Call window open SME Fund 2026 (Ideas Powered for Business) — vouchers for patents, plant varieties and geographical indications
SME Fund 2026, managed by EUIPO for the European Commission, gives SMEs vouchers for patents (maximum €1,000 for a national patent and €2,500 for a European one), for plant varieties (maximum €1,500) and for craft and industrial geographical indications (maximum €2,000).
- Who can apply
- SMEs headquartered in an EU Member State or in Ukraine, which includes companies in Romania
- Total budget
- €20,128,000 for vouchers 1–4 (patents
- Funding amount
- National patent
- Submission period
- 2 Feb 2026 – 4 Dec 2026
Checked against official sources on · funder: European Union Intellectual Property Office · official source
The call window is open. The time left until the deadline decides whether we can still build your application in time, so call today.
Who can apply
SMEs based in an EU Member State or in Ukraine, which includes companies in Romania. SMEs are enterprises with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of no more than €50 million or a balance sheet total of no more than €43 million. PFAs (sole traders) can also apply, with a certificate proving their economic activity, as can foundations and associations that carry out economic activity and in which public bodies hold no more than 25% control. Voucher 5 (geographical indications) is intended for EU producer groups with at least one SME among their members, individual producers that are SMEs and, where applicable, local or regional authorities or private entities designated by the Member State. Companies that received vouchers in 2021–2025 can apply again, but for different rights.
What it covers
- Fees for the prior-art search for patents, carried out by national offices or by the Visegrad Patent Institute
- Filing, search, examination and publication fees for the national patent (including at OSIM)
- Filing and search fees for the European patent at the EPO
- Legal costs for drafting and filing a new European patent application, incurred through professional representatives authorised before the EPO and established in the EU
- Online filing and examination fees for Community protection of a plant variety at the CPVO
- National application fees and registration fees at the EUIPO for craft and industrial geographical indications, plus the costs of drawing up the product specification (voucher 5)
Apply in the current call window
- We analyse whether you qualify and under which programme exactly.
- We build the application: business plan, budget, supporting documents.
- We submit during the call window and follow the evaluation.
- We stay with you through the reimbursement file and final payment.
Frequently asked questions
Until when can you apply to SME Fund 2026?
Applications are submitted online on the EUIPO platform, between 2 February and 4 December 2026. For each voucher, the form closes earlier if the budget is exhausted, as has already happened with vouchers 1 (IP Scan) and 2 (trade marks and designs).
How much does the patent voucher reimburse?
For a national patent, 75% of the fees are reimbursed, up to a maximum of €1,000. For a European patent, 75% of the EPO fees are reimbursed (up to €1,000) and 50% of the legal costs of drafting and filing (up to €1,500), i.e. a maximum of €2,500. An SME can receive two patent vouchers, one national and one European, but through separate applications.
Can I file my patent application before I receive the voucher?
No. Vouchers are not retroactive, and costs incurred before notification of the grant decision are not reimbursed. The voucher must be activated within one month (a deadline that can be extended to 2 months), and the reimbursement request must be submitted within 6 months for patents and within 12 months for plant varieties.
How much does an SME receive for protecting a plant variety?
Voucher 4 reimburses 75% of the online filing and examination fees charged by the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), up to a maximum of €1,500 per beneficiary. Only new rights are funded, not renewals.
What is voucher 5 for geographical indications?
Voucher 5 provides up to €2,000 for protecting the geographical indications of craft and industrial products. It covers national application fees, registration fees at the EUIPO and the costs of drawing up the product specification. EU producer groups with at least one SME among their members and individual producers that are SMEs can apply.
Can I still request vouchers for trade marks or IP Scan in 2026?
Not at the moment. The funds for vouchers 1 and 2 have been exhausted, and the form is closed for them. The EUIPO may reopen a voucher if additional funds become available before 4 December 2026, and will announce this on its website.
How long does it take to prepare the application?
It depends on the complexity of the project and the documents you already have. The first step is the eligibility analysis, which tells you what needs to be prepared.
What happens if I do not qualify?
We tell you before any contract is signed, and if another suitable programme exists, we point you to it.
Next step
Apply in the current call window — SME Fund 2026 (Ideas Powered for Business) — vouchers for patents, plant varieties and geographical indications
Fill in the form and we will tell you whether you qualify. If you do not qualify under this programme, we will tell you which other one you could apply for — or that there is none, if that is the case.
or call us directly on 0755 167 167
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