Business Finland’s innovation voucher & our IP service packages

Micro-enterprises and SMEs reaching for new business opportunities through growth and internationalization may apply for Business Finland’s innovation voucher. The innovation voucher can be used to purchase services in order to boost innovation.

The application process is simple and a decision may not take longer than a week. The maximum grant is 4,500 euros + VAT and the company’s own contribution is 25% of the acceptable costs, i.e. up to 1,500 euros + VAT. You can obtain the maximum grant by purchasing services for 6,000 euros + VAT, which is the price of Papula-Nevinpat’s IP service package.

Below you’ll find our IP service packages available with the innovation voucher (€6000):

Kick-off – start and develop your IP operations

Includes:

  • opening discussion (face to face or remotely) covering your situation, your needs and your goals
  • work plan
  • half-day IP training session and workshop
  • half-day consultation into the management of your IP, employee inventions and your strategy
  • mapping your competitors’ IP.

Search – identify your possibilities and obstacles

Includes:

  • opening discussion (face to face or remotely) covering your situation, your needs and your goals
  • searches in databases based on agreed search strategy and search restrictions
  • analysis of the search results
  • written report of the results and your possibilities to protect your IP
  • concrete recommendations on how to proceed
  • closing discussion covering the results and suggestions for the next steps to take.

Invention – protect your product efficiently

Includes:

  • opening discussion (face to face or remotely) covering your invention, your needs for protection, suitable forms of protection, the essential features of your invention, alternative embodiments and prior art solutions
  • drafting the patent application in Finnish or English, or drafting a utility model application
  • delivering the application to the Patent Office, and filing (official application fee at the Finnish Patent Office, €400, not included)
  • due date tracking after filing, except for official communications after filing, such as Office actions.

Brand – secure your company’s identity

Includes:

  • opening discussion (face to face or remotely) covering the features that distinguish your company from others, and any needs you may have to protect your brands and designs
  • preliminary search for the proposed trademark (Finland or EU) and recommendations on how to proceed (official and database fees not included)
  • drawing up the classification for a Finnish and/or EU trademark or EU design registration and preparing the application
  • filing the Finnish and/or EU trademark or design registration application with the Office (we can agree per case on whether official fees will be included in full, in part or not at all)
  • reporting the first official communication (granting decision or Office action), and due date tracking.

Growth – protect your invention internationally

Includes:

  • opening discussion (face to face or remotely) covering your needs and the conditions for expanding the scope of protection of an invention after priority application by filing an international PCT application
  • assessing the invention and search results from the priority application
  • evaluating your possibilities to apply for a patent internationally
  • amendments to the international application, when it is based on a professionally drafted earlier patent application
  • translation from Finnish into English, if needed
  • filing the PCT application with the Patent Office (we can agree per case on whether official fees will be included in full, in part or not at all)
  • due date tracking after filing, except for official communications after filing, such as the search report.

Strategy – plan the future of your IP assets

Includes:

  • opening discussion (face to face or remotely) covering your needs and goals in order to develop your IP operations
  • mapping your competitors’ IP, analysis of the results, a written report and a graphic presentation of the results
  • IP training customized to your needs based on the opening discussion
  • workshop for your company’s key persons, covering the current state of your IP assets as well as your IP goals, including planning the schedule and the steps for you to take in order to develop your company’s IP operations
  • recommendations for developing your current IP documents and instructions, or if you don’t have any, for preparing them
  • closing discussion to sum up the operations and decide on the next steps and schedules.

Any travel expenses will be charged separately.

Training – IP days: Patent Day & Trademark Day

Includes:

  • opening discussion (face to face or remotely) covering your needs to develop IP expertise in your company, the topics you want to focus on, and attendees at the training
  • preparing your customized training material on the agreed topics; we will choose the examples used in the material to suit your company’s line of business
  • providing the training material for use in your company in electronic form
  • holding the training session at your or Papula-Nevinpat’s office; any travel expenses will be charged separately.
Some suggestions for topics of the Patent Day:
  • what is a patent
  • criteria for patentability
  • how to interpret and read patent publications
  • when and where to patent
  • good invention disclosure and efficient cooperation with a patent attorney.
Some suggestions for topics of the Trademark Day:
  • what is a trademark and what is it used for
  • the ”right” use of a trademark and trademark watching
  • trademarks and domain names.

Hiring – an expert from Papula-Nevinpat at your service

Includes:

  • 20 hours of consultation at your company from one of our experts
  • the consultation may include, for instance:
    • advising in IP related contracts, negotiations or disputes
    • participating in brainstorming sessions with your product development teams, and invention spotting
    • carrying out patent searches, and advising in IP protection and/or patentability issues.

All questions are welcome: we can propose you a tailored IP service package, and advise you of other forms of public funding available to develop your innovation.

Apply for Business Finland’s innovation voucher and get your IP process started with us, please contact: Folke Johansson, Director (Patent Department), folke.johansson@papula-nevinpat.fi.