Fees for national listing and plant breeders’ rights

UK national listing: fees

To apply to add a new plant variety to the UK national lists you will need to pay:

• an administration fee of £450
• a DUS testing fee - this will depend on the crop you are testing
• a technical management fee of £165 for a value for cultivation and use test (VCU)

You do not need to pay a VCU technical management fee if you are adding a vegetable variety or an amenity grass.

As part of your application, you may also need to pay:

• to maintain the reference collection with an annual fee - the fee depends on the crop you are testing
• £30 to apply to change a name on the national list
• £30 for APHA to receive your representations in writing if you object to a decision or a proposal it

UK plant breeders’ rights: fees

To apply for UK plant breeders’ rights you will need to pay:

• an administration fee of £450
• a distinct, uniform and stable (DUS) testing fee - this will depend on the crop variety you are testing

You may also need to pay:

• £30 for APHA to receive your representations in writing if you object to a decision or a proposal
• £65 if you request a hearing with the controller because your initial objection is not accepted it
• £65 to apply for a compulsory licence

Combined administration fee for national listing and plant breeders’ rights

Applying to add a new variety to the national list and applying for plant breeders’ rights are separate processes. You can apply for national listing and plant breeders’ rights at the same time for agricultural and vegetable varieties.

If you apply for national listing and plant breeders’ rights at the same time, you’ll only have to pay one combined administration fee of £450. This includes if you apply within the same month.

If you apply separately or in different months, you’ll pay the administration fee for each application

Fees for distinct, uniform and stable (DUS) testing

The tables show the agricultural, vegetable and ornamental varieties the UK has the capability to do DUS testing for and the fee for each. At the end of the testing, you will get a DUS report.

Once you have your DUS report, you can use it for other applications. You do not need to pay for another DUS report. For example, if you get DUS testing for national listing, you can use it for your plant breeders’ rights application.

If the UK test centre does not have the capability to carry out DUS tests of your variety, APHA will send you an invoice in pounds (£) for varieties tested by other DUS testing authorities.

Agricultural and vegetable crops

Ornamental crops

Ornamental crops usually take one year to test. Sometimes more tests are needed to establish a variety is distinct, uniform and stable. In this instance, you will need to pay the DUS test fee for each year of testing.

DUS report purchase

If the UK needs to purchase a DUS report for your variety, APHA will send you an invoice in pounds (£). The cost is variable and dependent upon current exchange rates. For the current fee, contact pvs.helpdesk@apha.gov.uk.

You will be invoiced for the DUS report purchase shortly after the administration fee, even if the report has not yet been issued. This will allow APHA to request the DUS report as soon as it has been completed.

Conservation varieties of agricultural or vegetable species: fees

For conservation varieties, the administration fee is £175.

Amateur vegetable varieties: fees

The administration fee is £100 for amateur vegetable varieties.

Administration fee collection

APHA issues invoices after it publishes the application in the Seeds Gazette.

This is usually the month after APHA receives your application. For example, if you send your application in January, you will receive an invoice in late February.

Contact sscl.receipts@gov.sscl.com if you have questions about invoices.

Annual fee for reference collection

The annual fee covers the maintenance of the reference collection. You will need to pay it once a year, usually in February. APHA will invoice you.

The annual charges only apply to some crop types. These are:

• £212 for potatoes
• £422 for herbage including perennial, Italian, hybrid rye grass and white clover
• £180 for swede

You do not need to pay an annual charge for all other crop types.