Merged R&D expenditure credit scheme (merged RDEC)
Open continuously
No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.
Taxable expenditure credit worth 20% of qualifying R&D expenditure, for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 April 2024. No fixed cap, but the credit received in a period cannot exceed the PAYE cap of £20,000 plus 300% of the company's relevant PAYE and NIC liabilities (excess carried forward). Replaced the old RDEC and SME schemes.
HM Revenue & Customs
public · national
Deadline: rolling — Claimed through the Company Tax Return. Claim notification and an additional information form are required before/with the claim.
This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.
Moderate — a form and supporting documents.
Who can apply
- Stage: pre_seed, seed, series_a, growth
- R&D activity required
- Locally registered entity required
Company must be trading and chargeable to UK Corporation Tax. Restrictions apply to some overseas expenditure. Different rates apply to ring-fenced (oil, gas and mining) trades.
How to apply
- Check your project meets the HMRC definition of R&D (advance in science or technology resolving scientific or technological uncertainty). — link
- Check whether you must tell HMRC in advance that you plan to claim (claim notification). — link
- Submit the additional information form before or at the same time as the claim. — link
- Claim the expenditure credit in your Company Tax Return.
What you will need
- Company Tax Return (CT600) with R&D claim
- Additional information form
- Claim notification form (if applicable)
Source. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/research-and-development-rd-tax-relief-the-merged-scheme-and-enhanced-rd-intensive-support — checked 2026-08-14
"The rate of R&D expenditure credit under the merged RDEC scheme is 20%."