Part B · Startup-relevant scheme
USPTO Small & Micro Entity Fee Reductions (USPTO Fee Reduction)
US Patent and Trademark Office
Other
Prototype / PoCSeed / Early-StageMarket Access & IP
USPTO charges lower patent fees to small businesses (small entity status) and to individual inventors/very small companies with limited prior filings and income (micro entity status), reducing the cost of protecting a startup's IP.
Type of support
Other
Best suited for
Market Access & IP
Headline amount
Up to 80% fee discount
How much
60-80% off USPTO fees
Objectives
Improve access to the patent system for solo inventors, startups, and underrepresented innovators, following the Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022, which raised the small-entity discount from 50% to 60% and the micro-entity discount from 75% to 80%.
Who can apply?
- Small entity: generally fewer than 500 employees (including affiliates), and patent rights not assigned to a non-small entity.
- Micro entity (37 CFR 1.29): must also meet income limits and have filed on a limited number of prior applications — check current USPTO thresholds before relying on this status.
What do you get?
- Small entity: 60% off standard patent fees (e.g., $640 vs. $1,600 for a basic utility filing fee).
- Micro entity: 80% off standard fees (e.g., $320 for the same filing).
- Savings compound across filing, issuance, and maintenance fees over a patent's life.
How to apply
Claim small or micro entity status directly on your patent application filing (via USPTO's Patent Center) — no separate application is required, but entity-status requirements must be met and certified accurately.
Key links
Details as most recently confirmed against the official source linked above. Deadlines, amounts and windows change — verify on the official portal before applying.