As the face of the IAP in a participating country, focal points work in partnership with WIPO to implement the program locally. The main roles of a focal are the following:

The IAP helps you support local inventors beyond your borders. The Program’s volunteers support inventors filing in your own country, through the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and in selected jurisdictions. The Program’s global reach can plug into established local support programs, giving inventors access to patent professionals beyond their own country.

Focal points gain access to customizable digital infrastructure, the IAP Online Platform, to implement the program. This tool allows potential inventors to apply to the program from anywhere at any time and can include custom questions at the request of a participating country. It also gives focal points a dashboard to manage the program and run metrics. Our partners can implement the IAP quickly, leveraging fully automated communications, allowing focal points to focus on value added interactions with inventors and volunteers.

Learn more about how the IAP Online Platform works by visiting our Frequently Asked Questions.

Focal points become part of the IAP’s community, and have opportunities to hear about best practices across the program’s participating countries. WIPO also works closely with focal points to run promotion events and tackles challenges encountered when assisting local innovations. The IAP’s sponsors, including professional associations and corporations, also support focal points. Program sponsors assist in the recruitment of volunteers and potential beneficiary inventors, among other activities.