PRODUCT LICENSING EVALUATION
A written assessment of market, competition, and licensing fit
Enhance reviews your concept against the same factors we use when deciding whether to invest our own design and outreach time. You receive the report either way. A small share of submissions may be invited into a separate contingency representation agreement.
WHAT THE EVALUATION INCLUDES
MARKET CONTEXT
Category, buyer, and channel notes so you can see whether there is a real place on the shelf — and how big that place actually is.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
The products and brands a licensee would compare you against, plus where your concept is differentiated or crowded.
LICENSING FIT
Our recommendation on next steps or an invitation to discuss a separate contingency agreement. Most submissions will not be invited.
PRODUCT LICENSING EVALUATION
A written report covering:
- The problem and buyer you described, restated in commercial terms
- Category and channel context (who buys this kind of product, and how)
- Competitive set and differentiation gaps
- Order-of-magnitude market context (not a guarantee of demand)
- Practical flags: manufacturing complexity, safety/regulatory, retail economics, IP obviousness as a business risk (not a legal opinion)
- Licensing feasibility: why a manufacturer would or would not take this on
- A clear recommendation: does not proceed / proceed only after defined work / invited to discuss contingency representation
Typical turnaround: 15 business days after we have a complete submission.
PRICE: $999
NOW: $799
Disclaimer: Enhance Innovations is not a law firm and is not authorized to provide you with legal advice, consultation or services.
WHY GET AN EVALUATION FIRST?
SEE THE MARKET
You get a plain-language read on category, buyer, and competition. That is the same homework a licensee does in the first ten minutes — except you see it before you spend on presentation materials.
"YES" OR "NO"
Most concepts will not be invited onto our contingency track. A “no” with reasons is still useful. You are not paying for encouragement, but rather a bonafide assessment of your invention.
OUTSIDE ASSESSMENT
Friends and family will tell you the idea is great. A licensee will not. This is a structured second opinion from a team that only continues when we are willing to put our own design time behind the product.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The common questions we receive regarding the product licensing evaluation and design/licensing on contingency.
What is the Product Licensing Evaluation?
A written review of your concept’s market, competition, and licensing fit. You receive the report either way. It is not a patent opinion, not a promise of a license, and not automatic enrollment in representation.
How much does it cost?
$799. That fee pays for the research and the report. It is not a deposit on a license and it does not buy a positive result.
What will I receive?
A written report that typically covers:
- The problem and buyer, restated in commercial terms
- Category and channel context
- A competitive set and differentiation gaps
- Order-of-magnitude market context (not a guarantee of demand)
- Practical flags: manufacturing complexity, safety or regulatory issues, retail economics, and crowded IP as a business risk
- A licensing recommendation: does not proceed / proceed only after defined work / invited to discuss contingency representation
How long does it take?
Most evaluations are completed within 15 business days after we have everything we need to start.
What do I need to submit?
A description of the product, how it works, the problem it solves, the intended customer, and any drawings, photos, prototypes, or research you already have. Clear information produces a better report.
Do I need a patent or prototype first?
No. Early-stage concepts are accepted. Drawings or a prototype help us evaluate the idea more accurately. A patent filing, if you want one, is your decision with your own patent counsel.
How does Enhance decide whether a product is invited onto the contingency track?
We score the concept against a consistent set of factors: differentiation, channel fit, likely cost versus retail, competitive crowding, safety or regulatory burden, and whether a manufacturer would have a reason to take it on. Invitation is based on overall fit, not one factor. Most submissions will not be invited.
Does an invitation mean my product will be licensed?
No. An invitation means we are willing to put specified design work and outreach time behind the concept under a separate agreement. No firm can guarantee a license or commercial success. Few independent inventions are licensed, and fewer still return more than the inventor spent.
What happens if my product is invited?
You will receive a written invitation that lists the design work we would complete (the Sapphire presentation package: concept sketches, photoreal renderings, logo, marketing deck, and patent drawings, with the revision rounds stated in the invitation) and a separate representation agreement. There is no additional design fee if you sign that agreement. Invitation is optional. You can decline and keep the report.
What does contingency representation mean?
Enhance is paid from royalties and other license proceeds actually received, under a written representation agreement. That agreement will state the commission, term, exclusivity or non-exclusivity, and what happens if you later license the product yourself. Those terms are shown before you sign, not after outreach begins.
Are there any other fees if I am invited?
No additional Enhance design fee for the work listed in the invitation. You remain responsible for your own patent-attorney costs, filing fees, prototypes you choose to build, and any third-party costs outside the invitation. If a later scope is needed (for example CAD or animation beyond Sapphire), that is quoted separately and is optional.
What happens if my product is not invited?
You keep the completed report. There is no obligation to continue. If you buy an eligible Enhance design package within 12 months, the $799 is credited in full.
Do I have to buy a design package if I am not invited?
No. The credit is available if you decide further development is the right next step. It is not a requirement.
Why might a product not be invited?
Common reasons include a crowded category, limited channel, weak differentiation, difficult manufacturing economics, safety or regulatory burden, or a concept that a licensee would be unlikely to take in its current form. A “does not proceed” result does not mean the idea has no value. It means we are not prepared to fund the next stage ourselves.
Is the evaluation fee refundable?
Once research has started, the fee is not refundable because the work has been performed. If you cancel before work begins, we will refund it. If the product is not invited, the evaluation fee ($799) may be applied to an eligible design package within 12 months. That credit is not a cash refund.
Does Enhance provide legal advice?
No. Enhance is a product design and licensing firm, not a law firm. We do not advise on patentability, infringement, or claim scope. Consider independent patent counsel before public disclosure or filing.
Who owns the invention?
You do. Enhance does not take ownership of your concept in exchange for the evaluation.
Can I talk to companies myself?
Yes. The evaluation does not lock you into exclusive representation. If you later sign a representation agreement, that agreement will state whether outreach is exclusive and how independently sourced deals are handled.
Why charge for the evaluation?
A useful review takes research time. The fee pays for that work and keeps the queue limited to inventors who want a real answer. We decline most concepts for contingency work. That is the point of paying for an evaluation instead of a full package.
How do I get started?
Complete the evaluation form and submit your materials. You will receive the evaluation agreement and required service disclosures before you pay. After payment and a complete submission, the review begins.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Learn more about our design and licensing services on contingency.