What do the world’s biggest brands like Adidas, Coca-Cola, Lego, Levi’s have in common? Registered trademark. Each of them has designed different types of trademarks (verbal, graphic, spatial, positional). And thanks to this treatment, their products are recognizable and desirable practically everywhere. And from July 1, 2021, registering a trademark will become doubly profitable.
That’s when EU-registered small and medium-sized enterprises can get a grant in the form of 50% reimbursement of the costs associated with filing trademarks and industrial designs (up to €1,500 per company).
The budget available in the upcoming round has been set at €4 million. To date, the indicative funds allocated in previous rounds have not been fully distributed. The estimated budget for the latest edition has increased to as much as EUR 8 million! Thus, the chances of obtaining a grant from EUIPO increase significantly. Although the grant is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, the number of applications submitted so far suggests that it is worth applying for a grant. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to protect your brand.
The program is available to SME companies that intend to register a trademark or a design both at the EU level (EUIPO, covering all EU member states) and at the national level (Polish Patent Office). The application procedure is a three-step process:
- submission of a grant application with the documentation required to verify SME status and determine whether the application can be processed,
- filing and paying for a trademark and/or a design,
- filing a request for reimbursement.
Our Office has experience both in registering trademarks at EUIPO and the Patent Office and in handling the grant program. Thanks to our activities, the first Clients have already obtained funding from the fund. Therefore we encourage you to contact us. We will be happy to help you successfully register a trademark for your company, which will thus raise its rank to the global level!