WIPANO funding consulting: your patent grant, secured.
WIPANO co-funds the cost of patenting and commercialising an invention for German SMEs, from first patent search to first exploitation steps. We handle the application and the paperwork.
Germany’s grant for patents and standards
WIPANO (Wissens- und Technologietransfer durch Patente und Normen) is a BMWE programme that helps SMEs protect and commercialise innovations. Its patent funding covers the steps from patent search and application through to exploitation.
It also funds active participation in standardisation, where shaping a norm gives your technology a market edge. We assess which track fits and run it. See who qualifies further down. Funding lines, rates and application are explained in the WIPANO guide.
WIPANO has three funding tracks
Most companies come for the patent track, but standardisation and knowledge-transfer can be far larger. We pick the one that fits your goal.
Patenting
50% of patent search, application, attorney and first exploitation costs, for SMEs new to patenting.
Standardisation
Up to 70% to actively shape national, European and international standards in your field.
Knowledge transfer
Per partner, SMEs up to 80%, for projects turning research results into standards. New project outlines were only possible until 31 May 2026.
Figures are per funding track, not cumulative, you apply to one at a time. Standardisation is granted as de minimis aid (€300,000 over three years), patenting under Art. 28 GBER and knowledge transfer under Art. 25 GBER; WIPANO reimburses eligible costs after the fact, so the work is pre-financed and claimed afterwards.
Compare the three modules
One view of who each module is for, what it pays and how long it runs, so you can see at a glance which track fits.
| Patenting | Standardisation | Knowledge transfer (no new outlines) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funding rate | 50% | up to 70% | up to 80% |
| Max grant | €16,000 | €45,000 | €200,000 / partner |
| Who it's for | SMEs, first-time filers (no IP filing in 3 years) | SMEs & Mittelstand, up to 1,000 staff | A company with a research institution |
| Duration | up to 24 months | up to 36 months | 24 months |
| Aid basis | GBER Art. 28 | De-minimis | GBER Art. 25 |
All three modules require a German establishment and an application filed before the work begins. We assess which one fits and run it for you.
Who qualifies, and what each step pays
The patent track is built for companies taking their first serious step into IP protection, which is exactly why one eligibility rule catches people out. The full WIPANO requirements are in the guide.
Who qualifies
Fewer than 250 employees and ≤ €50m turnover (or ≤ €43m balance sheet), run as a main business.
A registered office or permanent establishment in Germany.
No patent or utility-model application in the last three years, the rule most applicants miss. This is funding to get started.
The work must be carried out by qualified external service providers; using a patent attorney is mandatory.
Estimate your grant
The two funding modules
| Module | What it covers | Max grant |
|---|---|---|
| Module 1 · Application | Prior-art search, patent/utility-model filing, attorney and office fees, advisory | up to €10,000 |
| Module 2 · Exploitation | Cost-benefit analysis and first commercialisation (only after Module 1) | up to €6,000 |
Under the 2024–2027 WIPANO directive, patent funding reimburses 50% of eligible costs, at most €16,000 (€10,000 in Module 1, €6,000 in Module 2). You may only start once funding is approved.
What WIPANO funds, and what it doesn't
WIPANO reimburses invoiced external services and official fees. Knowing the line up front saves a wasted application.
What it funds
- External patent and utility-model filing, attorney and office fees
- Prior-art search and patent advisory
- Cost-benefit analysis and first exploitation activities
- Standardisation committee participation, fees and travel
- Creating a DIN SPEC or VDE application rule
- Research-to-standards cooperation costs
Not eligible
- Own labour in patent funding (in standardisation WIPANO pays a flat rate per committee meeting)
- Anything commissioned or started before the grant decision
- Work outside the funded module scope
- Ongoing IP renewal fees beyond the funded process
- The same costs funded by another programme
Rolling submission, but always before you start
There are no competitive deadlines for the company modules. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis within the programme windows.
through 31 Oct 2027
Applications accepted on a rolling basis up to this date under the current directive.
through 31 May 2027
Standardisation applications run to this date. In knowledge transfer, new project outlines were only possible until 31 May 2026; full applications until 31 May 2027 are only for selected outlines.
Apply before you start
The grant decision names the earliest start date. Commissioning work earlier forfeits the funding. We handle the timing.
See if your idea qualifies for WIPANO
Tell us about your project. A funding advisor reviews your case by hand, then either comes back with feedback or a few follow-up questions. No obligation.
- Whether WIPANO is the right fit
- A first read on the funding amount
- What to prepare before you apply
From first call to funding
Four steps. You stay focused on the work; we handle the funding end to end, on a fee agreed in advance.
Eligibility check
We review your project against the programme's criteria, confirm it qualifies and give you a realistic figure before you commit any time.
Application
You tell us what you are working on; we build the application, write the technical case and manage the entire submission for you.
Submission & review
We file with the responsible authority in your name and handle every query through to the funding decision.
Funding
Once approved, we prepare the required reporting so the funding is released to you, accurately documented and on time.
WIPANO in practice
Practical examples based on real projects we have taken through WIPANO, from first scoping to the funding decision. Anonymised, figures rounded.
How a hardware company secured WIPANO funding for its first patent family - what WIPANO covers, the…
Read the storyHow a materials company secured WIPANO funding to turn a research result into a recognised standard…
Read the storyHow a sensor manufacturer secured WIPANO funding to join international measurement-standard committees…
Read the storyIndustries we fund
We've secured German and EU funding across the innovation economy. If you're doing genuine development, your field almost certainly fits.
Why BeFunded exists
Two founders, one mission: help every innovator in Europe fund what they build.
Our mission
To make public funding genuinely accessible to everyone building something new in Europe. Across research and development, health, agriculture, energy and far beyond, billions are set aside each year to back innovation, yet too much of it never reaches the teams doing the actual work. We want to change that, so that funding lands where it belongs and keeps innovation in Europe moving forward.
From founder to founder: we have been on the client side ourselves, navigating Europe’s funding programmes first-hand, and we learned how much complexity, paperwork and uncertainty stands between a good project and the money meant to support it.
WIPANO questions, answered
The essentials on who qualifies, what is covered and how much.
The patent track funds first-time patenting by SMEs (search, filing, initial commercialisation) at 50%, up to €16,000. The standardisation track funds work in standards committees at up to 70%, up to €45,000. Moving research results into standards is a separate strand, knowledge transfer.
WIPANO funding is aimed primarily at German SMEs that patent rarely or for the first time. The patent track targets companies new to the IP process.
WIPANO covers patent search, the application itself, plus patent-attorney and exploitation costs in the patent track. The standardisation track covers participation costs.
Patent funding reimburses 50% of eligible costs (at most €16,000), standardisation funding up to 70% (at most €45,000), knowledge transfer up to 80% for SMEs. We calculate the exact figure for your case.
You must apply for WIPANO before the eligible work begins: funding has to be approved first, before filing. Come to us at the idea stage to get the timing right.
For WIPANO consulting with BeFunded, our fee is a fixed share plus a success component, both agreed in advance. So you know before the start what the consulting costs.
Ask us anything
Tell us about your project and we'll assess your case by hand. No prep, no obligation. Prefer to talk?