The SME Fund (SME Fund) is a European Commission initiative, implemented by the EUIPO (European Intellectual Property Office), to help small and medium-sized enterprises in the EU protect their intellectual property rights. European companies benefit from financial assistance to register their trademarks or designs.
This subsidy program, created in 2021, enables SMEs to obtain partial coverage of fees relating to trademark and design registrations, in the form of a post-filing fee refund of up to €700 for trademarks.
The SME Fund: financial support for intellectual property
The SME Fund has an annual envelope of EUR 25 million. Funds are allocated on the basis of the 1er arrived, 1er served. The application must be submitted as soon as possible. In 2024, funds were exhausted by mid-year.
An SME can submit an application every year: it is therefore possible to receive a grant in 2025, even if you have already benefited from the scheme in a previous year.
On the other hand, you must not receive another European grant for the same activities (if you are already receiving a European grant for your trademark applications, you cannot combine it with the SME Fund).
How does the SME Fund work?
The SME Fund allows SMEs that apply to have a portion of their trademark and design registration fees covered.
The procedure consists of 4 steps:
Reimbursement takes place at the end of the procedure, once the trademarks (or designs) have been registered. It may not exceed 700 €.
The amount of the refund will depend on the deposits that have been made:
- For a deposit in the EU (national brand in EU / European brand), the refund will be 75% of deposit taxes.
- For a European trademark application in 3 classes, the amount of fees is 1050 €. If you have obtained an SME Fund grant before filing, you will be able to recover 75% of taxes, i.e. a refund of €700 (maximum refund). The European deposit will have cost you only €350 in taxes.
- For a French trademark application in 5 classes, the amount of fees is 350 €. Thanks to the SME Fund, it will be possible to recover 232,50 €. The remaining cost will be 117,50 €.
- For a deposit outside the EU (international brand aimed at other territories), the reimbursement will concern 50% of taxes paid (basic fees and designation fees).
- For an international trademark application in 1 class targeting Canada and China, the amount of fees will be approximately 1100 €. The SME Fund will provide a refund of about 550 €.
If the entire €700 envelope has not been used in a single deposit, it can be kept for a few months to be used for a 2nd deposit.nd deposit.
- For example, your 5-class French trademark application will have used up only €232.50 of your SME FUND. You'll be left with €467.50, which you can use over the next 6 months for other filings.
Who can benefit from the SME Fund?
To benefit from the SME Fund, you must be an SME established in the European Union.
An SME is defined as a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise:
Note that it is possible to apply for the SME Fund even if you are a micro-business.
Only SMEs established in one of the EU member states can apply for the SME Fund. Foreign companies (British, Swiss or American) will not be eligible for this grant.
How do I apply for an MHE Fund grant?
Interested SMEs may apply for the grant directly or through an agent. Our firm is authorized to represent you before the EUIPO and file a claim on behalf of your company. At the end of the process, reimbursement will be made directly to your company's account.
Since 2021, we have submitted grant applications for hundreds of clients (entrepreneurs and SMEs) who have benefited from French, European and international trademark registrations at lower cost.
In order to apply, the following documents are required:
- Recent VAT document (tax memento; certificate of tax regularity) or a national registration extract (Kbis or SIRENE extracts) ;
- The RIB of your company
- A power of representation (if you use an agent)
The grant application is usually processed within 15 days. If the application is incomplete, the EUIPO will ask you for clarification.
My EMS Fund application has been accepted: what should I do?
Approximately 2 weeks after your SME Fund application, the EUIPO informs you of its decision. If your application has been approved, you will receive a virtual cheque for €700. Now it's time to register your trademark(s).
After filing, it will be possible to request reimbursement from the EUIPO. However, it will be necessary to prove that a trademark has been registered, by providing proof of registration (or the registration number in the case of a European trademark). The EUIPO will check that the trademark owner corresponds to the beneficiary of the grant. If everything is correct, it will pay the reimbursement directly into the company's bank account, as indicated at the time of application.
If you're interested, Yamark would be delighted to help you apply for funding for your SME. If so, please contact us via our dedicated SME Fund form: http://depot-de-marque.com/sme-fund/ and we will take care of everything.
Finally, we are at your disposal for any questions you may have on this subject. subsidy program as well as assisting you with your trademark applications.
Update : 06/02/2025