SME Fund 2026 (EUIPO).

What is it?

The SME Fund 2026 is a European voucher scheme that helps SMEs reduce the costs of protecting intellectual property (IP).

• Initiative: European Commission
• Implementation: EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office)
• Duration in 2026: 2 February 2026 to 4 December 2026

Who is it for?

• SMEs established in the European Union
• (According to EUIPO, also SMEs in Ukraine)

An application can be submitted by:

• the director/owner
• an employee
• an authorised external representative

What support do you get?

Support is granted via vouchers that allow you to apply for reimbursement (after the fact) for certain IP-related costs.

According to the EUIPO page, depending on the country/scheme you can save up to 75% on IP applications and up to 90% on an IP Scan.

Important status (as stated on the EUIPO page)

• Voucher 1 (IP Scans) and Voucher 2 (Trade marks & Designs): no longer available for new applications (budget exhausted).
• Voucher 3 (Patents) and Voucher 4 (Community Plant Varieties): still available to apply for.

How does it work at a high level?

1. Check whether your SME meets the eligibility criteria.
2. Submit your application via EUIPO (SME Fund).
3. After approval, you receive one or more vouchers.
4. You incur the costs (e.g., patent fees) and request reimbursement using the voucher.
5. The reimbursement is paid directly into the SME’s bank account.

Tips

• Check the EUIPO page regularly: voucher availability can change due to high demand.
• Watch out for misleading invoices (EUIPO explicitly warns about scammers targeting IP applicants).

Source

• SME Fund 2026 – EUIPO