Ir para Conteúdo principal

SME Fund

SME Fund 2025

Applications for the SME Fund run from February 3 to December 5, 2025

Inpi / SME Fund / SME Fund 2025

Why should SMEs apply for this support?

The protection of intangible assets (inventions, commercial signs, or design) through industrial property rights is essential for the competitiveness, innovation, and economic growth of the Portuguese business fabric.

The main goal of this European Commission measure - implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) - is to allow a faster recovery of the EU economy and improve SMEs’ resilience.

This financial support enables SMEs to recognise Industrial Property as an investment, instead of a cost. It allows companies to generate revenue from these assets and to protect themselves from future infringements of their patents, trademarks, or designs. 

Period for applications:
Applications for the SME Fund from February 3 to December 5, 2025
 

Grant Amounts:

Voucher 1 - Covers eligible costs for IP Scan and IP Scan Enforcement services, with reimbursement up to 810€ in Portugal (in other EU Member States, the reimbursement can go up to 1.350€.

Voucher 2 - Covers eligible costs for national, regional, European, and international trademarks and designs, up to a maximum amount of 700€.

Voucher 3 - Covers eligible costs for national patent applications up to 1.000€, and European patent applications up to 1.000€, as well as costs associated with drafting and filing European patent applications with the EPO, up to a maximum amount of 1.500€. (Temporarily unavailable for new orders)

Voucher 4 - Covers eligible costs for application and examination fees of plant varieties protected under the EU system, up to a maximum amount of 1.500€. (Temporarily unavailable for new orders)


How does this support work?
This is a grant scheme that enables SMEs to have a partial reimbursement of the expenses incurred with applications with applications for Industrial Property (IP) pre-diagnostic service (IP Scan)/IP Scan Enforcement, trade marks, design, patents and plant varieties. In practice, once the application is accepted, the applicant will be issued vouchers that can be later activated and have a partial refund of the fees related to the selected modalities.

Fonte: EUIPO

 

 

Voucher 1 – The voucher is valid for 6 months from the date the SME receive the grant award.

Vouchers 2/3/4 – The vouchers are valid for 1 month from the receipt of the grant award and the time limits for activating can be extended by an additional month.

 

SME Fund 2025

The 2025 edition runs from Febuary 3 to December 5.

Apply now

 

VOUCHER 1
 

IP Scan 

 

This service aims to advise SMEs on the potential of IP to develop their businesses, identifying the types of IP assets that may be valuable and should be protected. They also aim to identify any IP that is already protected and that could be further exploited to gain additional benefits to support the growth of their business.

  • Refund of 90% of the service costs;
  • Services provided by experts in the field of Industrial Property designated by the INPI.

IP Scan – Enforcement 

 

To provide SMEs with a reimbursable consultancy service and report on intellectual property (IP) enforcement-related matters where a conflict with another party already exists or there is a high risk of conflict.

VOUCHER 2 
 

Applications for registration of national, regional, and EU trademarks and designs​​

The eligible Industrial Property rights are trademarks and designs filed at the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property (INPI PT) and the EUIPO, including the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP).

  • Refund of 75% of the fees
  • Includes application, class, examination, registration, publication, and postponing publication fees
  • Logotype registration is included since it is covered under the Portuguese law

International applications for registration of trademarks and designs administered by WIPO

 

To support the growth of EU SMEs on a more international scale, eligible rates include international trademarks and designs using the systems administered by WIPO.

  • Refund of 50% of the fees
  • The fees subject to reimbursement are those charged for applications (including basic fees, designation fees and subsequent designation fees) under the international trade mark system (Madrid System) and the international design system (The Hague System)
  • Designation fees for an international trade mark and/or design are eligible, including EU Member States and/or EUIPO

VOUCHER 3

 

National and European Patents

(Temporarily unavailable for new orders)

 

  • Reimbursement of 75% of the fees.
    • Includes fees for national patents applications
    • Includes application and search fees for European Patents.
  • Reimbursement of 50% of the costs for the drafting and filing of a new European patent application. The costs for services related to the drafting and filing of new European patent applications are eligible if provided by persons or entities established in the EU and who are entitled to represent applicants in proceedings before the EPO in accordance with the European Patent Convention (EPC)

VOUCHER 4

Plant varieties (EU)

(Temporarily unavailable for new orders)

  • Reimbursement of 75% of the fee
  • Includes online filing and examination fees charged by the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO)

Services

Ideas Powered for Business

      Learn more about the EUIPO information portal
      dedicated to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

     Online Tool for IP Portfolio Evaluation
     (Complete the questionnaire in approximately 20 minutes)
     This does not replace the IP Scan service conducted by an IP expert.