Veterinary Science and Animal Health

BC&A Innovation

R&D Spotlight

The UK’s veterinary and animal health sector plays a vital role in supporting the welfare of pets, livestock, and wildlife. Whether you’re developing new treatments, improving diagnostic tools, or advancing animal nutrition and welfare, the industry relies on continuous innovation to keep pace with animal health challenges and regulatory demands.

R&D tax relief is designed to reward businesses that advance scientific or technological knowledge by overcoming technical uncertainties. In veterinary science and animal health, this could involve research into disease control, drug formulation, nutritional products, or technology that improves animal welfare.

These projects don’t have to be carried out in high-end laboratories. Veterinary practices, animal feed producers, pharmaceutical companies, and animal tech businesses across the UK often carry out qualifying R&D without even realising it.

Here are some examples of qualifying activities in veterinary science and animal health:

Developing New Animal Medicines or Vaccines

Researching and testing new veterinary treatments, vaccines, or therapies to tackle animal diseases, improve recovery rates, or reduce reliance on antibiotics, particularly when outcomes require experimentation and clinical validation.

Improving Animal Feed and Nutrition

Developing new animal feed formulations to improve health, growth, or productivity in livestock, aquaculture, or pet nutrition. This could include testing novel ingredients or creating species-specific diets.

Enhancing Animal Welfare through Technology

Creating new technologies such as wearable monitoring devices, welfare assessment tools, or remote health tracking systems that help vets and farmers monitor animal health and behaviour more effectively.

Advancing Diagnostic Tools and Equipment

Developing improved diagnostic tests, equipment, or software for early detection of diseases or health conditions in pets, livestock, or aquatic species.

Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Researching alternatives to antibiotics, including probiotics, prebiotics, or novel treatment methods, to help reduce antimicrobial resistance in animals.

Improving Livestock Management Systems

Designing and testing systems that monitor livestock health, automate data collection, or improve biosecurity on farms, particularly where the systems require integration with existing farm infrastructure.

Meeting New Regulatory and Welfare Standards

Adapting products, treatments, or management practices to comply with changing UK animal health, welfare, or pharmaceutical regulations, especially when this involves scientific or technical challenges.

If your business is working in veterinary science or animal health and tackling these kinds of technical or scientific challenges, you could be eligible for R&D tax relief. This government incentive helps UK businesses recover a portion of their investment in innovation, supporting the ongoing improvement of animal welfare, health, and productivity.

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.