The aim of these articles is to keep our Clients and Associates updated about developments in the sector of Intellectual Property in general and our firm in particular. In this way, we wish to provide a broader view of the tools that the field of trade marks, domain names, patents, designs and related rights offers to entrepreneurs to enhance and protect their efforts in researching and developing new solutions and ideas.
SME Fund 2026: Update on Fund Availability
The 2026 edition of the EUIPO SME Fund is attracting greater interest than initially expected. As recently reported by the Italian Patent and Trademark Office (UIBM), voucher applications filed between 2 February and 20 April 2026 reached 22,040, representing a 37% increase compared to the same period in 2025. This figure confirms that intellectual property support schemes are increasingly perceived as strategic tools for enhancing the competitiveness of European businesses.
This significant rise in the number of voucher applications has already had an immediate impact: Voucher 1 (IP Scan and IP Scan Enforcement) and Voucher 2 (Trademarks and Designs) are currently exhausted and therefore closed, but may be reopened later, subject to the availability of any remaining budget. Companies interested in filing trademarks or designs with partial reimbursement of official fees should therefore closely monitor updates from the Office in the coming months.
The following vouchers, however, remain fully operational:
- Voucher 3 – Patents
- Voucher 4 – Community Plant Varieties
Although the budget currently available for these two categories appears sufficient to cover the entire duration of the scheme (i.e. until 4 December 2026), it would be prudent not to take this for granted. Businesses interested in obtaining reimbursement for patent-related activities or plant variety protection should therefore be advised to submit their applications as early as possible, thereby avoiding the risk of potential early closure due to budget exhaustion.
For readers seeking a more comprehensive overview of how the Fund operates and of the different vouchers available, please refer to our in-depth article published earlier this year: EUIPO SME Fund 2026 “Ideas Powered for Business”