SMEs

IPA4SME offers SMEs that have been awarded the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Seal of Excellence a unique opportunity to acquire IP valorisation and protection by co-financing a range of IP-related services, worth up to EUR 15 000.

These services include free IP pre-diagnostics, where a verified IP expert provides the companies with a customised report on their IP business strategy and advises on how to exploit their assets efficiently and securely. Beneficiaries can also have their IP protection costs reimbursed, particularly IP attorney and European patent application fees.

The IPA4SME call that supports and facilitates the use of Intellectual Property by SMEs has been re-opened on 8 July 2019, given the overwhelming response to the first cut-off date of the IPA4SME Action, and the initially allocated budget not being sufficient to provide support to all of the services requested by the applicants. For this reason, new Rules for Implementation are being defined in order to increase budget flexibility in the future.

We encourage eligible applicants to apply as soon as possible. Parties that have submitted an application to the first cut-off date will have the option to resubmit their previous application. The new cut-off date is Thursday 26 September 2019.

The IPA4SME campaign has been launched and is looking for SMEs in need of assistance with their Intellectual Property (IP) valorisation. IPA4SME (“Boosting the use of IP with an action specifically designed for Innovative SMEs”) is a unique business opportunity for SMEs to acquire IP Valorisation and Protection, through a variety related services.

The beneficiaries of these Intellectual Property services are SMEs that have been awarded the Seal of Excellence from the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument, and they can apply for the following:

• Free IP Pre-diagnostics: a customised report by a verified IP Expert on your business strategy related to IP with recommendations on achieving a secure and efficient exploitation of your assets. The service is available to SMEs registered in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.
• Financial reimbursement of IP protection costs, specifically eligible costs of qualified IP attorney and European patent application fees, for all EU and COSME countries.