One of our clients, a small engineering firm who are world leaders in their field, had been tackling complex technical challenges as part of their day-to-day work for years. Their engineers had been constantly developing bespoke designs, testing new approaches, and resolving performance issues on live client projects.
Despite this, the business had never made an R&D claim. Like many engineering firms, they assumed R&D only applied to laboratory-based research or ground-breaking inventions, not commercial projects or projects with down the line commercial aims.
After engaging us, the firm reviewed recent work through a different lens: technical uncertainty, experimentation, and iterative problem-solving. Several projects clearly met the criteria for qualifying R&D.
We found that much of their work was within the R&D regulations and showed clear advances in technology. The outcome was the recovery of thousands of pounds in R&D relief, improving cash flow and allowing the business to reinvest in its engineering capability.
The key lesson? If your engineers are pushing boundaries to solve problems without obvious solutions, you may already be doing qualifying R&D, you just call it Tuesday.
If you want to explore your options for R&D claims, email Tony at tbackhouse@rfm-more.co.uk
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