Introduction

Every year thousands of people think they may have invented a unique product or component. But there's a lot of work to do before it can be exploited commercially - from checking that your invention is original, to building a prototype.

There's a wide range of support available to individual inventors and small businesses looking to develop innovative ideas and technologies.

This guide explains where inventors can go to get the support and advice they need at different stages of their product's development.

Help in establishing your invention's originality

You can't call your idea an invention unless you can prove it is original. If it isn't, its commercial potential is likely to be limited.

To establish the originality of an invention, you need to carry out searches to assess whether there are any patents or other forms of intellectual property - such as registered designs - that cover it. There may already be rights covering the invention itself, any components that form part of it, or any processes it uses.

You can carry out searches for patents and registered designs at the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK-IPO) website. The UK-IPO search and advisory service will carry out worldwide searches for a fee. Depending on the subject matter, typically a full patent search costs between £750 and £1,200. An infringement search costs from £1,500. Individual estimates can be provided.

This is only the starting point - for a comprehensive search you'll generally need to pay for expert help. In Scotland, the Innovators Counselling and Advisory Service for Scotland (ICASS) provides specialist advice and support for inventors and innovative companies.

The British Library also runs a free patent-searching clinic for people carrying out initial searches on the Internet and has extensive online patent resources.

You must be aware that there are businesses that exploit inventors by offering a patent-search service for thousands of pounds, when in reality they are only searching the databases that are freely available to the general public. It is always advisable to use a registered patent agent or Business Link adviser.

Get legal help on intellectual property

If you're working on an original invention and have established that nobody else has developed or is developing something similar, you need to consider how you will protect your intellectual property.

You may want to seek a patent or a registered design to keep competitors at bay. But this may not always be the best route - sometimes it could be better to keep quiet about your invention or delay your application.

A qualified patent agent will be able to advise you on the best way of exploiting an invention's commercial potential and can also guide you through the application process for patents and registered designs.

Trade mark attorneys can advise you on design issues as well as trade marks - which could form an important part of the commercial viability of your invention.

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Take your invention to market

There are three main ways of getting your invention to market:

• licensing
• producing and selling it yourself
• collaborating with another business or a university

You could sell your invention outright. This will result in a one-off payment but will not generate a long-term income.
 
When you license the use of your intellectual property, you sell the rights either to an individual or group of individuals, or to a company. They will either pay you a set amount at the outset or, more usually, pay royalties whenever the idea is used, as set out in a legal agreement.

The best way to find a potential licensee is to research businesses that could have a use for your intellectual property. Take care when approaching them and ask them to sign a confidentiality agreement before revealing your idea to them.

Licensing enables inventors to gain income without investing resource and time into producing the product themselves.

In addition, a licensor will often have more industry knowledge and ready access to markets.

Collaborating with a business or university allows you to share the costs and work, although it may mean you'll have to split the profits. However, there is a variety of grant funding available to encourage collaboration between businesses and academic institutions.

Another possibility is to develop and produce the invention yourself. This option is likely to be expensive but all profits and success will belong to you. You may be able to attract funding, but to do this you will need a business plan.

Sources of funding include grants, tax relief and credits, and venture capital.

Find the most suitable venture capitalists for your business plan

Get support from other inventors

Being a small-scale inventor can be a solitary business and bringing your ideas to fruition can be frustrating and sometimes painfully slow.

It can be useful to network with other inventors to share ideas, advice, knowledge and opinions on innovation.

Help developing your idea

If you're considering setting up a business to manufacture, market and sell your new invention, or even just looking at ways of licensing it, there is a range of sources that can help you explore the alternatives.

These sources can assist you in assessing the commercial viability of your idea and in drawing up a business plan and finding sources of possible funding.

• Find out about the support available from the nine regional development agencies (RDAs) in England on the Department of Trade and Industry website
• Find out about the business support available in Northern Ireland on the Invest Northern Ireland website
• Find out about the business support available in Scotland on the Scottish Executive website
• Find out about the business support available in Wales on the Welsh Assembly Government website

Your local chamber of commerce should also be able to advise you. You may also be able to get help from one of the 12 EU-funded Business Innovation Centres (BICs) in the UK. These provide a range of services to inventors and innovative small businesses including:

• training
• help with business planning and finding finance
• mentoring
• strategic guidance
• access to premises
• business incubation

BICs have teams of technical managers responsible for developing new products and brokering links between groups, including innovators, marketers and manufacturers. Find your nearest BIC at the European BIC Network (EBN) website.

If you're looking to license or sell new technologies on a European level, or even just find partners to conduct further research, your local Innovation Relay Centre (IRC) is a key contact.

This EU-funded initiative acts as a broker to match businesses with similar technology needs and interests. Find your local IRC at the IRC Network website.

Find manufacturers to build a prototype

If you want to produce a working prototype of your invention, you'll probably need to work with a manufacturer or a centre specialising in rapid prototyping. A university or incubation centre may also be able to help.

Product designers and model makers also specialise in prototypes, particularly non-mechanical products. You can find product designers through the British Design Innovation (BDI) website.

The Department of Trade and Industry Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) can help you to source manufacturers as well as provide general help and advice. Find your regional MAS centre at the MAS website.

Your local library will have copies of trade directories containing lists of manufacturers and service providers.

Remember that if you're approaching manufacturers with a view to having a prototype produced, you'll need to ensure they don't make your invention public. If they do, its commercial success and eligibility for patent protection could be at risk.

As a result you'll probably want them to sign a confidentiality agreement.

You may want to seek legal advice when drawing up such an agreement.

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Help to ensure products are safe

Many products have to undergo third-party testing by law to ensure they are safe, while in some other cases the industry norm is to conduct safety tests. Testing centres or laboratories in the UK are accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). Using such a laboratory for product tests ensures that they will be carried out competently and that the results will be accepted in other markets.

One of the main providers of product-testing services accredited by UKAS is the British Standards Institute (BSI). It conducts tests on items such as electrical and gas appliances, engineering products, construction products, electrical components and medical equipment.

Attract funding for your invention

You may need to get some form of equity finance if your invention is to be realised commercially.

As a general rule, investors are more willing to fund an invention once the prototype stage is reached. They are unlikely to consider your project if you haven't prepared a well thought-out business plan.

There are two main options if you want to raise equity finance. You may be able to attract investment from business angels - wealthy individuals who invest in private companies. Venture-capital firms provide higher levels of investment in return for shares in a business - from £3 million upwards.

Learn more about equity finance from our other guides

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