In this episode of The Grant, I’m joined by Juan Luis Rodrigues Quintero from RTDS Group to dive into a sometimes underestimated element of EU proposals: intellectual property (IP). Juan brings practical insights from years of proposal writing and implementation support, showing how IP is about much more than legal jargon - it’s about safeguarding your innovation and ensuring your consortium has a clear, credible plan for results exploitation. We explore why so many IP sections fall flat and how to make sure yours doesn't.

We also reflect on how freedom to operate, access rights, and foreground/background IP must be considered from the start and not just when the grant is secured. Juan shares the kind of red flags evaluators notice in poorly written IP sections and how strategic thinking here can support your impact narrative. Whether you're an SME, coordinator, or support team, this episode will help you move beyond templates and think IP from a real implementation perspective.

Time codes:

00:01:57 Introduction

00:03:16 Fly in

00:05:52 Why IP matters at the proposal stage

00:13:40 When and how to start the IP conversation

00:32:41 Building a robust IP strategy for your proposal

01:02:32 Key lessons and recommendations

01:09:30 The toughest challenge