Typical Areas of R&D Activity

• Renewable energy systems, including the design and optimisation of solar, wind, hydro and tidal energy technologies.
• Energy storage and battery innovation, covering materials research, BMS development, lifecycle optimisation and recyclability.
• Grid stability and integration, developing control algorithms, predictive models and distributed generation frameworks.
• Carbon capture and utilisation, designing processes for capture, conversion and safe storage of CO₂ and other emissions.
• Energy efficiency technologies, improving thermal systems, heat exchangers, HVAC optimisation and insulation performance.
• Environmental monitoring and analytics, developing hardware and software for sensing, modelling and predictive analysis.
• Water and waste management, innovations in filtration, treatment, recycling and process automation.
• Hydrogen systems and fuel infrastructure, focusing on storage, distribution and combustion efficiency.
• Sustainable materials and processes, developing biodegradable, recyclable or lower-carbon alternatives in manufacturing.

Common Challenges

Energy and environmental projects often face uncertainty across multiple technical fronts, including material science, chemical processes, control systems and compliance frameworks. Capturing this work within a claim requires clear technical reasoning and evidence of overcoming uncertainty, even where results form part of broader sustainability programmes.

• Establishing technical baselines, defining what was known or available before the project began.
• Quantifying uncertainty, demonstrating why existing solutions were insufficient or unreliable for the desired outcome.
• Separating routine work from innovation, ensuring eligible experimentation is clearly evidenced.
• Validating environmental impact, linking measurable performance improvements to technical advances.
• Managing subcontracted R&D, especially for specialist testing or field trials conducted by third parties.

How We Support You

• Partner-led discovery sessions with engineers, project managers and sustainability specialists to surface eligible activity.
• Detailed analysis of experimental design, modelling and test data to align with HMRC’s interpretation of qualifying R&D.
• Financial mapping of staffing, subcontracting, consumables, cloud computing and software costs under the merged RDEC framework.
• Identification of UK-based qualifying work for projects involving international collaboration or remote deployment.
• Preparation of defensible technical narratives and cost breakdowns ready for submission or enquiry review.
• Comprehensive enquiry defence and representation included as standard across all client engagements.