A €20 million grant scheme has been launched to help European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access their intellectual property rights.

Supported by the European Commission and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the Ideas Powered for Business SME Fund is aimed at businesses that wish to develop their IP strategies and protect their IP rights, at national, regional or EU level.

Open to all enterprises in the EU that fit the official definition of a SME, the new scheme offers financial support in the form of reimbursements for trade mark and design application and for IP pre-diagnostic services (IP Scan), up to a maximum amount of €1,500 per business.

It opens for applications on 11 January 2021 in the first of five application windows that will run throughout the year, with the final deadline on 30 September 2021.

The new scheme forms part of the European Commission’s IP Action Plan. It is carried out in cooperation with the national and regional intellectual property offices of the EU.

The requirements, timing and other information relevant to the scheme can be found on the Ideas Powered for Business hub.