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Patent Support Fund for Techno-Entrepreneurs

The Patent Support Fund for techno-entrepreneurs is directed at technology intensive inventions with commercial potential as well as the potential to address national priorities, emanating from individual enterpreneurs.

The Fund's key objective is to support the filing of at least a provisional South African Patent application in respect of technological inventions emanating from techno-entrepreneurs. The filing of a Provisional Patent application will enable the techno-entrepreneur to seek commercial partners and reduces the risk of the invention being stolen. Such Intellectual Property protection will cover the costs associated with the filing of at least a South African Provisional Patent application, and in exceptional cases, at the sole discretion of the experts at the Innovation Fund, a South African Complete Patent application.

Download the Patent Support Fund application form.

Offerings

The purpose of this fund is to encourage and support technology development and IP protection through the provision of financial support for patenting filing costs and technology development assistance for innovations emanating from South African techno-entrepreneurs.

The fund has a particular focus on those techno-entrepreneurs from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. This focus is to try and increase awareness of Intellectual Property rights and commercialisation of innovations and provide enabling means to make such awareness accessible to more South Africans.

Requirements and Rules for Application

The team at the innovation fund comprises of patent attorneys, IP specialists, candidate patent attorneys who conduct a high level prior art search, at no cost to the techno-entrepreneur and furnish Innovation Fund with a novelty opinion report and a quote for the filing of a Provisional Patent application.

Based on the outcome of the novelty opinion, the Intellectual Property Management Office (IPMO) will decide whether to provide funding.

Structure of the Fund

  • The support is provided in the form of a grant.
  • Up to a maximum of 75% for the costs of filing a Provisional Patent application, subject to invention complying with a novelty requirement. A total funding of R350 000 per annum is allocated to this Fund.
  • The Innovation Fund reserves the right to make available, further funding, via its other funding instruments, for filing of either a Complete Focused Patent application or a PCT patent application and/or a focused commercialisation activities with clearly defined deliverables, subject to the techno-entrepreneur registering an SMME and working with Tshumisano Trust.

To Be Eligible for a Patent Registration Grant, the Applicant Must:

  1. The applicant must be a techno-entrepreneur, meaning the invention must be technology rich.
  2. The applicant must be the inventor or co-inventor of the proposed patent application or an assignee of the invention.
  3. The applicant must be a previously disadvantaged individual.
  4. The applicant must be a South African citizen.
  5. The invention must have commercial potential.

The applicant must submit a completed application form detailing the proposed patenting programme, including the following:

  1. A clear description of the invention (approximately one to two pages); and   
  2. A 'mini-business plan' comprising of a commercial viability assessment of the innovation and market analysis including a summary competitor analysis, as well as an outline of the market development strategy.
  3. Strong preference will be given to applications having patents that offer clear national benefit and whose exploitation programme will promote the development of SMME and Broad Based BEE aspects.