Is your business in the early stages of growth and in need of advice on protecting your intellectual property? The IP Scan funding, coordinated by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), is an excellent tool to analyse your company's IPR assets and their potential in business development and value creation — with the help of an experienced IP expert.
How does this sound: an IPR analysis with a net price of €1,700, of which your company pays only 10% — just €170?
The IP Scan service — also known as an IP pre-diagnostic service — is part of the EU's SME Fund programme, designed to help European startups and SMEs leverage intellectual and industrial property rights to grow and strengthen their business. The grant is awarded by the European Union Intellectual Property Office, EUIPO.
In the IP Scan service, our IP expert conducts an interview and discussion (via Teams) with your company's representative, covering your current situation, the potential of your intangible assets, and protection opportunities from a business perspective. The expert dedicates approximately 1.5 working days to this process and to preparing a comprehensive report.
During the process, you will receive coaching, best practices, and recommendations from our experienced IP expert on how to best approach the protection of your company's intangible assets.
The price of the IP Scan service in 2026 is €1,700 + VAT 25.5%. EUIPO covers 90% of the net price by issuing an IP Scan voucher ("Voucher 1"), i.e. a payment commitment. Receiving the reimbursement requires an approved grant decision prior to the implementation of the service. With the granted IP Scan voucher, you can apply for and receive a reimbursement of €1,530 from EUIPO immediately after the service has been carried out.
Since the reimbursement is paid by EUIPO (EU), your company does not need to declare the IP Scan funding received in any other business grant applications (e.g. Business Finland) that are subject to national de minimis funding conditions.
The voucher can be applied for until 4 December 2026, but the fund's resources are limited, and grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. It is therefore advisable to act quickly and submit your application as soon as possible. In 2025, the fund's resources ran out as early as the beginning of autumn.
IP Scan service can only be implemented by an expert authorised by the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH)
PRH coordinates the IP Scan pre-analysis service in Finland. A prerequisite for receiving the funding is that the service is carried out by an expert authorised by the Office.
At Kaulo & Partners, our experienced experts Jani Kaulo and Maria Puronvarsi have received the IP Scan authorisation. We have already completed several IP Scan projects for our clients.
Both of our IP Scan experts have extensive experience in IPR advisory services for companies, with expertise in the protection, enforcement, and commercialisation of brand rights in international markets, as well as the prevention of IPR risks and trade barriers through brand rights registrations and agreements. They both also serve as advisors to startups and growth companies.
"IP Scan is particularly well suited to startups in the early stages of business, which are just planning to bring an innovative product or service to market, are seeking funding for it, and are preparing for future IPR investments and international growth," says Jani Kaulo, adding:
"When a company is pursuing international growth and an increase in value, IPR protection cannot be overlooked. It is advisable to start planning protection as early as possible — to secure not only that intellectual property remains in your own hands, but also your freedom to operate and risk-free business in international markets."
How to apply for IP Scan funding
Does your company already have an SME Fund user account managed by EUIPO? If not, first create a user account and register with EUIPO's online service at: https://euipo.europa.eu/sme-fund-2026/user/login?destination=/home
Then submit your voucher application through your user account. Funding for the IP Scan service is applied for using Voucher 1.
In addition to your company's basic details, the mandatory supporting documents are a recent VAT certificate confirming that your company is legally established, and a bank certificate/bank statement showing your company's IBAN account number, BIC/SWIFT code, account opening date, and account holder name. Once the required supporting documents (.pdf) are in place, submitting the actual grant application through the online service is straightforward.
As soon as you receive a positive funding decision, we can begin implementing the IP Scan service. The IP Scan voucher is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. Within this deadline, the project must be completed, and reimbursement must also be claimed from EUIPO through the company's user account.
Contact us
Jani Kaulo, jani.kaulo@kaulopartners.fi, +358 40 637 5442
Maria Puronvarsi, maria.puronvarsi@kaulopartners.fi, +358 40 669 0527
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SMEs! Take advantage of EUIPO’s vouchers in protection of your brand