Designs receives £100K in R&D tax relief

Hull-based design and signage company Designs Signage Solutions has received £100,000 in R&D tax relief from the Government following its work developing 3D scanning technology and new sustainable solutions.

The 3D imaging technology is able to map a surface to help in the planning and applications of signage designs. Previously the work required older techniques such as using hand drawings and mask taping.

The new solution is particularly useful for curved surfaces as the scans take these surfaces into account rather than relying on flat designs.

R&D tax relief has been a growing form of investment for businesses in print and signage, two areas which are seeing significant innovations regarding green products and automation.

The scheme was introduced in 2000 to incentivise innovation resulting in either reduction in a corporation tax or a cash lump sum.

Managing director for Designs, Rob Daysley, says: “We’re in a very competitive market, and so we need to create our own niches and efficiencies to ensure we can continue to grow.

“That’s why we do so much R&D work and the money we receive gets put back into the business and capital investment. Our whole senior leadership team is always looking at R&D and ways we can improve and have a point of difference over our competitors.”

Designs also developed its range of sustainable event signage which is easier to store, reuse, and be recycled.

In order to overcome the durability and lifespan of print used outdoors and in adverse conditions, Designs worked to re-engineer aluminium for signs to be more easily deconstructed, rebuilt, and to withstand printing and poor weather.

Claire Robinson, key account manager at innovation funding specialist Catax (which Design worked with in securing the funding), adds: “The tax relief they have received will go back into the business and even more R&D projects.

“The company keeps coming up with new challenges they want to overcome, which not only helps their business to grow but also produces great results for their customers.”

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