If you’ve been building something in Canada (writing code, running production trials, testing prototypes), there’s a good chance you qualify for money back from the government. The SR&ED tax credit program returns more than $4 billion annually to Canadian businesses doing R&D. The question isn’t whether you should claim. It’s who you trust to handle the claim.
Most founders I talk to have the same complaint: they’ve been burned by consultants who charged too much, delivered too little, and vanished after filing. That’s not a consulting relationship. That’s a transaction. And it’s exactly why SRED.ca built a different model.
This guide breaks down six SR&ED consulting services worth knowing about: what they do well, who they’re best for, and how to pick the right one for your company. We respect every firm on this list, and any of them could be the right choice depending on what you need.
Picking an SR&ED consultant isn’t like picking accounting software. You’re handing over sensitive financial data and trusting someone to represent you to the CRA. That’s a big deal.
Here’s what we looked for:
Here’s what I believe. If you’re building something hard in Canada, testing hypotheses, debugging systems, running trials that fail more often than they succeed, you deserve a consultant who actually understands what that costs. Not just in dollars. In time, stress, and uncertainty.
SRED.ca was built by people who’ve been in the valley. We know innovation isn’t glamorous. It’s messy, expensive, and often terrifying. That’s exactly why we built a service model that treats founders as partners, not transactions.
We’re the only SR&ED provider we’re aware of that publishes its pricing, flat fee or otherwise, right on our website. We’re proud of that, and happy to shout it until someone proves us wrong. And we’ll be just as transparent here: we typically charge about half what percentage-based firms do over the life of a claim, and you pay it as a predictable monthly fee, not one annual lump sum. No percentages eating into your refund. No surprise bills when your claim grows.
And we back every claim with an ironclad guarantee. If the CRA approves less than 75% of your filed claim, we waive our fees entirely. That includes audit defense.
Pros
Cons
G6 Consulting has been preparing SR&ED claims since 2008, working with manufacturers, engineering firms, and software developers across Canada. The firm operates on a contingency model, so you don’t pay until your refund arrives.
Founder Greg Hills personally prepares claims rather than delegating to junior associates. Greg is one of the genuinely good people in this industry. He’s hands-on, straight with clients, and generous with what he knows. If you’re set on the contingency route, you could do a lot worse than working with someone who actually writes the claim himself. G6 also offers audit defence services as an add-on.
Pros
Cons
Bond Consulting Group positions itself as Canada’s largest independent SR&ED-only firm, with a particular focus on medical professional corporations. Since 2005, they’ve filed claims resulting in over $300 million in refunds.
The firm has carved out a niche working with doctors in fields like cardiology, oncology, and emergency medicine. Their methodology emphasizes documentation and technical writing, which matters when claims involve clinical research.
Bond’s most distinctive offering, though, is its SR&ED Rescue service, which steps in on claims another firm filed that the CRA then denied or clawed back. This is genuinely rare. Most consultancies won’t touch a previously rejected claim, but Bond will rebuild the technical case and fight to recover it. If you’ve been burned on a past filing and written that money off, that’s a valuable second option to know exists.
Pros
Cons
Boast did more than almost anyone to professionalize the SR&ED industry. Credit where credit is due. Boast was doing AI a decade ago, before most people even knew what that meant. Their early bet on software-driven, continuous R&D tracking pulled a paperwork-heavy field into the modern era, and a lot of what’s now considered best practice started with them.
Today, Boast operates as a US-based company serving R&D claimants on both sides of the border, with a platform that plugs directly into the tools software teams already use. Their software integrates with project management and financial systems to track R&D activities throughout the year, rather than relying solely on end-of-year interviews. If you want automation and you live in Jira and Git, it’s a natural fit. Boast also offers financing through its Quickfund program, letting companies access refund capital before CRA processing completes.
Pros
Cons
ENTAX Consulting is a Burnaby-based firm that handles SR&ED claims alongside other government incentives, including digital media tax credits like BC’s IDMTC and Ontario’s OIDMTC. Since 2014, they’ve recovered over $150 million for clients across industries.
If you’re a media, gaming, or interactive-content company, ENTAX’s multi-incentive expertise is a real strength. Stacking SR&ED with digital-media credits is specialized work, and they do it well. Their technical staff write claims based on two-to-four-hour interviews per project, and they also offer location consulting for international companies considering Canadian R&D operations.
Pros
Cons
Coincide is a smaller consulting firm that focuses on SMBs, including foreign companies expanding R&D operations into Canada. They’ve submitted over 100 SR&ED files and report high client retention, according to their website.
The firm offers what they call “SR&ED-Directed Tax Plans,” combining claim preparation with broader tax planning. Coincide positions itself as a strategic partner rather than a transactional service provider.
Pros
Cons
The gap isn’t between companies that claim SR&ED and those that don’t. It’s between companies that claim well and those that leave money on the table, or worse, face audit problems because their documentation was weak from the start.
Here’s what actually matters when choosing a consultant:
The SR&ED program gives Canadian companies tax credits for qualifying research and development work. If you’re solving technical problems, building new products, improving processes, or testing approaches that might not work, you’re likely doing eligible work.
For Canadian-controlled private corporations (CCPCs), and for eligible Canadian public corporations in taxation years beginning on or after December 16, 2024, the enhanced rate of 35% applies to the first $6 million of qualifying expenditures after the changes enacted by Bill C-15. That’s up to $2.1 million in annual refundable credits.
Key eligible expenditures include:
SRED.ca helps Canadian tech and manufacturing companies identify eligible projects, document their work throughout the year, and file claims that stand up to CRA scrutiny. Our flat-fee model means your refund stays where it belongs: fueling your next round of innovation.
Most SR&ED firms built their business model around percentage fees because that’s what everyone else did. It became the status quo. And for years, founders accepted it because they didn’t know there was another way.
SRED.ca exists because that model was broken. When your consultant earns more as your refund grows, regardless of the actual work involved, the incentives are wrong. You end up paying more simply because you innovated more. That’s not a partnership. That’s a tax on success.
We flipped the model. Our flat-fee pricing means you know exactly what you’ll pay, whether your claim is $150K or $1.5M. And our guarantee means we share the risk: if the CRA cuts your claim below 75%, we waive our fees.
If you’re building something that matters in Canada, and you’re tired of consultants who treat your refund like their commission check, it’s time to see how SRED.ca compares.
Connect with SRED.ca today and find out how much of your R&D spending you could be reclaiming.
An SR&ED consultant helps Canadian companies prepare and file claims under the Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax incentive program. SRED.ca handles technical writing, financial analysis, CRA filing, and audit defense, giving founders time back to focus on building their products instead of paperwork.
Most SR&ED consultants charge 15-25% of your approved refund. Over five years on a $300K annual claim, that adds up to $225K-$375K in fees. SRED.ca’s flat-fee model costs $15K-$60K per year depending on claim size, saving most clients tens of thousands over time.
You can file SR&ED claims yourself, but most companies find the technical writing and CRA compliance requirements time-consuming. SRED.ca’s year-round support and documentation systems help capture eligible work you might otherwise miss, and our guarantee protects you if the CRA challenges your claim.
A portion of SR&ED claims are selected for CRA review each year. SRED.ca builds claims with audit readiness in mind, and we offer full audit defense support. Our guarantee extends to audits: if the CRA cuts your claim below 75% of filed value, we waive both our consulting fee and the audit support fee.
Software, manufacturing, engineering, biotech, cleantech, agtech, and healthcare companies all commonly qualify. If your team is solving technical problems like debugging systems, testing prototypes, or running trials, that’s likely eligible work. SRED.ca works with tech startups and manufacturers across all provinces.
The CRA aims to process refundable claims accepted as filed within 60 days, and claims selected for review within 180 days. SRED.ca’s year-round tracking and documentation means claims are ready faster at year-end, often shortening the overall timeline from start to refund receipt.
Do you have a SRED question? Planning for the future or perhaps you want to know how much your claim might be? Don’t worry, our CPA is always ready to answer any question. Get a SRED expert in your corner.
Have a question? We’d love to help. If you don’t have a SR&ED expert in your corner, doesn’t it make sense to have one?
