Get a grant

KEY POINTS

• Grants can complement research and development tax strategy.
• Funding agencies offer support.
• Impact of a grant on research and development relief.
• Beware of payments of subcontractors.

Research and development tax relief is not the only form of incentive open to innovative companies. Indeed tax relief is not always an appropriate commercial strategy for such activities.

There are a number of reasons for this. First the UK research and development schemes are notoriously complex and many companies are put off by the costs and uncertainty involved.

Similarly UK research and development activity can obtain tax relief only where the entity carrying it out is liable to UK corporation tax ie usually where the business is conducted through a limited company.

Many companies and businesses conducting research and development...