The United Kingdom has officially joined the electronic plant variety protection (PVP) system known as UPOV e-PVP, a blockchain-based platform designed to streamline PVP administration through secure data exchange and improved efficiency.
In addition to supporting national processes, UPOV e-PVP provides the foundation for cooperation among UPOV members in the administration, examination of applications and grants of PVP.
Welcoming the news, Pete Scotting – Plant Varieties and Seeds (PVS) Manager at the UK Plant Variety Office stated:
“The UK Plant Variety Office is very pleased about the migration to the UPOV e-PVP system. This will bring multi-faceted benefits to both the Office and our applicants. UPOV e-PVP streamlines the entire application process for all Variety Listing and Plant Breeders’ Rights applications, including Amateur Vegetable and Conservation Varieties, and greatly improves traceability and end-to-end communication. The platform automates Gazette publication and Grant Certification, and we’ve adopted the DUS Exchange Module to expedite DUS report acquisition. This marks a significant step forward in improving efficiency and the user experience. The UK will also promote UPOV e-PVP to international colleagues to support shared enhancements.”
The integration of the UK into UPOV e-PVP follows a period of close technical collaboration and system customization. In 2024, the UK began adapting the platform’s administration module to align with its national procedures, ensuring a smooth transition while maintaining alignment with international standards. The move builds on the UK's broader digitalization efforts in the plant variety protection field.
"It has been a great collaboration with the UK Plant Variety Rights Office and the Delivering Sustainable Futures Programme team. The effort has successfully enabled the migration of around 50,000 records, with another 35,000 queued for the next batch. This marks the beginning of the journey towards adopting the new UPOV e-PVP system—paving the way for greater transparency, improved data quality, and enhanced agility." said Hend Madhour UPOV’s Head of IT.
The United Kingdom has been an active participant of UPOV’s digital tools, having joined UPOV PRISMA in 2018: the online application tool for filing applications across PVP Offices worldwide, and making its use mandatory for applicants in 2021.
In the early days of April 2025, a series of targeted training sessions were held by UPOV in collaboration with the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to support the country’s transition to the UPOV e-PVP platform.
A dedicated session for stakeholders introduced the UPOV e-PVP Applicant Monitoring module, which enables applicants and their agents to track the progress of applications and receive timely updates.
The session also addressed the migration of legacy data into UPOV e-PVP and explained how access rights are managed in line with existing UPOV PRISMA configurations.
During these sessions, it was announced that as of April 14, 2025, filing applications for Amateur Vegetable and Conservation varieties via UPOV PRISMA will become mandatory in the UK.
The UPOV e-PVP software package provides the following components to assist UPOV members in implementing the UPOV system of plant variety protection:
- UPOV PRISMA: an online application tool for filing applications across PVP Offices worldwide.
- PLUTO Database: A comprehensive source of plant variety information from all UPOV members.
- UPOV e-PVP Administration Module: digitalized system for PVP offices to manage applications and grants, communicate with applicants and holders, publish information and transmit data to the PLUTO Database.
- UPOV e-PVP DUS Report Exchange Module: platform for PVP offices to exchange DUS reports.
UPOV congratulates the United Kingdom on this important milestone and remains committed to supporting its members in strengthening and modernizing their PVP systems through e-PVP's collaborative digital solutions.