R&D & proof of concept
The high-risk early stages: research, modelling, exploratory builds — aimed at a clean yes/no, fast.
Innovation, R&D and bespoke build
Got an idea worth building?
If you’re a UK business with an innovation problem — a research project, a prototype to prove out, or a product idea you want to take from sketch to working software — Help to Innovate is where we do it. From early-stage R&D through to commercial products, with a team that’s been doing this for over a decade.
Things we do
Prototyping & MVPs
Concept to working prototype, in front of real users, in weeks rather than months.
AI integration & innovation
Bringing AI into existing products and workflows, or building net-new AI-native tools end-to-end.
Technology research
Independent evaluation of architectures, platforms and vendors before you commit.
Grants & R&D claims
Innovate UK, SBRI and similar — technical narrative, delivery, and the documentation HMRC R&D claims need.
Bespoke product build
End-to-end design and build of products that don’t yet exist — from validation through to launch.
Working with innovators across the UK.
We’re based in Hove and work with teams up and down the country — remote-first, in person where it helps. If you’d rather just talk an idea through before committing to anything, that’s a good place to start.
Common questions
What kinds of innovation projects do you take on?
Anything from early-stage research and proof-of-concept work, through prototyping and MVP builds, to full commercial product delivery. We’re equally comfortable with deep-tech R&D, AI integration, and ‘classic’ digital product builds — the common thread is that nobody’s done quite this thing before.
Do you support R&D tax claims or innovation grants?
Yes — we’re frequently part of grant-funded delivery (Innovate UK, SBRI and similar) and our work is structured so it’s straightforward to evidence for HMRC R&D tax credits. We don’t handle the claim itself, but we provide the technical narrative and project documentation claim specialists need.
What does a typical engagement look like?
Most projects start with a short discovery — a few hours to a couple of days — to map the problem, the unknowns, and the most useful first experiment. From there we run a focused build phase (often a few weeks), then either expand into full delivery or hand over a working prototype, depending on what fits.
We’re not a tech company — can you still help?
Yes. Plenty of our innovation work is with non-technical teams — operations, research, regulated industries, public sector. We translate the goal into a delivery plan, build it, and explain it back in business terms. You don’t need an in-house engineering team to work with us.
What about IP and confidentiality?
All work is covered by NDA on request, and IP arrangements are agreed up-front — typically all foreground IP assigned to you on payment. We work with public-sector, regulated and competitive-strategy projects routinely and treat that as the default standard.