Food & Drink
Food and drink projects that may qualify for R&D tax relief include:
- Improving nutritional value within food content;
- Development of ingredients or food formulas that are both new and sustainable;
- Mitigating allergies such as dairy and gluten whilst maintaining taste;
- Development of food handling i.e faster, healthier and safer;
- Adapting ready meals to an healthier option with fewer preservatives and less salt;
- Improving shelf life through variation of processing, storage temperature and packaging;
- Developing more efficient ways to minimise contamination, waste and spoilage of products;
- Improving the taste, texture and consistency of food; or,
- Scaling up sample batches in a kitchen test environment to full production speed and quantity;
What activities can be included in a R&D project?
- Overcoming challenges and uncertainties;
- Designing and making products;
- Suggesting a more cost effective process;
- Suggesting a more time efficient process;
- Time spent researching and development of current projects;
- Seeking to improve processes, services, materials or devices;
- Production of prototypes or performance testing;
- Development of software or IT solutions;
- Investment in failed projects or developed products that are never launched/used;
- Efficiency of product, process or service;
- Employing any staff of a highly skilled background or with technical or scientific background;
What expenditure can be claimed for in a R&D project?
- Staff Costs – PAYE employee costs (salary, national insurance and employer pension) are apportioned for their time spent on the R&D project plus any reimbursed associated business expenses.
- Subcontracted R&D – You can claim 65% of what you paid your subcontractor in respect of R&D activities
- Software – Purchased for R&D purposes and costs apportioned for any subsequent use.
- Utilities & Consumables – Water, fuel, power, wastage material and material used in the project.
- Prototypes – Produced for R&D purposes
Get in touch today to see how we can help your business with your R&D tax claim.





or call us on 08003277514