In today's ever-evolving geopolitical landscape, R&D in Defence has become more critical to national security than ever before. As technologies grow in complex, duel-use and secure, the scope for long-term innovation continues to expand.
At RCK, we've built a dedicated Defence team comprising of engineers with deep software and hardware expertise. Our specialists bring years of hands-on experience from defence primes, software houses, aerospace engineering firms, and HMRC. All team members hold BPSS, with select individuals cleared to higher classifications. This allows us to understand and navigate the security aspect of these claims and support the UK defence companies operating in this environment, taking into consideration the defence and national security implications.
RCK is proud to support the UK Defence Sector by delivering best-in-class R&D advisory services. We ensure that companies contributing to national defence and security are fully leveraging R&D Tax Credits and empowering them to innovate rapidly, and grow sustainably.
Want to submit an R&D tax relief claim but sit within the defence industry? This article outlines the process we follow at RCK for defence clients, taking into account the security protocols and confidentiality requirements in this sector.
Companies operating within the defence space are only too aware of the specific security processes and protocols that are necessary when supporting national security. However, this can often lead to these companies questioning if they are able to submit a full R&D claim to HMRC, without contravening these rules or without exposing secret data. This is a valid concern but shouldn't be a barrier to claiming back the legitimate R&D costs associated with the innovation.
The customer is a leading defence and security SME specialising in sovereign cloud and assured managed services.
Work is done at a classified level to support critical UK capabilities and needs to be understood and interpreted in order to deliver submissions to HMRC which are both credible and at the appropriate level of classification. The client handles sensitive and protectively marked UK Government information which required RCK to have appropriately trained and security cleared personnel and to conduct the majority of work with the client. To add further complexity, no data could be held by RCK until appropriately declassified.
During the advisory period, the client continued to develop their offerings to both the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence, leaning heavily upon the industry specific professional background of RCK’s consultants to accurately and credibly translate the effort into a credible, unclassified narrative for HMRC. In addition to supporting the current claim, RCK were also able to take historic claims prepared by a third party and optimise them for both an increase in client benefit and full compliance with the HMRC rules surrounding claims. RCK’s ability to translate classified and highly sensitive R&D activity into a cogent and detailed claim, coupled with adherence to strict criteria for submission ensured that in this case a vital UK SME was able to maximise their R&D claim with confidence. This has enabled the client to enhance their R&D effort, supporting the UK Government’s aim of supporting innovation in the defence sector at higher tempo.
Chair
Lord Philip Hammond served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2016 to 2019, Foreign Secretary from 2014 to 2016, and Defence Secretary from 2011 to 2014, and is now Chair to RCK's Board. Previous to this, Lord Hammond served as a Senior Advisor and a Non-Executive Director to RCK. During his time as Chancellor, Lord Hammond championed innovation and productivity growth within the UK. Lord Hammond joined RCK to support its efforts to drive up compliance standards within the R&D tax credits advisory sector, thus protecting the R&D tax credit scheme which is such a vital part of the UK’s effort to raise innovation and productivity.
Group Chief Executive Officer
Sophie stepped up to become RCK's first Group CEO in October 2025, from the role of RCK's General Counsel and Head of Legal, Data and Compliance. Sophie’s legal career has spanned over 13 years. Prior to joining RCK, she has spent the last seven years leading an in-house legal, data and compliance team at a leading law firm. Her experience incorporates all things legal (contracts/ litigation/ corporate), data protection, procurement, costs challenges, funding, compliance and dispute resolution. Prior to this, she worked in private practice in asset finance at Norton Rose, specialising in Shipping and Aviation Finance. Within her role of Group CEO, Sophie will focus on strategic-growth, exploring international expansion, growing RCK's service lines, and leading technology-driven projects. Outside of work she is kept busy with her three young children.
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Co-founder and R&D Technical Director
As an experienced R&D professional, Peter completed an engineering doctorate whilst working within a FTSE 100 central R&D department and subsequently worked in development engineering, refining precious metals, before undertaking management consulting work to implement innovation software. Having worked within one of Europe's largest innovation funding providers, Peter has worked extensively on engineering, construction, manufacturing, and agricultural R&D claims. With a core background in R&D and Chemical Engineering, Peter can better understand the challenges encountered by his clients, applying technology driven solutions into corporation tax services on behalf of clients.
Partner
Initially legally trained, Zeb pivoted into tax incentives 10 years ago and has not looked back. Zeb’s interpersonal skills make him an industry leader in relationship management and through his extensive network he has helped secure tax benefits for some of the most innovative and capital-intensive companies in the country. Throughout his time in tax incentives, Zeb has constantly sought to secure funding and reliefs for the most deserving and compliant businesses in his sectors. Zeb’s success in brokering and developing relationships through diverse partnership agreements has helped broaden his network and give him access to markets with a high barrier to entry. Zeb specialises in R&D claims for tech and defence companies and has additionally worked in assisting companies to claim Property Tax for the last 3 years.
Chief Commercial Officer and Partner
With over 15 years of global experience in the R&D Tax Credit industry, Tom brings strong commercial expertise and strategic leadership to his role as Chief Commercial Officer. He began his career with the UK’s largest innovation funding provider at its inception in 2009, later launching and leading its U.S. operations in 2018. Throughout his career, Tom has played a key role in helping innovative businesses unlock the full value of government incentives, driving growth and enabling significant investment in research and development. At RCK, Tom leads the commercial strategy and client engagement initiatives, ensuring the firm continues to deliver exceptional value and insight to its clients and partners. His deep industry knowledge, combined with a proven track record of building and scaling high-performing teams, positions him as a trusted leader in an increasingly complex and competitive landscape.
Assistant R&D Manager
Albert holds a BEng in Aerospace Engineering (Design) and a MSc in Advanced Motorsport Engineering from Cranfield University. He has industrial experience within the aerospace and automotive sector. Since joining RCK in September 2022 as an Associate R&D consultant, and now an Assistant R&D Manager, he has compiled claims for a range of sectors including defence, agriculture, engineering, oil and gas, and construction. He has an interest in the Engineering sector (defence, aerospace, automotive, marine, motorsport and precision engineering) within the scope of technology and manufacturing developments.
Principal Consultant
In three years at RCK, Gajan has worked on compiling technical claims, during his time as a Technical R&D Consultant, within sectors focusing on software and technology, precision engineering, manufacturing, construction and civil engineering. This is in line with his interests and work experience in the fields of product design, manufacturing, and mechanical engineering. Now a Senior Consultant, Gajan has built a network of professionals in the tech start-up industry with prior experience working at a design start-up in the cutting-edge Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, where he contributed to the design and development cycle of new products. He has a keen interest in helping the growth of start-ups and SMEs and has a heavy implementation in driving the RCK Software Function. Since joining the team, he has delivered over 100 technical claims in the Large Company RDEC scheme and SME scheme.
Associate Consultant – Advisory
Will Dyson holds a Master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Southampton, where he was focused on DNA nanotechnology. He has a deep understanding of various fields of biology and substantial experience in analysis of large datasets. In addition, Will has experience in the implementation of large operational systems, where he worked in conjunction with users and software engineers to deliver optimal solutions. Upon joining RCK, Will has looked to expand his scientific and technological understanding in fields of engineering, animal science and software to be able to provide exceptional client services and facilitate innovation.
Senior Compliance & HMRC Liaison (former HMRC R&D Inspector)
Alex Marshall joined RCK directly from HMRC’s R&D department, bringing more than 3 years of experience as an R&D Compliance officer. In his role as a Senior Compliance & HMRC Liaison at RCK, Alex plays a crucial role in the Compliance team by responding to HMRC enquiries and advising on our approach to claims.
Senior Marketing Manager
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