Invention Help Companies: Who to Hire and Scams to Avoid
How invention help companies work, what real development support costs, and the red flags that signal an invention promotion scam.
June 19, 20182 min read
Written by Yelena Rymbayeva, MPhil Communication & Media Studies, BTech Quality Control
Marketing & Product Leader, Technology Commercialization
Published June 19, 2018Updated August 18, 2026
Real invention help comes from three kinds of professional - a patent attorney, a product development firm and a contract manufacturer - hired in that rough order and paid for defined deliverables. Anyone offering all of it for one upfront fee, with a guarantee attached, is selling something else. This guide breaks down who does what, what each stage costs, and how to structure the engagement so you keep the IP.
The three providers and what they deliver
Provider | Hire them for | Deliverable | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Patent attorney | Patentability, filings, claims | Prior-art opinion, provisional or utility filing | $2,000-$20,000+ |
Product development firm | Turning a concept into a manufacturable design | CAD, prototypes, test reports, production files | $10,000-$150,000 |
Contract manufacturer | Building at volume | Tooling, first article, production units | $1-$15+ per unit plus tooling |
Marketing or PR help | Demand after the product exists | Launch assets, channel plan | $3,000-$25,000 |
The order to hire in
- Validate first, cheaply. Twenty buyer conversations cost nothing and change the brief.
- Prior-art search before any design spend - a $1,500 search can save a $60,000 mistake.
- Concept and prototype to prove the one function everything depends on.
- Provisional patent once the concept is enabling and concrete.
- Design for manufacture, then quote tooling with two or three factories.
- Marketing last, when there is a shipping date to sell against.
How to spot an invention promotion scam
- Guarantees of success, licensing or shelf placement. Nobody can promise these.
- A large upfront fee for "submitting your idea to manufacturers" from an unnamed list.
- Unsolicited praise for an idea they have barely seen, followed by urgency.
- Refusal to disclose their success rate in writing - the American Inventors Protection Act requires disclosure.
- Ownership of your patent or tooling written into their terms.
- No engineers on staff and no portfolio of shipped products you can verify.
Questions to ask before signing
- Who owns the CAD, drawings, test data and tooling on payment? The answer must be you.
- What are the deliverables per phase, and what does each phase cost?
- Which engineer will actually do the work, and can I speak with them?
- Show me two products you took from concept to production in my category.
- What happens if the prototype fails its test - who pays for the next iteration?
What free and low-cost invention help exists
- USPTO Pro Bono and Patent Pro Se assistance for qualifying independent inventors.
- Patent and Trademark Resource Centers for guided prior-art searching.
- SBDC and SCORE advisors for business model and funding questions.
- University maker spaces and state manufacturing extension partnership offices for prototyping and supplier introductions.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get help with an invention idea?
Start with a registered patent attorney for a prior-art opinion and a product development firm for feasibility. Both should quote fixed-fee phases. Free guidance is available through USPTO Pro Bono, Patent and Trademark Resource Centers and SCORE.
Are invention help companies legitimate?
Engineering firms, patent attorneys and manufacturers are legitimate and are paid for defined deliverables. Invention promotion companies that charge thousands upfront to "present your idea to industry" have a documented record of near-zero success and are regulated for that reason.
How much does invention help cost?
Budget $1,500-$5,000 for search and a provisional filing, $10,000-$60,000 for design and prototyping on a typical consumer product, and tooling from $8,000 upward. Paying more than roughly $10,000 before you have a working prototype is a warning sign.
Do I need a patent before hiring an engineer?
No. Sign a mutual NDA and an agreement assigning all work product to you. Most inventors file a provisional after the first prototype, when the description is concrete enough to support later claims.
Related reading: how to patent an idea, choosing an invention prototype company and talk to our team.
Frequently asked questions
How to spot an invention promotion scam?
Guarantees of success, licensing or shelf placement. Nobody can promise these.. A large upfront fee for "submitting your idea to manufacturers" from an unnamed list.. Unsolicited praise for an idea they have barely seen, followed by urgency.. Refusal to disclose their success rate in writing - the American Inventors Protection Act requires disclosure.. Ownership of your patent or tooling written into their terms.. No engineers on staff and no portfolio of shipped products you can verify.
What free and low-cost invention help exists?
USPTO Pro Bono and Patent Pro Se assistance for qualifying independent inventors.. Patent and Trademark Resource Centers for guided prior-art searching.. SBDC and SCORE advisors for business model and funding questions.. University maker spaces and state manufacturing extension partnership offices for prototyping and supplier introductions.
Where can I get help with an invention idea?
Start with a registered patent attorney for a prior-art opinion and a product development firm for feasibility. Both should quote fixed-fee phases. Free guidance is available through USPTO Pro Bono, Patent and Trademark Resource Centers and SCORE.
Are invention help companies legitimate?
Engineering firms, patent attorneys and manufacturers are legitimate and are paid for defined deliverables. Invention promotion companies that charge thousands upfront to "present your idea to industry" have a documented record of near-zero success and are regulated for that reason.
How much does invention help cost?
Budget $1,500-$5,000 for search and a provisional filing, $10,000-$60,000 for design and prototyping on a typical consumer product, and tooling from $8,000 upward. Paying more than roughly $10,000 before you have a working prototype is a warning sign.
Do I need a patent before hiring an engineer?
No. Sign a mutual NDA and an agreement assigning all work product to you. Most inventors file a provisional after the first prototype, when the description is concrete enough to support later claims. Related reading: how to patent an idea , choosing an invention prototype company and talk to our team .
Filed under:Inspiration
Tagged:Digital Marketing for InventionsSocial Media MarketingSocial Media Marketing InventionsSocial Media Marketing New Inventions
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