Kaulo & Partners has decided to offer its expertise in brand rights protection free of charge to Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking growth in European markets and utilizing available EU funding for the official fees of EU trademark, design, and patent applications.
On June 26, 2023, an agreement was signed between the European Commission and Ukraine, enabling Ukrainian SMEs to also apply for EU support for the official fees of EU trademarks, designs, and patents from the SME Fund managed by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
Kaulo & Partners is offering expert help in filing EU trademark applications for Ukrainian SMEs that have been granted vouchers from the SME Fund in 2023, thus acting as the representative for the companies on a pro bono basis. The applicant is only paying for the official fees (for which it will receive a reimbursement afterwards, covering 75% of the official application costs, upto 1000 euros).
The idea of supporting Ukrainian SMEs also with the attorney fees emerged during the annual conference of the European Communities Trademark Association (ECTA) held in Prague on June 28 - July 1, 2023. Our Managing Partner Jani Kaulo participated in the conference as a representative of Kaulo & Partners, and as a member of the Supervisory Board of ECTA and the International Trade Committee. He met several Ukrainian attorney colleagues and representatives of the Ukrainian Patent Attorneys Association, with whom he discussed the initiative. Through the attorney network, we can also communicate about our expert help available to the Ukrainian SMEs in filing EU trademark applications on a pro bono basis.
"The European Commission made a great gesture by including Ukrainian SMEs in the EU funding. We are happy to do our part in supporting Ukrainian businesses in accessing the European market. As an entrepreneur, I believe that in business, there needs to be a balance between profit-oriented operations and pro bono work. We must be ready to help other entrepreneurs and provide them with advice, also free of charge. Where possible, we apply this principle also with early-stage startups,” says Jani Kaulo.
Please feel free to share this information with your Ukrainian network about our offer to help Ukrainian SMEs in filing EU trademark applications with the EUIPO on a pro bono basis.
Read more about the EU support for Ukrainian SMEs: https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/sme-fund-extended-support-ukrainian-businesses-2023-06-26_en
Contact us:
Maria Puronvarsi, maria.puronvarsi@kaulopartners.fi, +358 40 669 0527