UK businesses claimed £7.5bn last year. If your business innovates, develops, or solves technical problems — you may have an unclaimed share. Check in 2 minutes, free.
Free · No registration · 2 minutes · No fee unless you claim
7 quick questions about your sector, team and development work
Personalised eligibility score, estimated claim value and audit risk
Free specialist assessment — no fee unless your claim succeeds
The rules changed significantly in April 2024. The old SME scheme and large-company RDEC were replaced by a single Merged Scheme — and most content online still reflects the old rules.
Here is what the current system looks like for accounting periods starting from 1 April 2024:
| Your situation | Scheme | Effective relief |
|---|---|---|
| Most companies — profit-making or modest losses | Merged RDEC | 15–16.2% of qualifying spend |
| Loss-making SME spending 30%+ on R&D | ERIS | Up to 27% of qualifying spend |
The central test is technological uncertainty — your project must resolve a scientific or technological uncertainty that a competent professional could not easily resolve. This applies across almost every sector.
A specialist typically identifies far more qualifying expenditure than a business owner would alone, and their fee is usually paid from the claim itself.
HMRC has significantly increased scrutiny since 2022. Our grader measures your audit risk so you understand where you stand before taking any action.
The specialist firms we connect you with operate on a no-win-no-fee basis. If your claim is unsuccessful, you pay nothing. If it succeeds, their fee is taken from the recovered amount.
The free assessment takes around 15 minutes and gives you a definitive answer on whether your business qualifies.
