SR&ED Tax Credits for
Food & Beverage
Scaling a recipe from test kitchen to commercial production rarely goes to plan. Reformulating for a clean label, extending shelf life without preservatives, or solving phase separation during scale-up often qualifies for SR&ED. We turn your QA logs and scrapped trial runs into defensible, audit-proof claims.
Your R&D in [
Beverage
]
Our expertise. Zero anxiety.
Your R&D in
[
Beverage
]
Our expertise. Zero anxiety.
What may qualify in food & beverage
(examples)
01
Clean label reformulation (e.g., sodium/sugar reduction)
Ingredient iterations, pH and water activity logs, stability test results.
02
Scaling up from benchtop to commercial manufacturing
Heat transfer calculations, shear stress data, scrapped batch records.
03
Extending shelf life and improving packaging
Accelerated aging data, microbial testing logs, moisture migration analysis.
04
Developing plant-based or novel protein alternatives
Protein extraction logs, emulsification trials, rheology measurements.
05
Automating the handling of fragile or non-standard products
Equipment modification logs, yield and waste tracking, speed testing.
Do you qualify?
A quick self-check
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You’re more likely to qualify if your work has all three:
01
Technological Uncertainty
You couldn't predict if a new ingredient, scale-up process, or packaging method would maintain the required texture, flavor profile, or microbial safety.
02
Systematic Investigation
You formulated hypotheses, ran pilot plant batches, adjusted processing parameters (time, temperature, shear), and logged physical or chemical data.
03
Technological Advancement
You achieved a measurable improvement in shelf life, nutritional profile, manufacturing yield, or process efficiency that goes beyond standard culinary arts.
We help you capture:
You don’t need perfect paperwork. You need a consistent evidence trail.
What problem you were solving
[ uncertainty ]
What problem you were solving
[ uncertainty ]
What problem you were solving
[ uncertainty ]
Our technical specialists speak your language.
Whether you are architecting a cloud database, scaling a bioreactor, or overcoming mechanical failure, we understand your underlying constraints without needing a beginner's explanation.
[ uncertainty ]
What problem you were solving
[ uncertainty ]
What problem you were solving
[ uncertainty ]
Standard recipe creation and routine taste testing do not qualify—unless you can show specific food science uncertainty and documented testing.
[ Not sure if your work fits? ]
Request consultation
Request consultation
Common pitfalls we help you avoid
Small fixes early can prevent big issues later.
Culinary Arts vs. Food Science
Simply creating a new flavor isn't SR&ED. We help isolate the specific food science and engineering required to stabilize that flavor, prevent separation, and ensure a two-year shelf life.
Routine QA Testing
Standard daily quality control doesn't qualify. We document the specific lab work, microbial testing, and trial batches dedicated purely to solving novel formulation challenges.
Scrapped Ingredients
4,000 litres of ruined product during a trial run is highly claimable. We ensure your costly scrapped ingredients and packaging materials are properly tracked and maximized.
The Scale-up Blind Spot
Many food companies claim the lab work but ignore the massive engineering effort required to make the product run on commercial equipment. We capture both the science and the engineering.
Want to sanity-check your setup?
Request consultation
Request consultation
Your R&D in
[
Beverage
]
Our expertise. Zero anxiety.
How Checkpoint helps food & beverage teams with SR&ED
We turn real food & beverage innovation into a clear SR&ED claim with evidence CRA can understand—without unnecessary complexity.
[ step 01 ]
Entry consultation
A brief, technical conversation to understand your operations to determine your SR&ED potential. No preparation needed.
[ step 02 ]
Eligibility review
We analyze your technical landscape to separate routine engineering from eligible work, identifying your hidden ROI.
[ step 03 ]
Technical discovery
We identify potential SR&ED projects from your work, and translate them into CRA-compliant language. Your team stays focused on innovation, not paperwork.
[ step 04 ]
Claim Preparation & Submission
We identify eligible project costs, draft the SR&ED forms, and develop a technical narrative for the CRA. We then coordinate with your tax advisor to manage the final submission.
[ step 05 ]
Proactive Compliance
Say goodbye to the year-end scramble. We establish a recurring rhythm of monthly or quarterly check-ins to capture eligible activities and costs as they happen.
[ step 06 ]
CRA Audit and Review Defense
We don’t just submit and disappear. We provide expert technical defense and manage all CRA communications to protect your claim.
[ step 07 ]
Funding Secured
Once your claim is approved, we provide a detailed reconciliation of the funding secured. We operate on a success-fee basis—we win only when you win.
What evidence
matters most
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(and how we keep it simple)
01
Technical
Uncertainty
The solution isn’t obvious in your context—there’s a real technical problem to solve.
02
Systematic Investigation
You test options through trials and iterations, form hypotheses, and measurement conclusions.
03
Technological Advancement
You can show measurable improvement beyond routine operations.
We help you capture:
You don’t need perfect paperwork. You need a consistent evidence trail.
What problem you were solving
[ uncertainty ]
What you changed vs. what stayed constant
[ variables ]
What you measured
[ results, comparisons ]
What changed based on results
[ decisions ]
Who worked on it and when
[ timeline ]
Link between trial work and eligible costs
[ high-level ]
Why teams choose Checkpoint
Proven experience, defensible process, and clear accountability.
20
+
[ Years of experience ]
8500
+
[ Projects ]
$500M
+
[ Recovered ]
96.5
%
[ Success rate ]
[ Testimonials ]
[ Food & Beverage ]
“In the world of high-end desserts, it can be difficult to distinguish where routine formulation ends and true food science begins.
Checkpoint Research brought a new level of scientific rigor to our SR&ED process. With their help, we’ve implemented a clear process for tracking our research trials, which Checkpoint then translates into powerful, well-structured submissions."
Frequently Asked Questions
Structuring claims in [Pharmaceuticals]
We speak your technical language
We speak your technical language
What is the CRA’s "Why and How" framework?
The "Why and How" framework is the CRA’s current assessment standard, replacing the legacy "Five Questions." It strictly evaluates the technical impetus for your project (the 'Why') and the systematic rigor of your execution (the 'How').
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What constitutes "contemporaneous documentation"?
Contemporaneous documentation refers to raw evidence generated during the execution of the work. Retroactive documentation drafted months after project completion is heavily scrutinized and frequently rejected by the CRA.
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Which specific artifacts should our engineering team preserve?
Preserve time-stamped artifacts tied directly to technical roadblocks. Commit logs, Jira/Linear tickets, Slack threads detailing failed tests, architecture whiteboard photos, and granular timesheets are the gold standard of evidence.
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What are the escalation protocols if a claim is denied?
The CRA provides a strict, three-tier escalation framework: an initial dispute resolution dialogue with the reviewer, an escalation to the Review Manager, and ultimately a formal Notice of Objection — filed within 90 days of assessment and, if required, carried to the Tax Court of Canada.
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When is litigation in the Tax Court of Canada (TCC) necessary?
The TCC is the final arbiter, utilized only when internal CRA administrative appeals are exhausted. It provides an independent judicial review of your technical and financial eligibility, completely separate from the CRA's internal ecosystem.
read more
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Let’s Assess Your R&D Potential
Start with a pressure-free consultation.
We’ll clarify what likely qualifies, flag key risk areas, and recommend the safest next step based on your activities and timeline.
See what typically qualifies
See what typically qualifies
Direct line:
+1 (365) 525-2505
+1 (365) 525-2505
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