{"id":775,"date":"2026-08-28T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/epo-fee-reduction-sme\/"},"modified":"2026-08-28T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T09:00:00","slug":"epo-fee-reduction-sme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/blog\/epo-fee-reduction-sme\/","title":{"rendered":"EPO fee reductions for SMEs, micro-entities and Unitary Patent filers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>An EPO fee reduction for SMEs and smaller applicants can come from several schemes: a 30% cut in the main grant-procedure fees for micro-entities, a 30% cut in filing and examination fees for applicants who file in a non-EPO language such as Spanish, and a EUR 500 lump sum towards Unitary Patent translation costs. The rules differ on who qualifies and which fees are covered, and claiming a reduction you are not entitled to can cost you the application. This guide is for founders, universities and in-house teams in Spain, Latin America and Africa planning European patent filings.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Since April 2024, micro-entities, natural persons, non-profits, universities and public research organisations get a <strong>30% reduction in all main EPO fees<\/strong>, provided they have filed fewer than five European applications in the previous five years.<\/li>\n<li>The micro-entity scheme applies whatever the applicant&#8217;s nationality or domicile, so it is open to Latin American and African applicants.<\/li>\n<li>The 30% language reduction covers a wider group, including SMEs, but only for applicants resident in, or nationals of, an EPC state whose official language is used, such as Spain for Spanish.<\/li>\n<li>The two reductions can be combined: they are applied one after the other.<\/li>\n<li>The EUR 500 Unitary Patent compensation requires residence in an EU member state and an application filed in an official EU language other than English, French or German.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Which EPO fee reductions exist for SMEs and smaller applicants?<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/applying\/fees\/fee-reductions-and-compensation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">European Patent Office (EPO) page on fee reductions and compensation<\/a> lists the measures available to smaller applicants. The EPO grants European patents under the European Patent Convention (EPC); the Unitary Patent is a European patent with a single effect in the participating EU countries.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Scheme<\/th>\n<th>Who qualifies<\/th>\n<th>What it gives<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Micro-entity support (Rule 7a(3) EPC)<\/td>\n<td>Microenterprises, natural persons, non-profits, universities, public research organisations, with fewer than five applications in five years<\/td>\n<td>30% off filing, search, examination, designation, grant and application renewal fees<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Language-related support (Rule 7a(1) EPC)<\/td>\n<td>The same entities plus SMEs, resident in or nationals of an EPC state with a non-EPO official language<\/td>\n<td>30% off the filing and examination fees (examination fee only for Euro-PCT applications)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Unitary Patent compensation<\/td>\n<td>SMEs, natural persons, non-profits, universities and public research organisations resident in an EU member state<\/td>\n<td>EUR 500 lump sum towards translation costs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Reduced appeal fee<\/td>\n<td>Smaller applicants, as listed by the EPO<\/td>\n<td>Lower fee for filing an appeal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Online filing reductions<\/td>\n<td>Users of MyEPO and the EPO&#8217;s online filing services<\/td>\n<td>Lower fees than for paper filing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The EPO&#8217;s free Fee Assistant, linked from the same page, estimates the result for a given profile. It is a useful first check, but the legal conditions are in the Implementing Regulations and the Guidelines for Examination.<\/p>\n<h2>Who qualifies for the micro-entity reduction, and which fees does it cover?<\/h2>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/legal\/guidelines-epc\/2026\/a_x_9_4_1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPO Guidelines, A-X, 9.4.1<\/a>, the scheme applies to fee payments made on or after 1 April 2024, irrespective of when the application was filed, and to applicants of any nationality or domicile. Eligible applicants are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>microenterprises, meaning fewer than 10 staff and annual turnover or balance sheet of no more than EUR 2 million, as defined in Commission Recommendation 2003\/361\/EC;<\/li>\n<li>natural persons;<\/li>\n<li>non-profit organisations, universities and public research organisations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>An SME that is not a microenterprise does not qualify for this scheme. There is also a cap: no reduction applies if the same applicant has filed <strong>five or more European or Euro-PCT applications in the five years<\/strong> before the relevant filing or European phase entry date. Under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/legal\/guidelines-epc\/2026\/a_x_9_4_2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A-X, 9.4.2<\/a>, the 30% applies to the filing fee (including page and divisional surcharges), the search fee, the examination fee, the designation fee, the fee for grant and renewal fees for the application. Where several applicants file together, each one must qualify.<\/p>\n<h2>How does the language reduction work for Spanish-language filers?<\/h2>\n<p>European applications can be filed in any language, but the official EPO languages are English, French and German. Under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/legal\/guidelines-epc\/2026\/a_x_9_3_1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A-X, 9.3.1<\/a>, an applicant who files in an &#8220;admissible non-EPO language&#8221;, meaning an official language of an EPC state such as Spanish, Italian or Dutch, gets 30% off the filing fee and\/or the examination fee if two conditions are met:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The applicant is a microenterprise, an SME (fewer than 250 staff and turnover up to EUR 50 million or balance sheet up to EUR 43 million), a natural person, a non-profit, a university or a public research organisation.<\/li>\n<li>Its residence or principal place of business is in an EPC state with that language as an official language, or it is a national of such a state living abroad.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In practice, a Spanish SME filing its European application in Spanish qualifies. A Mexican or Colombian company filing in Spanish does not, because Spanish is not an official language of an EPC state where it is established, although a Spanish national living in Latin America who files as a natural person can. For Euro-PCT applications, only the examination fee is reduced. The translation must not be filed before the Spanish text, and the declaration must be made at the latest when the fee is paid.<\/p>\n<p>If an applicant qualifies under both schemes, the Guidelines (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/legal\/guidelines-epc\/2026\/a_x_9_2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A-X, 9.2<\/a>) confirm that the reductions are applied sequentially: the fee is reduced twice.<\/p>\n<h2>What is the EUR 500 Unitary Patent compensation?<\/h2>\n<p>A Unitary Patent covers, from a single request filed after grant, the 18 EU member states that currently participate. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/applying\/european\/unitary\/unitary-patent\/compensation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPO&#8217;s compensation scheme<\/a> pays EUR 500 towards translation costs to SMEs, natural persons, non-profits, universities and public research organisations that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>have their residence or principal place of business in an EU member state; and<\/li>\n<li>filed the European or Euro-PCT application leading to the Unitary Patent in an official EU language other than English, French or German.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The request is made together with the request for unitary effect. One point often missed in Spain: according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/applying\/european\/unitary\/unitary-patent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPO&#8217;s list of participating states<\/a>, Spain is not part of the Unitary Patent system. A Spanish company can still obtain a Unitary Patent for the participating states and claim the compensation, but protection in Spain requires validating the European patent there separately.<\/p>\n<h2>How do you claim the reductions?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Tick the declaration on EPO Form 1001 (request for grant) or Form 1200 (European phase entry); for pending files, use Form 1011 with Form 1038.<\/li>\n<li>Meet the criteria, and file the declaration, no later than the date the fee is paid. Later changes in status apply only to future payments.<\/li>\n<li>Keep evidence of headcount, turnover and group structure. The EPO can request it if it has reasonable doubts (Rule 7b(3) EPC).<\/li>\n<li>Request the Unitary Patent compensation with the request for unitary effect (Form 7000).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What this means for your business<\/h2>\n<p>For a Spanish SME or university, the cheapest route is often to draft and file in Spanish, claim the language reduction and, if it qualifies, the micro-entity reduction on top, then decide at grant between a Unitary Patent with the EUR 500 compensation and individual validations, including Spain. For a Latin American or African start-up or research centre, the micro-entity scheme is the one to check first, because it does not depend on residence. In both cases, the counting of applications and the group structure should be reviewed before the first fee is paid. If you want this assessed across your European and Latin American filings, our <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/services\/patents\/\">European patent filing and prosecution team<\/a> can do it as part of the filing plan.<\/p>\n<h2>Where companies get EPO fee reductions wrong<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Declaring a status they do not have.<\/strong> Under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/legal\/guidelines-epc\/2026\/a_x_9_4_3.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A-X, 9.4.3<\/a>, an incorrect declaration means the fee was not validly paid, and the application may be deemed withdrawn. Remedies such as further processing exist, but cost time and fees.<\/li>\n<li>Ignoring the group. Under Recommendation 2003\/361\/EC, partner and linked enterprises can count towards headcount and turnover, so a small subsidiary of a large group may not be a microenterprise.<\/li>\n<li>Miscounting applications. The five-in-five-years cap is checked systematically; if it is exceeded, the EPO asks for the shortfall within two months.<\/li>\n<li>Filing the translation first. The language reduction requires the Spanish text to be filed no later than the English, French or German translation.<\/li>\n<li>Assuming the Unitary Patent covers Spain. It does not, so the validation budget must include it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Can a Latin American company benefit from EPO fee reductions?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, through the micro-entity scheme, which applies irrespective of nationality or domicile. A microenterprise, natural person, university, non-profit or public research organisation that has filed fewer than five European or Euro-PCT applications in the previous five years gets 30% off the main fees. The language reduction, by contrast, requires residence in or nationality of an EPC state.<\/p>\n<h3>Can the micro-entity and language reductions be combined?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. According to the EPO Guidelines, if an applicant qualifies under both schemes the fee is reduced twice, with the reductions applied one after the other. This typically benefits a Spanish microenterprise, university or individual inventor filing in Spanish, for the filing fee and the examination fee.<\/p>\n<h3>Does the EUR 500 compensation require the patent to cover Spain?<\/h3>\n<p>No. The compensation depends on the applicant&#8217;s residence in an EU member state and on filing in an official EU language other than English, French or German. Spain is not part of the Unitary Patent system, so a Spanish company can claim it for a Unitary Patent covering the participating states, while protection in Spain needs a separate validation.<\/p>\n<h3>Can IP Global Guard check eligibility and handle the filing?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. We review your status and group structure against each scheme, plan the filing language and route, and coordinate the European application with European patent attorneys, including the declarations and the Unitary Patent request, from a single point of contact for your filings in Europe, Latin America and Africa.<\/p>\n<h2>Get the fee strategy right from the first filing<\/h2>\n<p>IP Global Guard, the IP services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, plans patent portfolios across more than 25 jurisdictions in Europe, Latin America and Africa with one strategy and one billing relationship; see <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/coverage\/\">where we coordinate filings<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Tell us who the applicant is, its size and group, and the invention you plan to file. We will tell you which reductions apply, which language and route make sense, and what Spain and the Unitary Patent will cost. <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/contact\/\">Ask our patent team for a filing plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article is general information, not legal advice, and does not replace an assessment of your eligibility.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/applying\/fees\/fee-reductions-and-compensation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPO, Fee reductions and compensation for smaller applicants (consulted 1 October 2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/applying\/european\/unitary\/unitary-patent\/compensation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPO, Translation arrangements and compensation scheme (consulted 1 October 2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/legal\/guidelines-epc\/2026\/a_x_9_2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPO, Guidelines for Examination 2026, A-X, 9.2 to 9.4<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/applying\/european\/unitary\/unitary-patent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPO, Unitary Patent: participating states<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who qualifies for the EPO&#8217;s 30% micro-entity and language fee reductions, how they combine, and who can claim EUR 500 for Unitary Patent translation costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1365,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[40,70,102,74,78,44],"class_list":["post-775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patents","tag-africa","tag-epo","tag-fees","tag-pct","tag-smes","tag-spain"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=775"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}