Rhode Island innovators can now apply for financial help to protect their ideas.
Rhode Island Commerce is accepting applications for its Invention Incentive Program, which reimburses up to $5,000 in eligible costs tied to filing a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The application window is open through May 1, 2026, at 5 p.m. EST.
The program is open to Rhode Island-based small businesses with 500 or fewer employees — provided at least 51% of their workforce is located in the state — as well as individual inventors or teams of co-inventors who live in Rhode Island.
Gov. Dan McKee said the initiative is designed to turn ideas into tangible economic opportunities.
“When we invest in new ideas, we’re investing in economic growth, job creation, and a stronger, more competitive future for Rhode Island,” McKee said.
Reimbursements can cover legal and filing costs, including services from a USPTO-registered patent practitioner based in Rhode Island, along with federal application fees for provisional or nonprovisional patents.
Applicants must submit documentation for expenses incurred between May 27, 2025, and the May 1, 2026 deadline.
Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor said the program helps remove financial barriers for entrepreneurs.
“By helping offset the cost of securing a patent, we’re making it easier for inventors to protect their ideas and move them forward,” Pryor said.
Launched in 2025, the Invention Incentive Program is part of Rhode Island Commerce’s broader Innovation Initiatives Portfolio, which supports entrepreneurship and business growth statewide.
Commerce is also accepting applications for its Innovation Voucher program through April 28, 2026.
https://commerceri.com/invention-incentive-program/
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