The Education Review Call for Evidence and Feedback report findings are out now, click here.
IPReg is embarking on an education review as part of fulfilling our delegated regulatory responsibilities and delivering our strategic priorities. This is to ensure qualification routes into the trade mark and patent attorney professions remain responsive to changing needs and that we continue to exercise our accreditation role in robust, proportionate ways. The review is future-focused. It is not about making changes to IPReg’s current requirements and arrangements in the short-term.
The Education Review’s purpose is to ensure the qualification routes into the patent attorney and trade mark attorney professions remain up-to-date and responsive to changes in professional practice, employer and consumer needs. We also want to understand and address current barriers to entry to each profession. This includes to identify how qualification routes can be more accessible and inclusive, while ensuring that high education and professional standards continue to be upheld.
Collaborating with stakeholders is central to how we are conducting the Review. Stakeholder engagement in our Call for Evidence and Feedback has formed the first key stage of the project. The Call ran from February to April 2026. You can access the full and summary reports on our Call findings here. The Call responses will inform our development of proposals and draft materials. We will seek comments on these through a formal consultation exercise. The consultation is due to open from late 2026 or early 2027.
The Education Review is addressing complex, multi-faceted issues. We are seeking to do this collaboratively with stakeholders to identify the potential need for change. We have no pre-formed solutions. The timeframes for progressing the Review and formulating proposals for any future change will be informed by stakeholder input and feedback. Any changes arising from the Review will be introduced with due notice. We will work with stakeholders to formulate realistic timeframes to implement the Review’s agreed outputs and outcomes. This includes to ensure appropriate lead-in times to any changes being made and to provide clarity and certainty for all parties.
Please see the Education Review FAQs for further information. For further enquiries please email edreview@ipreg.org.uk. To receive issues of the Education Review newsletter, sign up here: https://ipreg.kit.com/c31a7b5efc.