RDCheck · 60-second R&D claim estimator

HMRC probably owes you £30k-£150k.

HMRC paid out £7.7bn in R&D Tax Relief in 2023-24. Estimates suggest the eligible pool is 30-40% larger — billions in legit claims UK SMEs aren't making. Most missed claims aren't in tech. They're in manufacturing, construction, food, trades and hospitality. Five questions. Claim-band estimate. If it's worth >£20k — free 30-min Leyton consultation. No fee unless they secure the claim.

Start the estimator →
5
Questions
60s
Per answer
£0
Check + Leyton call
15-25%
Leyton's contingency fee on success
/calc/rd-claim-estimate

Five questions. Claim band. Qualification confidence.

Free triage. The scoring engine runs in your browser. If you opt in at the end, your sector + project summary + estimate route to Leyton for a free 30-min consultation.

Sectors with the highest hidden-claim rate: manufacturing, construction, food, trades.
Hold Ctrl/Cmd to pick multiple. At least one needed.
SME scheme can pay cash even if loss-making. RDEC is for larger / loss-making non-SMEs.
2-3 sentences. Leyton's claim writer uses this to qualify in seconds.

RDCheck is decision support · not regulated tax advice · Leyton's R&D specialists provide the qualified claim work

What HMRC actually pays

UK R&D Tax Relief — plain English.

SME scheme (most relevant)
Up to 21.5p in cash back per £1 of qualifying R&D spend (loss-making SMEs). Profitable SMEs net ~16p per £1 of spend via reduced corp tax.
RDEC (larger / loss-making non-SME)
20% gross credit on qualifying R&D — net ~15% after tax.
Patent Box
10% corp tax (vs 25%) on profits from patented products. Most accountants miss it. Leyton specialise.
Capital allowances
£1m AIA + unlimited full expensing on new plant + machinery. Most SMEs under-claim by 20-40%.
Patent Box
10% corp tax (vs 25%) on profits from products using patents the company owns / licenses.
Innovate UK grants
Smart, Future Economy, sector-specific. Non-dilutive funding. Leyton's grants team handles bid writing.
About the Leyton referral

Honest about what this is.

What you get

Free 30-min consultation with a Leyton R&D specialist (a real person, sector-matched). They'll qualify the claim, give you a fee quote (typically 15-25% of the claim value, contingency-based — no fee unless HMRC pays out), and walk the documentation Leyton will write for you. Average UK SME claim: £30k-£150k. Construction + manufacturing claims often £45k-£250k.

What we get

AMAYA earns a 15% referral fee from Leyton's fee on successful claims. That fee is paid by Leyton — never by you. It does NOT change Leyton's quote or how they handle your claim. You're free to take the call and use a different R&D specialist if you prefer. We disclose this here so you know exactly what the relationship is.

FAQ

Plain answers.

Why Leyton specifically?
Leyton is one of the UK's largest specialist R&D + innovation funding consultancies. They cover R&D Tax Relief (SME + RDEC), Patent Box, capital allowances, Innovate UK grant writing. Contingency model = no fee unless claim succeeds. Sector specialism = your call is with someone who actually knows construction, manufacturing or software, not a generalist.
What if HMRC rejects the claim?
Leyton handles HMRC enquiries as part of the contingency. If HMRC rejects + Leyton doesn't recover anything, you pay no fee. That's the contingency promise.
Post-April-2023 R&D reform — does my claim still work?
Yes. The 2023 reforms tightened qualification (more documentation, narrower definition of "scientific or technological uncertainty"), but they didn't kill the scheme. Leyton's claim rejection rate is materially lower than self-prep because they document to the new standard.
Can my existing accountant do this instead?
They can — and you should ask them. But most high-street accountants don't claim Patent Box, miss embedded-software claims, and have a higher rejection rate post-2023 reforms. Leyton are R&D-only specialists. Worst case: your accountant says "no need", you've lost 30 minutes.
What happens to my data?
If you opt in: your estimate + contact details + project description land in BRG's Supabase (RLS-protected) AND get emailed to rnd@smegrowthteam.com for routing to Leyton. If you don't opt in: nothing is sent. We never share or sell your data outside the Leyton referral path you explicitly consented to.
My company is loss-making — can I still claim?
Yes — under the SME scheme, you can surrender the R&D enhancement for a cash credit (currently 14.5% of the surrendered loss, equivalent to about 18.6% of qualifying spend after the 2023 changes). Cash directly into the bank. Genuine lifeline for cash-poor R&D-heavy startups.
Decision support, not regulated tax advice. Leyton's R&D specialists provide the qualified claim work. Operator stays accountable for company tax position.