These changes will affect:

• Trade Marks and Designs
• Parallel trade from the UK to the EEA
• Unregistered Designs

You can find a summary of the key changes here >

Government topline advice is to:

• Consider carefully where to disclose your designs, to ensure they have adequate protection in their most important market
• If you export IP-protected goods on the secondary or parallel market, contact the rights holder in the EEA to see if you have permission to continue to parallel export.
• Consider if you want exports to continue, if you are a business that owns the IP rights for goods currently parallel exported from the UK to the EEA.

It advises that if you do not take action, there is a risk your business operations will be interrupted. You can find out what other actions you may need to take by using the checker tool here: https://www.gov.uk/transition and signing up for business updates.

Growth programme offers IP review for startups - limited availability

For a limited period, BBF can offer a unique and additional aspect to the highly successful Growth Programme. This additional feature is an integrated business and intellectual property review with support, for start-up business owners within their first 12 months, where they have a:

• technical or creative concept
• product or service offering

The business owner will be provided with a brief report outlining best practice guidance in relation to the commercial options available to them. With this guidance, the startup business will definitely benefit in its development and growth plans.

This is an ERDF-funded programme, so there is no cost for this support. In signing up to this support, business owners will also be able to attend up to two one-day Masterclasses on the critical subjects of finance and investment and a Growth Masterclass delivered by Cranfield School of Management.

Interested? Call and speak with Jane Dell, Growth Programme Manager, for further details on 01494 927147, or email jane.dell@bbf.uk.com.

Ground Floor Grant Funding available – For Intellectual Property and Prototyping

Get 50/50 match funding for third party costs related to protecting your IP, to include:

• Legal consultation for patent and trademark applications
• IP licensing advice
• Technical certification and validation

Funding is available to SMEs nationwide. To qualify, your business must have no more than 250 employees, a balance sheet not exceeding €43m, and turnover not exceeding €50m. Grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 are available against projects with an overall spend of between £2,000 and £10,000. You will need to provide evidence of three quotes for the work undertaken.

Ground Floor Prototyping Grant

Get 50/50 match funding for third party costs of producing prototypes to include:

• Physical prototyping

Available to SMEs nationwide. To qualify, your business must have no more than 250 employees, a balance sheet not exceeding €43m, and turnover not exceeding €50m. Grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 are available against projects with an overall spend of between £2,000 and £10,000. You will need to provide evidence of three quotes for the work undertaken.

Find out more and apply here >