SME Fund 2026: SMEs receive up to €2,500 for patents, applications until 4 December

Romanian SMEs can still apply until 4 December 2026 for vouchers from the EU's SME Fund 2026 ("Ideas Powered for Business"). The money is available to protect inventions by patent, to register plant varieties and, through voucher 5, for craft and industrial geographical indications (maximum €2,000). A voucher for a European patent is worth up to €2,500, and one for a plant variety up to €1,500. Vouchers for the intellectual property analysis (IP Scan), trade marks and designs can no longer be requested, and the fund may close before the deadline if the money runs out.

In brief

• Programme: SME Fund 2026 – Ideas Powered for Business, a European Commission initiative
• Authority: European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)
• Beneficiaries: SMEs based in an EU Member State or in Ukraine
• Value per project / intensity: national patent – up to €1,000; European patent – up to €2,500; plant variety – 75% of fees, maximum €1,500
• Submission period: 2 February – 4 December 2026, while funds remain
• Status: open for voucher 3 (patents), voucher 4 (plant varieties) and voucher 5 (geographical indications, maximum €2,000); vouchers 1 and 2 are no longer available

What do the remaining vouchers cover?

Voucher 3 – patents. According to OSIM, the voucher covers the registration of national patents, including the prior-art search, up to €1,000, and of European patents, including legal costs, up to €2,500. The German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) details the reimbursement: 75% of the application fees for the national or European patent, maximum €1,000, and 50% of the legal costs for drafting and filing the European patent application, maximum €1,500.

Voucher 4 – plant varieties. The voucher is intended for breeders applying for Community protection for a plant variety from the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO). It reimburses 75% of the online filing fee (€450) and of the technical examination fee, with a cap of €1,500 for each SME.

Overall, OSIM states that reimbursement covers between 50% and 90% of costs, depending on the type of activity, and cannot exceed the value of the voucher.

Who can apply?

SMEs based in an EU Member State or in Ukraine may apply. Under the European definition cited by DPMA, an SME is an independent enterprise with no more than 250 employees and a turnover of no more than 50 million euro (or a balance sheet that meets the equivalent ceiling).

Companies that received vouchers between 2021 and 2025 can also apply in 2026, but for intellectual property rights other than those already funded, OSIM states.

How and by when do you apply?

The application is submitted online, on the EUIPO SME Fund portal, by 4 December 2026. Funds are limited, and the call closes earlier if the budget is exhausted. The procedure has the following steps:

1. The account and the voucher application. For voucher 4, CPVO requires the VAT certificate and a bank statement.
2. The award decision, communicated by e-mail. For voucher 4, CPVO estimates about 15 days.
3. Activation of the voucher.
4. Filing the patent or plant variety protection application and completing the activity within the period set by EUIPO.
5. The reimbursement claim, with proof of payment.

The key rule: do not file the patent application or the CPVO application before receiving the voucher award decision. Both DPMA and CPVO warn that only activities carried out after the award are eligible.

What has changed since the start of the year?

SME Fund 2026 started on 2 February with several types of vouchers. In the meantime, according to DPMA, vouchers 1 (IP Scan) and 2 (trade marks and designs) are no longer available and can no longer be requested. In practice, for the rest of the year, the fund still finances the protection of inventions, plant varieties and, through voucher 5 (available from 30 June), craft and industrial geographical indications. The total remaining budget does not appear on the official pages consulted.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: if you have a new technical solution (a product, a process or an improved piece of equipment), now is the time to decide whether to patent it. The voucher does not cover the whole cost of a patent, but it significantly reduces the filing fees and, for the European patent, part of the industrial property attorney's fee.

• Apply as soon as possible. The trade mark vouchers ran out before the deadline, and the same may happen with the patent vouchers.
• Follow the order of the steps. The most common trap is filing the patent application before the voucher is awarded, in which case the expense is not reimbursed.
• Prepare the documents in advance: the VAT or registration certificate, the bank statement and a clear description of the invention for the industrial property attorney.
• Link the patent to larger funding. A registered patent can earn points in calls for innovation and research. You can quickly check which other programmes suit you with the eligibility check.

For farmers and breeders, voucher 4 is a rare opportunity: protecting a new variety at EU level costs less, and the award procedure takes only a few weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still get money from SME Fund 2026 to register a trade mark?

No. Voucher 2, for trade marks and designs, and voucher 1, for IP Scan, are no longer available and can no longer be requested. Until 4 December 2026, the vouchers for patents, plant varieties and geographical indications remain open.

How much can I receive for a European patent?

A maximum of €2,500 on the European patent voucher. The amount consists of 75% of the application fees, up to €1,000, and 50% of the legal costs of drafting and filing, up to €1,500.

Can I file my patent application before I receive the voucher?

No. The patent application or the CPVO application is filed only after you have received the award decision and activated the voucher. Expenses incurred beforehand are not reimbursed.

I received a voucher in previous years. Can I still apply?

Yes, for intellectual property rights other than those already funded between 2021 and 2025, according to OSIM.

Until when can I apply?

Until 4 December 2026, but only while funds remain. If the budget is exhausted, EUIPO closes the call earlier.

Official sources

• OSIM – SME Fund 2026: financial support for SMEs
• DPMA – SME Fund 2026: Grants for SMEs
• CPVO – SME Fund 2026, voucher 4 for plant varieties

Information checked on 26 September 2026. Conditions may be amended by the managing authority — check the guide in force before submitting.