{"id":789,"date":"2026-09-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/epo-pace-accelerated-examination\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T09:00:00","slug":"epo-pace-accelerated-examination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/blog\/epo-pace-accelerated-examination\/","title":{"rendered":"EPO PACE from 1 October 2026: bulk MyEPO requests, examination only"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>EPO PACE accelerated examination is still free and still aims for an office action within three months, but from 1 October 2026 the rules change in two ways. PACE has covered only the examination phase since 1 February 2026, and requests can now be filed in MyEPO one at a time or in bulk for several applications. The EPO published the revised programme on 30 September 2026. It matters for SMEs and groups that need a European grant quickly to raise funds, license or enforce.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The revised PACE programme applies to requests filed on or after 1 October 2026 (OJ EPO 2026, A44).<\/li>\n<li>PACE accelerates <strong>examination only<\/strong>; the search phase has been excluded since 1 February 2026.<\/li>\n<li>Requests go through EPO Form 1005 online or MyEPO; bulk requests only through the dedicated MyEPO feature; paper requests are not processed.<\/li>\n<li>The EPO makes every effort to issue the next office action within three months, and later ones within three months of each reply.<\/li>\n<li>Asking for an extension of a time limit removes the application from PACE, with no way back.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What has the EPO changed in PACE?<\/h2>\n<p>PACE is the EPO&#8217;s programme for accelerated prosecution of European patent applications. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/legal\/official-journal\/2026\/09\/a44\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">notice dated 11 September 2026 (OJ EPO 2026, A44)<\/a>, published online on 30 September 2026, replaces the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/legal\/official-journal\/2025\/12\/a69\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">December 2025 notice (OJ EPO 2025, A69)<\/a>. The earlier notice had restricted PACE to examination from 1 February 2026, explaining that the mean time to issue the extended European search report in 2024 was five and a half months, which made accelerating the search unnecessary.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Point<\/th>\n<th>Before (A69, from 1 February 2026)<\/th>\n<th>From 1 October 2026 (A44)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Scope<\/td>\n<td>Examination phase only<\/td>\n<td>Examination phase only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>How to file<\/td>\n<td>EPO Form 1005, filed online, one application at a time<\/td>\n<td>Form 1005 online or MyEPO for single requests; dedicated MyEPO feature for bulk requests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Paper or informal requests<\/td>\n<td>Not processed<\/td>\n<td>Not processed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fee<\/td>\n<td>Free of charge<\/td>\n<td>Free of charge<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Target<\/td>\n<td>Next office action within three months<\/td>\n<td>Next office action within three months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The EPO&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/news-events\/news\/latest-myepo-improvements-application-progress-tracking-bulk-pace-requests-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news release of 30 September 2026<\/a> adds that a new timeline panel in MyEPO lets users request PACE directly for applications under examination.<\/p>\n<h2>How does EPO PACE accelerated examination work now?<\/h2>\n<p>A PACE request can be filed only once per application, at any time after the examining division has become responsible for it. The EPO then makes every effort to issue the next office action within three months of the latest of three events: the examining division receiving the application, the applicant&#8217;s response under Rule 70a or 161(1) EPC, or the PACE request itself. While the application stays in the programme, the EPO aims to issue each later office action within three months of the applicant&#8217;s reply.<\/p>\n<p>For Euro-PCT applications where the EPO acted as International Searching Authority, acceleration can be requested on entry into the European phase or with the response to the written opinion. The request only takes effect when the Rule 161(1) period expires, unless the applicant waives that communication or its remaining period. Early processing of a Euro-PCT application under Article 23(2) PCT is a separate request.<\/p>\n<p>The EPO does not publish PACE requests, and they are excluded from file inspection. The programme runs only where practically feasible and subject to examiners&#8217; workload; applicants asking for acceleration across all or most of their files may be required to choose a subset.<\/p>\n<h2>What takes an application out of PACE?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Withdrawal of the PACE request.<\/li>\n<li>A request for an extension of a time limit.<\/li>\n<li>Refusal, withdrawal or deemed withdrawal of the application, whatever remedies remain available.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once removed, an application cannot be readmitted. Acceleration is also suspended if a renewal fee is not paid by its due date. These removal and suspension rules also apply to applications already pending on 1 October 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>What this means for your business<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Select the applications where a fast grant has a real business use: a funding round, a licence negotiation, a product launch or a known infringer.<\/li>\n<li>Prepare to reply on time. Asking for more time ends acceleration, so the substantive response should be ready before the office action arrives.<\/li>\n<li>Put renewal fees on autopay or a firm docket for accelerated files.<\/li>\n<li>For Euro-PCT files, decide at entry whether to waive the Rule 161 communication so acceleration starts at once.<\/li>\n<li>Consider the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH), which the EPO notice points to as a separate fast-track option, when a partner office has already found claims allowable.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/services\/patents\/\">European patent prosecution team<\/a> can select the files, prepare the requests and coordinate them with European patent attorneys, including bulk requests for portfolios.<\/p>\n<h2>When to bring in an adviser<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Accelerating the wrong files.<\/strong> PACE brings the next objection sooner; if the claims are not ready, it only brings a faster refusal.<\/li>\n<li>Losing PACE through routine extensions requested out of habit.<\/li>\n<li>Missing a renewal fee on an accelerated file, which suspends acceleration.<\/li>\n<li>Requesting PACE for every file, which can lead the EPO to ask for a selection.<\/li>\n<li>Treating Europe in isolation: a fast EPO grant may support PPH requests at partner offices, so timing should be planned across the family; see our <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/services\/ip-strategy-cross-border\/\">cross-border patent strategy service<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>How much does PACE cost at the EPO?<\/h3>\n<p>Nothing. A request for participation in the PACE programme is free of charge, both for single requests and for bulk requests filed through MyEPO. The cost lies in preparing fast, complete replies to office actions, because requesting an extension of a time limit removes the application from the programme.<\/p>\n<h3>Can PACE speed up the European search?<\/h3>\n<p>No. Since 1 February 2026, PACE applies only to the examination phase. The EPO restricted it because the mean time to issue the extended European search report in 2024 was five and a half months. A PACE request can be filed once the examining division is responsible for the application.<\/p>\n<h3>Can IP Global Guard file PACE requests for our European applications?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. We review which applications justify acceleration, prepare and coordinate the requests and replies with European patent attorneys, and align the timing with filings in Latin America and Africa, from a single point of contact.<\/p>\n<h2>How IP Global Guard can help you get a faster European grant<\/h2>\n<p>Acceleration only pays off when the claims, the reply strategy and the deadlines are under control. IP Global Guard, the IP services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, coordinates European prosecution together with the rest of the family across our <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/coverage\/\">coverage in Europe, Latin America and Africa<\/a>, with one strategy and one billing relationship.<\/p>\n<p>Send us the European application numbers and the business date each grant should meet. We will tell you which files suit PACE and coordinate the requests. <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/contact\/\">Contact our patent team<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects the situation on the date of publication.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/legal\/official-journal\/2026\/09\/a44\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPO, OJ EPO 2026, A44, notice dated 11 September 2026 concerning PACE (published online 30 September 2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/legal\/official-journal\/2025\/12\/a69\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPO, OJ EPO 2025, A69, notice dated 16 December 2025 concerning PACE<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epo.org\/en\/news-events\/news\/latest-myepo-improvements-application-progress-tracking-bulk-pace-requests-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPO, Latest MyEPO improvements: application progress tracking, bulk PACE requests and more (30 September 2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From 1 October 2026, PACE requests can be filed in MyEPO individually or in bulk. Acceleration covers examination only, is free and ends if you ask for an extension.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1379,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[70,102,74],"class_list":["post-789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patents","tag-epo","tag-fees","tag-pct"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789","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=789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}