Eligibility Quick Check

Could Your R&D Project Qualify for SR&ED? A Practical Self-Assessment

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By now, you’ve seen what SR&ED eligibility looks like across industries — from AI and software to manufacturing, construction, and life sciences. This self-assessment pulls the eligibility test into one practical scorecard you can run against your own projects in a few minutes.

Score Each Statement (0 = No, 1 = Somewhat, 2 = Yes)

  • We couldn’t predict the outcome of this project in advance, even with our team’s expertise
  • We looked for an existing solution, method, or product and didn’t find one that fit
  • Our team tested, measured, and adjusted their approach based on results, rather than following a fixed plan
  • Something about this project didn’t work as expected at some point
  • We generated new technical understanding, even if the end result wasn’t commercially successful
  • This work went beyond styling, configuration, or minor customization of something that already existed
  • Specialized technical staff (engineers, developers, scientists) did hands-on work on this project
  • We have some form of contemporaneous record — notes, tickets, commits, lab logs — from while the work happened

How to Read Your Score

12–16: Strong candidate

This project likely involves genuine technological uncertainty and systematic investigation. A formal eligibility review is very likely worth your time.

7–11: Possible candidate

Parts of this project may be eligible even if the whole thing isn’t. A review can help isolate the eligible portion and quantify what it’s worth claiming.

0–6: Unlikely on its own

This specific project may not meet the bar independently — but it’s worth checking whether a related, more experimental phase of the work exists elsewhere in your operations.

This Scorecard Is a Starting Point, Not a Verdict

Self-assessment is useful for triage, not for a final answer — eligibility ultimately comes down to the specific technical details of the work and how well they’re documented. Many businesses score their projects lower than they should simply because they don’t yet see their own work the way a CRA reviewer does.

About The Author

Dale Doering

Dale Doering is the owner of SRED Consultants Inc., helping businesses navigate the complexities of Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) claims. With a strong understanding of the technical and interpretive requirements of the SR&ED program, Dale works with companies to identify eligible projects, document technological challenges, and clearly demonstrate the systematic experimentation or analysis undertaken to achieve advancement. His approach focuses on translating complex technical work into well-supported SR&ED claims, helping clients maximize eligible opportunities while maintaining a clear understanding of the program’s requirements.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does the SR&ED self-assessment scorecard work?

The scorecard evaluates your project against eight specific statements related to technological uncertainty, experimental process, technical outcomes, and documentation. You rate each statement from 0 to 2 (0 = No, 1 = Somewhat, 2 = Yes) to get a total score out of 16.

– 12–16: Your project is a strong candidate with genuine technological uncertainty and systematic investigation, making a formal eligibility review highly worthwhile.

– 7–11: Your project is a possible candidate where specific parts may be eligible even if the entire project isn’t.

– 0–6: The project is unlikely to meet the bar on its own, though related, more experimental phases of your operations might still qualify.

Yes. SR&ED eligibility focuses on whether your team generated new technical understanding through systematic work and experimentation, regardless of whether the final product was a commercial success.

You need contemporaneous records created while the work was actually happening. Examples include notes, support tickets, code commits, and lab logs detailing how your team tested, measured, and adjusted their approach.

No. The scorecard is a triage tool, not a final verdict. Ultimate eligibility depends on the specific technical details of the work and how well it is documented according to CRA reviewer standards.

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