The 2026 SME Fund trade mark vouchers have run out. What now?
The EU's SME Fund reimburses part of the official fees small businesses pay to protect their intellectual property. For 2026, the trade mark and design vouchers have already been used up.¹
Where things stand
The 2026 Fund runs from 2 February to 4 December 2026. Voucher 1 (IP Scan) and Voucher 2 (trade marks and designs) are closed to new applications because the funds have been exhausted. Vouchers for patents and Community plant varieties are still open.¹
What the trade mark and design voucher covers
75% of EU, national and regional trade mark and design application fees, including class fees.
50% of fees for designating countries outside the EU through WIPO.
Up to €700 per business in total.²
Professional fees and renewal fees are not covered.²
If you already hold a voucher
You must activate it within one month of the grant decision by filing and submitting at least one reimbursement request. You can extend that once, by one more month. After activation you have six months to claim the remaining fees.² A voucher that lapses cannot be requested again in the same year.²
If you do not
Fees for applications filed before a grant decision are not reimbursed, so filing now and claiming later will not work.² When awarded vouchers expire unused, the EUIPO releases that money for new applicants,² and it asks businesses to check the SME Fund page for changes.¹
Previous editions opened on 22 January 2024,⁴ 3 February 2025⁵ and 2 February 2026.¹ At the time of writing, in October 2026, the EUIPO's SME Fund page still lists 2026 as the current call.¹
Should you wait for the next round?
The voucher is worth at most €700.² In the EU, when two marks conflict, the earlier filing date generally wins.³ If someone else could file a similar name in the meantime, that is worth weighing before you decide to wait.
We can apply for the voucher on your behalf when the next call opens, and file as soon as the grant decision arrives.²
Sources
1. EUIPO, SME Fund 2026
2. EUIPO, FAQ: SME Fund 2026
3. Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 (EUTMR), Art. 8(2)(a)
4. EUIPO, SME Fund 2024
5. Potter Clarkson, The EUIPO SME Fund: A Guide for SMEs (Mondaq)