Intellectual Property Registration (IPR) Voucher

The Intellectual Property Registration (IPR) Voucher provides inventors with essential financial support and guidance to protect their creations against potential infringement. Innovators can apply for national protection through the Malta Industrial Property Registration system. At a European level, the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) offers broader protection across EU Member States, while international registration through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is also available for globally safeguarding Maltese IP rights.

Types of Intellectual Property Rights

There are five main types of intellectual property rights:

Trademarks – Unique graphics that distinguish products or services.
Copyrights – Automatically granted protection for original works upon creation.
Industrial Designs – Protects the aesthetic design aspects of an object, requiring novelty.
Trade Secrets – Protects commercially valuable, confidential information under strict conditions.
Patents – Exclusive rights for innovative products or processes, granting 20 years of protection from the application date.

IP Registration Process

The IPR Voucher supports a streamlined registration process, which typically takes one to three years from the initial application. During this time, the service provider will:

Update the IP Check report, recommending specific IP rights to pursue based on an initial 4-week review period.
Collaborate on timelines for each stage of the process.
Support the beneficiary through every phase, from updating the IP Check report to patent publication.

Reimbursements will be issued by Xjenza Malta upon submission of payment receipts.

Financial Support for Novel Technologies

The Voucher provides financial support for novel technologies that have reached the prototype stage (TRL 5+) with a Xjenza Malta-approved research grant. This ensures inventors can protect their intellectual property rights and safeguard their inventions from potential infringement.

Forms or Declarations listed as requirements within the Rules for Participation, and which should be submitted with the application can be found on the resource page: click to visit resource page.

Applicants opting for Option A should attain:

De Minimis Declaration Form

Applicants opting for Option B should attain:

Non-State Aid Declaration form for a Research and Knowledge Dissemination Organization OR Non-State Aid Declaration form for other public entities

Submission Process: Application forms can be sent electronically to voucher.xjenzamalta@gov.mt, keeping Kyle Bonnici (kyle.bonnici.4@gov.mt) in copy. Use the subject line: “Intellectual Property Registration – Voucher Submission.”

Note: It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure confirmation of receipt is provided. Applications shall be forwarded for evaluation at the end of every month unless otherwise stated by Xjenza Malta.

Please find the Change Log for the call documentation: Click to download the Change log document

The Voucher Programme will close once all funds have been exhausted.

Additionally, the programme will temporarily close during the following periods:

June 30th to August 31st
December 1st to January 9th

Applications submitted during these periods will not be processed. Additionally, if an application is received during this time, the applicant may be required to resubmit after the temporary closure, incorporating any new changes implemented in the call documentation.

Contact Information

For further information, please contact: