Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

BC&A Innovation

R&D Spotlight

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are some of the most exciting and technically challenging fields in the digital economy. From building smarter software to powering new solutions in healthcare, finance, logistics, and beyond, businesses working in AI and ML are often right on the edge of what’s technically possible.

To qualify for R&D tax relief, your work needs to involve advancing science or technology in a way that wasn’t already established or easily achievable. This means tackling technical uncertainties, where the outcome isn’t guaranteed and requires experimentation, prototyping, or problem-solving to achieve.

AI and ML projects often involve exactly this kind of activity – whether you’re creating new models, improving the performance of existing algorithms, or applying machine learning techniques in ways that haven’t been done before.

Here are some examples of how AI and ML development work might qualify for R&D tax relief:

Developing Novel Machine Learning Models

Building completely new ML models to solve unique problems, particularly when existing models or libraries are not sufficient. This could include natural language processing, computer vision, or predictive analytics applications.

Improving Model Accuracy or Performance

Experimenting with different architectures, training techniques, or datasets to improve the accuracy, speed, or scalability of machine learning models in real-world environments.

Handling Complex or Unstructured Data

Developing methods to process and analyse large volumes of messy, unstructured, or incomplete data – such as audio, video, sensor data, or customer feedback – in ways that deliver reliable insights.

Solving Deployment or Integration Challenges

Overcoming technical barriers to integrate AI or ML solutions into existing business processes, legacy systems, or resource-constrained environments (such as mobile apps or embedded devices).

Creating Real-Time or On-Device AI Solutions

Developing AI or ML applications that run in real-time or on edge devices, such as smartphones, wearables, or IoT hardware, where performance and resource limitations present unique technical challenges.

Ensuring AI Transparency and Explainability

Building systems that provide clear, interpretable outputs from complex models, helping users understand how decisions are made – a key technical challenge in many regulated industries.

Developing Custom Tools or Frameworks

Creating new libraries, tools, or frameworks to support machine learning development or deployment, especially when existing solutions don’t meet the specific needs of your project.

If your AI or ML projects involve experimentation, technical problem-solving, or pushing the limits of what’s currently possible, you could be eligible for R&D tax relief.

Our Process

What to expect when working with
BC&A Innovation

1. Discovery Call

Book your FREE 15 minute discovery call today to discuss your R&D activity and we'll guide you on best next steps and estimated claim value.

2. Information gathering

Our technical experts and industry specialists will work with you to uncover all areas of work activity eligible under the R&D scheme, ensuring we have everything we need to support a robust, defensible and maximised claim.

3. Create R&D Tax Claim

Our technical experts will write your claim and supporting documents with a clear assessment of your eligible activity and costs, ensuring compliance with the scheme's governance throughout.

4. Approval & Submission

We'll share, for your approval, the claim draft and supporting documentation. We'll explain in detail how we have arrived at our assessment of your claimable activity, costs and claim value. When you're happy, your claim can be submitted as part of your standard end-of-year processes.

5. Liaising with HMRC

Should HMRC require any further information or have queries regarding your claim, we'll liaise with them to ensure speedy payment without any reduction in claim value.

6. Payment

Once your payment is received, we'll send it across the same working day and advise you on processes that can be put in place to make future claims even more hassle-free. Don't worry about claims going forward, we'll be in regular contact to remind you what is needed and when.

About BC&A Innovation

We've helped hundreds of businesses like yours secure millions in Research & Development tax relief

Our team recognises the importance of R&D in advancing UK businesses, big and small, and we understand the time burden, resources and complexities of claiming tax relief for that R&D. These constraints often leave companies failing to get the tax relief they’re entitled to or underclaiming significantly due to unclear, often confusing guidelines about what constitutes R&D. As experts in R&D tax relief, we’re here to unblur the lines and create robust, defensible and maximised claims on your behalf.

We’re experienced tax professionals, accountants and technical experts with a deep understanding of the R&D tax relief regulations. We’ve worked in many of the industries we now serve and are ideally placed to understand your business’ R&D Activities. As part of HMRC’s panel on R&D, we stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the guidance, to provide our clients with the most accurate and up-to-date advice.

At BC&A Innovation we take the burden of claim generation away from the business so you can do what you do best, while we do what we do best. We pride ourselves on our integrity, professionalism and commitment to our clients.

Not sure if you qualify for R&D tax relief? Book a FREE discovery call today.

Many of the businesses we work with were unsure if they qualified for R&D tax relief at first. A few had even been told by other agencies that they could not claim. Yet, with our help they were able to correctly identify eligible R&D projects and claim back vital funds.

As experts in HMRC’s definitions of Research & Development, we’ll be able to tell you if you should make a claim or not. We’re success fee based, which means it isn’t in our interest or yours to take forward claims that won’t pass HMRC’s stringent checks. If we say it’s worth doing, you can take that to the bank.

Ready for a discovery call? Think of it as a no-obligation chat where we can discuss the work you’ve undertaken and identify tax-saving opportunities. Our expert consultants are keen to speak with you.