November 2025

You're Already Doing R&D

If you run a small business in engineering, manufacturing, or software, you’re probably doing R&D without even realising it.

You just call it problem-solving.
Or fixing what the supplier couldn’t.
Or simply Tuesday.

What counts as R&D?

R&D (Research & Development) isn’t just lab coats and billion-pound budgets. It’s any project where you’re trying to solve a technical challenge that doesn’t have a readily available and obvious answer.

If you’ve ever:

• Built or improved a product, process, or piece of software
• Tested different materials, configurations, or algorithms
• Tried to make something faster, stronger, smarter, or more efficient

That could be R&D.

Why it matters...

R&D tax relief opens up opportunities companies that innovate and take risks. It can return up to 25% of your qualifying costs, on things like staff time, materials, and software.

For many SMEs, that’s thousands back each year, cash you can reinvest straight into your next project (or just into keeping the lights on while you build the next big thing).

Am I doing R&D?

Ask yourself:

Did my team have to experiment, test, or prototype to make something work?

Were we solving a problem no one else had solved in quite this way?

Did we face technical uncertainties along the way?

If yes → you’re doing R&D. You just call it “getting the job done.”

Think you have a project to consider? Contact me for a free consultation today: tbackhouse@rfm-more.co.uk