using the form available in your SME Fund account.
4
Get reimbursed
After you’ve requested and paid for your IP services, fill out and submit the reimbursement form. This will activate your voucher.
Payment from the EUIPO will be sent within 1 month.
5
Implementation period
Activation of your voucher initiates an ‘implementation period’ during which you can request further IP services that can also be reimbursed, as long as they are within the scope of your voucher(s). This ‘implementation’ period lasts
- 6 months for trade marks and design vouchers
- 6 months for patent vouchers
- 6 months for community plant varieties vouchers
There is no ‘implementation period’ for the IP Scans vouchers, as these vouchers will be fully consumed after the first reimbursement is requested.
