A Year On: IP Advance Scheme For SMEs

One year on from the launch of the IP Advance Scheme, Nathaniel Taylor shares an update on the latest SME financial support scheme, IP Advance, launched by the UK IPO.

Supporting SMEs with IP funding

In an earlier article, Nathaniel Taylor discussed the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the options available to help overcome the cost barriers that can make pursuing IP protection challenging.

One such initiative was the IP Advance Scheme, introduced by the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) in July 2024 as a pilot programme. The scheme was developed following a review of previous support measures, such as the IP Audit Grant and IP Access fund, to ensure long-term sustainability, value for money, and measurable impact.