R&D Tax Credits under the Merged Scheme apply to qualifying expenditure in accounting periods starting on or after 1 April 2024. The standard credit rate is 20% above-the-line, or 27% under the Enhanced R&D Intensive Support (ERIS) scheme for qualifying loss-making companies where R&D accounts for at least 30% of total expenditure. Both Kene Partners and Uplift Tax-introduced specialists operate within these same HMRC rules.
At a glance
Kene Partners is a dedicated R&D Tax Credit consultancy based in London, publicly known for serving technology, software, and other innovation-led SMEs. Based on kenepartners.co.uk as of May 2026, they offer a claim preparation service led by in-house advisers. Uplift Tax is an introducer: no claim preparation in-house, and no fee charged to the claimant at any point.
| Criterion | Kene Partners | Uplift Tax (introduction) |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Single consultancy, in-house adviser team | Free assessment, then introduction to HMRC-registered specialist network |
| Pricing model | Not published on public website as of May 2026 | No win, no fee (specialist's fee, not Uplift Tax's) |
| Fee range | Not disclosed on kenepartners.co.uk as of May 2026 | Percentage of successful claim, disclosed in writing before engagement |
| Claim approach | Adviser-led from initial consultation | Free assessment first; specialist handles claim after introduction |
| HMRC defence support | Not described in detail on public website; confirm in engagement letter | Included with specialist engagement; firm matched for enquiry risk |
| Specialist access | Kene Partners in-house team | Sector-matched from curated network of HMRC-registered firms |
| Multi-relief scope | R&D Tax Credits focus (based on public website) | R&D, Capital Allowances, Land Remediation Relief in one assessment |
| Fit for whom | Tech and software SMEs wanting a direct specialist relationship | SMEs wanting a free multi-relief view before committing |
What Kene Partners does
Based on kenepartners.co.uk reviewed in May 2026, Kene Partners is a specialist R&D Tax Credit consultancy that offers claim preparation for UK companies, with a stated focus on technology, software, life sciences, and engineering sectors. Their public-facing materials describe an adviser-led process that begins with an eligibility assessment and proceeds to full claim preparation, technical narrative, and CT600 entry.
Kene Partners does not publish a fee percentage on its public website. Like most UK R&D advisers, the likely model is a contingency fee expressed as a percentage of the successful claim. Before engaging Kene Partners, ask for the exact percentage, how that percentage changes with claim size, and how HMRC enquiry defence is handled under the engagement terms.
One aspect worth checking: Kene Partners' public website does not describe in detail how the company handles the Additional Information Form, mandatory for all R&D claims since 8 August 2023. Any adviser you use in 2026 must handle this as a standard deliverable, not an optional add-on. Confirm this explicitly before signing.
Sector positioning
Kene Partners publicly positions itself toward technology and software companies, which is a relevant signal if your company is in that sector. In the R&D Tax Credit market, sector experience matters: a specialist who routinely works with software companies understands the borderline cases in the HMRC CIRD manual that routinely come up for software claims. These include the advancement test applied to software R&D, the treatment of iterative development, and the exclusion of commercially available tools.
Uplift Tax-introduced specialists also include firms with sector-specific R&D experience. The network includes firms with demonstrated track records in software, manufacturing, engineering, construction, and life sciences. The match is made at the assessment stage based on your sector and claim profile, not on capacity allocation within a single firm.
The fee question
Neither Kene Partners nor Uplift Tax-introduced specialists publish a public fee schedule. In the broader UK R&D advisory market, no-win-no-fee percentages typically sit between 10% and 25% of the successful claim. Larger claims attract lower percentages. First-time claims from companies with qualifying spend under £100,000 often attract higher percentages because the adviser work is not proportional to claim size.
A concrete example: a software SME with £250,000 of qualifying R&D spend and a 20% Merged Scheme credit would have a gross claim of £50,000. A 15% adviser fee on that claim is £7,500. A 20% fee is £10,000. That gap is real and worth confirming before you sign, but it should not drive you toward the cheapest option at the expense of claim quality. A well-structured claim from a specialist who understands your sector may identify £80,000 of qualifying spend rather than £250,000 and arrive at a higher absolute credit even with a higher fee rate. See our qualifying expenditure guide for what genuinely qualifies.
HMRC enquiry environment
From 2022 onward HMRC has increased compliance activity on R&D claims. For technology and software companies, this is particularly relevant because software R&D claims have been identified as a compliance risk area. HMRC's internal guidance at CIRD81000 and surrounding sections sets out HMRC's interpretation of what constitutes qualifying R&D for software. A claim that relies on a loose technical narrative is more exposed to enquiry than one with a structured, project-by-project advancement analysis.
When comparing Kene Partners and a Uplift-introduced specialist, ask each how they structure the technical narrative for a software claim and what their track record is on HMRC enquiries. A credible adviser should be able to describe the structure of a technical narrative without disclosing client-specific information.
Checking more than one relief
One structural difference between the two models is the scope of the first conversation. Kene Partners' public website focuses on R&D Tax Credits. Uplift Tax's assessment covers R&D Tax Credits, Capital Allowances, and Land Remediation Relief in a single free call.
For a tech company that has recently purchased equipment, fit out new office space, or signed a new commercial lease, the Capital Allowances position can be material. Full Expensing (introduced in the 2023 Autumn Statement and made permanent) allows 100% first-year allowances on qualifying plant and machinery. An SME spending £200,000 on servers and office equipment in the same period it is claiming R&D may have a Capital Allowances deduction that exceeds its R&D credit value. A specialist focused only on R&D would not surface this opportunity. Uplift Tax does, at the assessment stage and at no cost.
When to choose each
Choose Kene Partners if:
- You are a technology or software SME and want a direct relationship with a named consultancy that specialises in your sector.
- You have obtained and are comfortable with Kene Partners' fee terms and enquiry-defence arrangement.
- You have a single-relief R&D question and no additional Capital Allowances or Land Remediation complexity.
Choose Uplift Tax introduction if:
- You want a free eligibility view with no commitment before engaging any adviser.
- You want R&D, Capital Allowances, and Land Remediation Relief assessed in one call.
- You want to be introduced to a specialist matched to your sector, with a disclosed no-win-no-fee rate, rather than self-selecting a consultancy from search results.
- You want a second opinion on an existing claim or adviser relationship before renewing.
Both routes lead to a compliant R&D claim if the adviser is competent. The decision is about which engagement model suits your company and whether the scope of the first conversation should include reliefs beyond R&D.
For a broader view of what separates specialist R&D advisers from generalist accountants, read our guide on R&D specialists vs accountants. For the full range of comparisons with named UK consultancies, see the compare hub.