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Trademark Registration: What is the EU SME Fund?

New businesses are born every day and business owners’ desire to stand out is proving to be quite a challenge. In such a competitive field, the failure to register your brand could prove to be lethal to your success, yet there are still a number of business owners who are intimidated by the application process and the associated fees. If you are indeed one of those people, we are here to help put your mind at ease by introducing you to the solution of your problem: The EU SME Fund.

Benefits of the EU SME Fund

The EU SME Fund is a scheme being offered by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) until the 8th of December 2024. It is being offered to small and medium-sized businesses who want to register their trademarks. It is aimed at encouraging trademark registration throughout the EU by refunding a huge chunk of the costs incurred in the registration process.

Indeed, if the SME Fund is applicable to you, you will be entitled to a reimbursement of up to 75% of the costs incurred in the registration process. This would be awarded through a voucher, granted to you after having successfully applied for trademark registration. Such voucher can then be redeemed, granting you a refund of up to 75% of the fees.

The main funds awarded through this scheme are offered for the registration of trademarks, however there is also a small portion available for patents and plant varieties, but again the latter are quite limited in comparison to the funds allocated for trademarks.

Who Can Benefit?

To qualify for the EU SME Fund, you have to be a small or medium-sized entity (an SME). This is determined through three very important factors:

  • Head Count
  • Annual Turnover
  • Balance Sheet Total

A small entity is one which has a maximum head count of 50 employees and has a maximum annual turnover or balance sheet total of 10 million euro. A medium enterprise is one which has a maximum head count of 250 employees and has a maximum annual turnover of 50 million euro and/or a balance sheet total of up to 43 million euro. It is also important to note that when determining head count, one should not include part-time workers or students as only the full-time employees are considered.

Other than the above criteria, it is also recommended for businesses owners of SMEs to declare their entities as an SME before applying for the scheme. This will greatly facilitate the process and we here at DW&P would be more than happy to help you navigate this process.

Time is of the Essence

The Majority of businesses are SMEs, in fact the EUIPO has stated that 99% of businesses are actually SMEs. This is even more evident when one looks at the statistics of 2023’s SME Fund. During 2023, the EUIPO received over 35,000 applications, thus proving to be a very popular choice for business owners. The EUIPO has provided almost 19 million euro for trademark registrations and a little over 1 million euro for patents and plant varieties, however, given the enormous number of applications received, not everyone will be guaranteed to benefit from the scheme.

The scheme is on a first-come first-served basis, thus it is absolutely critical to make use of the scheme while the funds last. One should also note that the pre-application process might take some time with respect to deciding what type of trademark one would want to register as well as carrying out the necessary searches in order to ensure that there aren’t any similar trademarks that can oppose the registration.

Therefore, time is of the essence here and any interested person should act immediately. That being said, there is no need to panic as DW&P is here to help you in a variety of ways.

How DW&P Can Help You

We here at DW&P are wholeheartedly determined to guide you as much as possible through this process. Our team of experts will carry out all of the necessary work with the required skill, care and diligence that you deserve. Although we will be more than happy to help you in any way we can, the below are some of the most important areas where we can lend a hand:

  • Handling and facilitating the SME declaration process.
  • Helping you decide on the particulars of your trademark, such as the type of trademark to be registered, under which classes, whether to opt for a local or an EU trademark etc.
  • Carrying out the necessary research to make sure that your trademark is not challenged.
  • Handling the trademark registration process.
  • Compiling the necessary documents.
  • Help you identify whether your entity qualifies for the SME Fund.
  • Handling the SME Fund Process.
  • Helping you with any queries regarding the reimbursement voucher.
  • Aiding you with any other problem which may arise in the process.

 

We are always here to help and if anyone is interested in embarking on this voyage with us, we are just one free consultation away.

Book you free consultation here: https://www.drwerner.com/en/other/book-an-appointment/

 

Disclaimer: The above-mentioned article is simply based on independent research carried out by Dr. Werner & Partners and cannot constitute any form of legal advice. If you would like to meet up with any of our representatives to seek further information, please contact us for an appointment.

 

 

Do you have any questions?

Request a free initial consultation now.​

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