| Question | Answer |
| How much does it cost? | We charge fixed fees starting from £249 including VAT for UK residents. |
| Are there additional fees? | TBB does not itself charge any additional fees for assessment or marketing. If a commercial agreement is made there may be fees to third parties such as the Patent Office or such things as the Inventor's own expenses. This will depend entirely on the nature of the idea and the route-to-market. Payment of these is entirely the inventor’s decision subject to any commercial agreement. |
| What percentage of the proceeds will I receive? | If TBB believes that the idea can be turned into a sound commercial venture then typically the Inventor will receive two thirds of any proceeds and TBB will receive one third. Precise arrangements will depend on the product or service and the market. Please note that this is before any tax provisions. These will depend on individual circumstances. Click here for more details. |
| Will TBB put money into my idea? | TBB does not provide funds itself. If TBB thinks the idea is commercially worthwhile it will approach other companies or organisations that could develop the idea and take it to market. Sometimes TBB will start a company with the Inventor. |
| Does TBB raise funds? | TBB does not raise funds for business finance or give financial advice. TBB will approach other companies on behalf of the inventor to get ideas developed. TBB may create a company in conjunction with the Inventor. It may be possible to get Business Angel funding |
| How do I get paid? | Depending on the commercial agreements in place the Inventor may get either a one-off payment for the idea, a share of the product revenues, or a combination of the two. If a company is created then Inventor gets a share of the equity. |
| Are fees returnable? | The initial assessment fee is not returnable. We encourage Inventors to check out the free services from the Patent Office and others to avoid disappointment. |
| Will I get the results of any Patent Search or Commercial Review? | If we decide not to go ahead with your idea we will return your original documents. At our discretion we will supply any patent or other information relevant to our decision. We may be precluded from doing this by confidentiality agreements with other people such as manufacturers and other inventors if there is a conflict of interest. For our Inventor Service, detailed information from the Patent Attorney's report and any detailed commercial information would only be provided as a result of entering into a commercial agreement with TBB. |
| Who checks how much I should be paid? | As part of its service, TBB will manage commercial agreements to ensure that proper records are kept and appropriate payments are made. |
| Will TBB provide financial or investment advice? | TBB does not offer any form of financial advice. You are encouraged to contact a professional financial adviser if you need this kind of help. |
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