IAP Participating Countries
How the IAP works
The IAP creates a structured partnership between your IP office, local volunteers, and WIPO to support under-resourced inventors.
Inventors apply through the IAP Online Platform. Your National Screening Board decides whether to admit the applicants to the Program, based on your local criteria and volunteer capacity.
Selected beneficiaries are matched with qualified professionals to receive free services to navigate the patent system.
Is the IAP a good fit for my country?
The IAP delivers tangible benefits by helping inventors and small businesses develop high-quality patent applications and commercialization strategies, significantly increasing their chances of securing patents and achieving commercial success.
For IP offices, the Program improves the quality of patent applications and facilitates better communication with applicants, reducing time spent on formalities.
The Program also fosters pro bono culture in the field of patents, enhances skills of local professionals, and strengthens the capacity of local innovation support services. The IAP can be integrated as a stand-alone program or plugged into other domestic initiatives. It helps support local innovators both domestically and internationally.
What countries can join the IAP?
The IAP welcomes countries seeking to increase local use of the patent system, enhance their innovation ecosystem, and maximize the total value of IP assets within the economy.
Additionally, participating countries should have:
- an established culture of innovation;
- a low rate of patent filings by local innovators;
- a limited success rate of local innovators using the patent system; and
- an established local patent profession.
To join, countries must endorse the IAP Guiding Principles, Structure and Governance and commit to actively supporting the Program’s implementation and growth.
What’s expected from a participating country?
Each participating country takes an active role in implementing the IAP and tailoring it to local needs. Participating countries should:
Build the local IAP framework:
- Establish local IAP eligibility criteria
- Set up and facilitate the National Screening Board
- Nominate the local IAP focal point
- Establish and maintain a country IAP webpage
Collaborate with WIPO:
- Work with WIPO to solve any challenges faced by the focal point
- Encourage other local innovation support services to help implement the IAP
Promote and support the Program:
- Promote the Program to local innovators
- Recruit and recognize local volunteers
- Consider options to enhance the affordability of patent protection for the IAP beneficiaries
For more details, refer to the IAP Guiding Principles, Structure and Governance[PDF].
How to join
To join the IAP, interested governments should submit an official letter of interest to WIPO. The letter should explain the potential benefits of the Program for the country and describe how it will operate locally. This includes identifying:
- The IAP focal point who will be responsible for managing the Program locally;
- The composition of the National Screening Board (the group responsible for evaluating local IAP applications);
- Income and other eligibility criteria for beneficiaries to qualify for the Program.
- A plan for promoting the Program within the country; and
- Local groups or institutions committed to supporting the Program.
You can use this template [DOC].
Country membership in the IAP is subject to approval of the IAP Steering Committee.
The IAP is a partnership between the Governments of participating countries, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), volunteers, the IAP Steering Committee and sponsors. The Program provides free services to under-resourced inventors to navigate the patent system. It does this by pairing inventors with experienced IP professionals who provide their services at no cost.
Participating countries have tailored the IAP to fit the needs of their local innovation ecosystems.
How countries implement different aspects of the IAP
- In Singapore, the IAP is open to innovators and entrepreneurs aged 18-35 who are full-time students starting their IP journey. Now they are considering expanding support to micro businesses and freelancers.
- In Chile, a gender balance component is incorporated into the selection process.
- In other countries, all individual inventors and small businesses meeting the income criteria are eligible.
- Colombia, Morocco, and the Philippines use their satellite offices and TISCs throughout the country.
- Morocco and Kenya also work with local inventor and business associations, chambers of commerce, and the R&D community.
- In South Africa, outreach efforts are supported by Screening Board members.
- Each participating country maintains a web presence describing the Program and eligibility criteria.
- Countries promote the IAP through social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
- Peru includes WhatsApp groups for the IAP team-stakeholders exchanges.
- Singapore uses media releases and feature videos focused on ramping up IP literacy with youth inventors.
- Some participating countries offer pre-filing advice to potential IAP beneficiaries through patent offices or TISC networks to preserve volunteer time and maximize Program benefits.
- Inventors often get support to develop the first draft of patent applications through local programs, like Patenta in Peru and iLEAP in the Philippines.
- Some countries conduct a prior art search before the IAP applications are reviewed by the local Screening Board.
- All countries include Patent Office representation, typically serving as Secretariat.
- Chile and Singapore include in volunteer patent attorneys in the board to establish buy-in for the profession.
- South Africa includes local innovation agencies for broader perspective and connections with other local innovation support programs.
- Ecuador includes representatives of university and research networks.
- Chile includes civil society representatives.
- Several countries work with local attorney associations to recruit volunteers.
- Most volunteers register individually, while some countries like Chile allow law firms to volunteer, with designated attorneys managing IAP cases.
- Morocco expanded their volunteer base to include veteran inventors from inventor associations and TISC focal points – technical experts capable of drafting patent applications but unable to practice before the Patent Office.
Many countries partner with WIPO to enhance patent drafting skills of local volunteers through WIPO Patent Drafting Training Programs:
- In Colombia, advanced training, in the format of Patent Drafting Clinics, is delivered to participants from innovation support institutions, including technology transfer offices and research institutions, who then offer their services to the IAP.
- Some countries, like Kenya and the Philippines, officially recognize WIPO’s International Patent Drafting Training Program to expand volunteer capacity.
Participating countries are encouraged to connect the IAP with other support services available locally to maximize impact:
- To expand commercialization opportunities, Morocco, through IP Marketplace, and the Philippines, through IP DEPOT, provide platforms where inventors, including IAP beneficiaries, can offer their technologies for sale.
- The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is also considering to connect the IAP with existing programs of the Technology Application and Promotion Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-TAPI), such as GALING Program, to ensure additional support for IAP beneficiaries.
- Colombia offers a 75% discount on the national patentability examination fee.
- Ecuador offer a 90% discount on national filing fees.
- In the Philippines, IAP beneficiaries can access the PCT Filing Assistance Program – a fee waiver program of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).