The Italian government has unveiled a renewed initiative to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in protecting and enhancing their industrial property rights.
This initiative, announced through a decree published on September 2, 2024, allocates a total of 32 million euros to the Brevetti+, Disegni+, and Marchi+ programs.
These programs are designed to provide financial assistance to SMEs for patents, designs, and trademarks, excluding large enterprises.
The funds are distributed as follows: 20 million euros for patents, 10 million for designs, and 2 million for trademarks.
A notable change in this edition is the transfer of administrative responsibilities to the Directorate General for Business Incentives, which aims to create better synergy with other business support measures.
The application process for these funds will be detailed in notices published within 30 days of the decree.
Historically, the demand for these funds has been high, with previous allocations quickly exhausted.
The grants are non-repayable and fall under the 'de minimis' regime, which has recently seen an increase in the ceiling from 200, 000 to 300, 000 euros over three years, allowing more enterprises to qualify.
Additionally, the 'new patent box' offers an enhanced tax deduction of 110% for research-related expenses, further reducing the tax burden for eligible enterprises.
This initiative continues to exclude trademarks from the patent box benefits, a change from its initial version.