Ideas Powered for Business SME Fund
Call for proposals – GR/001/21 (Ideas Powered for Business SME Fund)
This call for proposals is supported by the European Commission and the EUIPO.
Service 1 - IP pre-diagnostic services (IP Scan): This service can help you decide what IP rights to apply for, how to develop your IP portfolio if you already have registered rights, and how to plan your strategy for the future;
Service 2 - trade mark and design application fees: If you are considering registering a trade mark or a design at either EU, regional (in the Benelux), or national level.
Each SME can be reimbursed up to a maximum of EUR 1 500 as a grant contribution to support these services.
This is an initiative of the Ideas Powered for Business programme at the EUIPO, supported by the European Commission, and in cooperation with the national and regional intellectual property offices of the EU.
On this page you will be able to:
- Find information about the call for proposals (the SME Fund), including the official call notice, and check if you qualify for the scheme
- Check the timetable for application, the rules for submission and access the application form.
- Find out how you will be reimbursed if your application is successful, and learn more about the financial and contractual rules that pertain to this scheme
- Take a look at the checklist before you apply, to make sure you have all the relevant information and documents. Once you’ve done that, the whole process should only take 15 minutes.
We strongly recommend that you read the official information about this call for proposals before sending in your application form. You can download it in the box below. Please remember that to apply for this scheme, your business must fit the official definition of a small and medium enterprise.
Check the European Commission’s User Guide to the SME definition (available in all EU languages) if you have any doubts.
Please note that the authoritative source of information is the English version. If there is any conflict between the translated versions and the English version, the latter takes precedence
The corrigendum relates to the addition of a new window for submissions that will run in October from 01/10/2021 to 31/10/2021.
The detailed adjustments to the call for proposals are presented in the corrigendum.
Please note that the authoritative source of information is the English version. If there is any conflict between the translated versions and the English version, the latter takes precedence
We also recommend that you familiarise yourself with the documents below before applying to the SME Fund before you start the application process:
| Declaration on honour Show |
| List of fixed amount/fees by EU country for both services Show |
| Model of grant decision Show |
Additionally, if you intend to use a representative (third person) to submit your application, you should upload the declaration below, fill it in, sign it and then provide it to your representative so that he/she may upload it with the application and submit it on your behalf.
| Declaration on honour – Representatives on behalf of the applicant Show |
Timetable and rules
You can only apply for the grant during an open window using the electronic application form (eForm). Applications made outside each of the five designated time periods will not be considered.
| WINDOW 1 | WINDOW 2 | WINDOW 3 | WINDOW 4 | WINDOW 5 | WINDOW 6 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget available per phase | CLOSED | CLOSED | CLOSED | CLOSED | CLOSED | CLOSED |
| Start of application period | 11/01/2021 | 01/03/2021 | 01/05/2021 | 01/07/2021 | 01/09/2021 | 01/010/2021 |
| Deadline for submission of applications | 31/01/2021 | 31/03/2021 | 31/05/2021 | 31/07/2021 | 30/09/2021 | 31/010/2021 |
|
Applicants receive written notification of the results and notification of Grant Decisions in the event of award |
February - March 2021 | April - May 2021 | June - July 2021 | August - September 2021 | October – November 2021 | November 2021 |
As indicated in section 1.5 of the call for proposals, an indicative budget has been allocated per window and if all the funds are not used for a specific window, these may be carried over to later windows.
If the estimated budget allocated for each window is reached before the deadline, the window may be closed earlier than the times indicated here. We will keep this table updated to indicate any changes, and we recommend that you consult it regularly.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: COVID-19 The provisional timetable and budget estimates may be reviewed as required under the prevailing circumstances linked to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Rules for submission
You can only make one application per window for service 1 (IP pre-diagnostic services) or service 2 (trade mark and/or design registration) or a combination of both.
If you receive a service in one window, and want to apply for another when a subsequent window opens, you cannot apply for the same service again. So if you previously received Service 1, you can only request Service 2. You cannot request the same service twice.
If you are rejected in one window, you can still apply to another one when it opens. But if you submit more than one application during a window, we will only take the first version of your application into consideration. All other versions that you send will automatically be considered inadmissible.
Questions and answers
If you still have questions about the process for submission, the rules, the timetable, or any other issue related to this scheme, you can contact us through our Information Centre.
You should also know that we will publish in the FAQs all answers to questions sent to us by potential applications. We make these questions and answers public to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly by having access to the same information.
How to apply
We strongly recommend that applicants not wait until the last moment before sending us the form, as applications received first will be given priority.
The form
Complete your eForm step by step. The total budget and grant amount requested are calculated automatically in accordance with the services selected (Service 1, Service 2 or a combination of both). You should also know what IP rights you want to apply for (trade marks and/or designs).
Attachments
Do not forget to upload the compulsory attachments! You will need your account number, IBAN number and SWIFT code, as well as your company’s VAT certificate. Once you have completed all mandatory fields and uploaded the requested attachments, accept the conditions of submission and submit.
Confirmation
When you have submitted your form, you should receive a confirmation email and reference number that will be used in all communication between us and you. Keep this email and reference number safe, as it is an important record of your correspondence with us.
Notification
We will notify you individually about the results of the evaluation process after the adoption of the award decision per window. The formal notification of our decision will be sent by email to the contact persons you provide in the form.
Find out more about the decision process
Results, notifications and how to request payment
You will be notified individually about the results of the evaluation process after the adoption of the award decision per window.
The formal notification of our decision will be sent by email to the contact persons provided in the eForm. Therefore, it is your responsibility to submit the correct email address/es of your contact person/s.
- If your application has been unsuccessful, you will receive the reasons for our negative decision in your notification email.
- If your application has been successful, you will receive confirmation of the positive decision, and an attachment containing the Grant Decision duly signed by the EUIPO in attachment.
If you receive a positive decision, you become a beneficiary of the scheme (the SME Fund). The positive decision takes effect on the date we notify you, and will set out all your obligations under the scheme.
Once you have been notified of a positive decision, you have 30 days to:
- Apply for an IP pre-diagnostic service. IP pre-diagnostic services are available via the national offices that offer this service.
- Apply and pay for your trade mark and/or design. Applications for the registration of trade marks and designs can be made at the national intellectual property offices (national level), in the Benelux Office of Intellectual Property (covering Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg; regional level), or with us at the EUIPO (covering all the Member States of the EU).
Requesting payment from us
Upon completion of the service(s), Beneficiaries will need to submit an electronic request for payment form using the link available in the Grant Decision.
The payment, subject to the approval of the information and documentation submitted in the request, will be made within one month and Beneficiaries will be notified by email accordingly.
Checklist for applicants
Before applying, please make sure you can answer “yes” to all the following questions:
|
Yes No |
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| Is your company an established small and medium enterprise, based in the European Union? | |
| Have you read the call for proposals before filling in the application form? | |
| Do you know your company’s bank details and have a bank statement (sample) with the following details: company name as account holder; IBAN number (examples); and BIC/SWIFT code? | |
| Do you have your company’s VAT certificate or national registration number certificat? | |
| Do you know what service/s you plan to apply for (Service 1/Service 2 or both) as outlined in the call for proposals? | |
| Do you know what IP rights (trade marks and/or designs) you plan to apply for (Service 2) | |
| Do you fully understand that you cannot request these services if you have already received national or EU funding for the same services or part thereof? | |
If you can answer “yes” to all these questions, proceed to the application form (within the application windows):
