SR&ED
SR&ED claim assessment and consulting support
helloDarwin assesses potential SR&ED work, structures technical and financial evidence, prepares Form T661 claim content with your accountant or tax preparer, and supports responses to Canada Revenue Agency information requests. We help build the file; the CRA decides eligibility and tax treatment.
Four stages of SR&ED claim support
For Canadian companies assessing projects, preparing a claim, or responding to a CRA review. helloDarwin coordinates the technical and financial work with your internal team and tax filing professionals.
Assess projects and claim boundaries
Review the work with technical leads to identify potential SR&ED activities, excluded routine work, and evidence gaps. This screening is not a CRA decision.
Build the evidence plan
Map dated project records, hypotheses, experiments, contributors, time, costs, and missing support to each potential SR&ED project.
Prepare the technical and financial file
Draft project descriptions and organize expenditure support for Form T661 with your accounting or tax filing team.
Support a CRA review
If the CRA requests more information, help prepare the evidence package and the people who can explain the work and costs.
What your team should prepare
Project scope and technical context
Objectives, available knowledge, advancement sought, project boundaries, and the people closest to the work.
Dated experimental records
Hypotheses, test plans, iterations, failures, results, code, reports, prototypes, photographs, and other records created while the work was underway.
Financial records tied to the work
Roles, time records, payroll, contracts, invoices, materials, and the method used to allocate costs to each project and tax year.
Accepted$10K-$25K
2026Canadian business
Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) - Tax Incentive Program
Digital project to structure growth
Accepted$25K-$50K
2026Manufacturing
Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) - Tax Incentive Program
Building-system R&D and thermal testing
Accepted$10K-$25K
2026Financial services
Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) - Tax Incentive Program
Automation platform for compliant onboarding
Accepted$50K-$100K
2025Manufacturing
Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) - Tax Incentive Program
Digital modernization for traceability and automation
Accepted$25K-$50K
2025Manufacturing
Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) - Tax Incentive Program
Product engineering and performance testing
Accepted$500K-$1M
2025Manufacturing
Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) - Tax Incentive Program
Advanced vehicle engineering and field testing
Our services
Precision expertise in high-impact funding vertical.
Grant Consulting
Strategic support to build your financing plan, prioritize opportunities, and manage your requests.
Grant Writing
Comprehensive support to prepare, draft, and file an accurate application with the help of our experts.
Platform
Self-service tools to discover grants, tax credits, and programs tailored to your projects.
Frequently asked questions
Answers about claim assessment, evidence, costs, CRA review, grants, and software development. Program references verified against CRA guidance on July 15, 2026.
How is SR&ED different from a grant?
SR&ED is a tax credit for eligible scientific research and experimental development work performed in Canada. It is usually claimed by fiscal year and must be supported by technical and financial evidence.
What kind of work may qualify for SR&ED?
Potentially eligible work must be conducted in Canada, seek scientific knowledge or technological advancement, and use a systematic investigation or search through experiment or analysis. Routine development is not enough. helloDarwin screens projects against the CRA eligibility criteria; the CRA decides eligibility.
Which expenses should be reviewed?
We review salaries or wages, materials, contracts, third-party payments, and applicable overhead treatment, then connect each amount to specific claimed work and the tax year. Your accountant or tax preparer confirms the filing and tax calculations. See the CRA guide to Form T661 for the current rules.
What evidence matters most for an SR&ED claim?
The strongest support is dated, specific to the work, and created while the work is underway. We organize project notes, test reports, time records, code, prototypes, photographs, contracts, and financial records around the questions in Form T661. The CRA documentation guide explains that no single document is a universal checklist.
What does helloDarwin do during an SR&ED mandate?
helloDarwin screens potential projects, structures the technical narrative, maps financial support, coordinates Form T661 content with your tax filing team, and helps prepare for information requests or review meetings. The Canada Revenue Agency makes the eligibility and expenditure decisions. Read the CRA claim review process.
Can SR&ED be combined with grants or other funding?
Yes, but the interaction between grants, tax credits, and SR&ED needs to be reviewed carefully. Some funding can affect eligible expenditures or the final claim amount. A broader funding strategy helps determine whether SR&ED, grants, or both should be pursued for a project.
Can software development qualify for SR&ED?
Software development may qualify when the work involves technological uncertainty and a systematic process of experimentation or analysis. Routine development, configuration, integration, or feature delivery is usually not enough on its own. The file needs to show what technical obstacle existed, what was tested, and what was learned.