Shelley Engineering is a specialist metal manufacturing company. Their advanced workshop facilities include the latest design, construction and finishing technologies, allowing them to deliver a wide range of challenging and varied metalwork projects.
Shelley’s expertise and focus led to them deliver over 1,500 individual projects – a huge portfolio of different works that needed to be assessed for what was potential eligible R&D activity before a claim could be prepared. We also needed to identify works that had occurred during refinements of existing systems and products, that would also fall under the HRMC R&D Tax Relief scheme.
An extensive research exercise by our consultant team, uncovered 125 projects that were classified as potentially eligible for a tax credit claim. A particular highlight was a programme of works relating to air-conditioning on The London Underground.
Air conditioning tanks used in the Underground trains were leaking and cracking on a regular basis due to constant expansion and contraction related to rapid and frequent temperatures fluctuations
Shelley Engineering’s team sought to reduce the deterioration and cracking of the tanks by reviewing and improving the tanks’ construction methods and materials.
A multi-stage iterative process of investigation, engineering, prototyping, and testing was undertaken producing a new design for the tanks that created a best balance of temperature resistance and durability, balanced with the cost and ease of production.
This project to improve an existing design, is a great example of an enhancement activity that many of our customers would not imagine to be eligible for R&D tax credits. But, when evidenced and presented correctly with a well-constructed technical report, we were able to process a successful and substantial claim for Shelley Engineering.
If you’re a small to medium company in the UK, you could also be claiming back up to £33 on every £100 spent on R&D. The work you do that qualifies for the R&D tax credits scheme — often embedded in the day-to-day running of your business — may surprise you.
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