Small and medium-sized firms in the innovation hotspot of the West of England can tap into funding worth thousands of pounds to protect their intellectual property (IP), such as trademarks, patents and designs.
Under the scheme, launched by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), businesses that meet a number of criteria can access up to £8,000 to help cover the costs of assessing their IP potential, including registering trademarks or patents and training staff. 
Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who leads WECA, said protecting the IP of the region’s innovators was vital to stop bigger companies from muscling in on the bright ideas of West of England businesses.
“Intellectual property may sound like corporate jargon, but it’s incredibly important for our innovative region,” he added.
“Without it, our local businesses with ground-breaking ideas might lose out to bigger companies. That’s why I’m pleased to invest in protecting their intellectual property.”
Eligibility for the grants includes:
- Geographical location: The business must be based within the West of England (Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, or South Gloucestershire)
- Matching funds: The ability to contribute 20% towards the total project cost is essential.
- Business size: The company should have a staff headcount below 250, a turnover not exceeding £41m, or a balance sheet totalling no more than £35.2m.
The scheme previously helped Bath-based start-up Epowar protect its IP.
The firm has developed a revolutionary smartphone safety app, pictured, that harnesses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to recognise distress in its user’s activity and can be used to tackle violence against women.
Developed by a team at University of Bath, it is built on extensive research into detectable responses to physical distress and an analysis of thousands of samples of physiological and motion data.
The AI models can distinguish between physical and psychological stress.
Epowar co-founder Erin said the IP grant allowed the business to protect its valuable intellectual property, which was a major competitive advantage for our company.
“Without it we wouldn’t have been able to cover these costs, as we were early stage and pre-funding at the time,” she added.
Applications for the IP funding can be made until 12 November to wearegrowth@westofengland-ca.gov.uk
