A funding review that ruled things out as clearly as it ruled them in.

THE BUSINESS

Fifty years of bespoke ductwork and fabrication. Ten people on the floor, modern CNC plant, and around £250,000 invested in machinery two years ago. No grants or public funding in the previous three years. Quoting and scheduling still ran on paper everywhere except ventilation — which meant the business ran through one person.

WHAT WE DID

We reviewed the funding landscape against the business as it actually is, not as a wish list. Six routes were assessed and set out in priority order, each with its eligibility conditions, what it would fund, and what would need to be confirmed first. Grants and repayable finance were separated explicitly so nothing was mistaken for free money.

WHAT WE FOUND

The strongest route was the one that addressed the paper-based quoting and scheduling — the digital layer over machines the business already owns. The capital purchase the owner had in mind was assessed as conventional cutting capacity, likely outside the scope of that route, and the report said so plainly rather than building a case around it.

We also flagged that the company had never made an R&D tax relief claim despite fifty years of bespoke work, and noted the notification deadline. We do not file R&D claims — no HMRC agent registration, no AML supervision — so this was flagged for referral, with the position stated openly.

WHAT WAS DELIVERED

An eleven-page funding strategy review: executive summary, the business and its funding position, six recommended routes in priority order, evidence and readiness, risks with the conditions attached to each, and an action plan with named owners. Reference 9040eb3a, version 5, approved 6 September 2026.

WHAT WE ARE NOT CLAIMING

• No grant award or funding received is claimed.
• No application has been submitted and no application outcome is claimed.
• This was a funding strategy review, not bid writing, and not US work.
• The recommended routes are recommendations. Eligibility is decided by the funder.