Approve and submit an R&D claim

Use this once a claim's narrative is finished.

You need access to R&D claims — ask your Flowstate admin. Approvers must also be on the Approval Stage, and whoever files and records the outcome on the Completion Stage, in Set up R&D claims.

Before you start

Add people to the Approval Stage before anyone submits a claim. Only they can approve it.

Take a claim through to the credit

1. Claim author: open the claim and select Submit for review. The claim moves to In Review.
2. Approver: open the claim and read it. The Activity tab shows whose turn it is.
3. Approver: choose one:
   • Approve — the claim moves to Approved.
   • Request changes — add a note saying what needs to change. The claim goes back to its author, who updates it and selects Resubmit for review.
   • Reject — give a Reason for rejection and select Reject claim. The project moves back to its previous cost centre. To start again, select Back to draft.
4. Completion Stage: once you or your adviser have filed the claim, select Mark submitted, and confirm.
5. Completion Stage: when the credit arrives, select Record outcome. Enter the Credit Amount and any notes, such as an HMRC reference, and select Confirm.

Tip

One approval from anyone on the Approval Stage approves the claim. Add only people whose approval you'd accept on its own.

See whose turn it is

Open the claim's Activity tab.

• Approval workflow lists your approval stages in order. Current marks the stage the claim is at. Each stage shows its approvers, or No approvers assigned.
• Open tasks lists what's waiting on someone for this claim — Complete rationale, Review claim or Address feedback — with who has it and its due date, or No due date.

When there's nothing to do, the tab shows Nothing pending.

What happens next

The claim is Closed and moves to the Completed tab. Its credit counts in Claimed back on the Overview.

Deadlines

• Set a deadline on each claim — see Build an R&D claim.
• Due soon on the Overview counts claims not yet filed with a deadline in the next 6 months.
• From 90 days before a deadline, the approvers at the claim's current stage get a reminder.

If something's not right

The claim says "Awaiting" followed by names. It's waiting for those approvers. You aren't on the Approval Stage.

There's no Mark submitted or Record outcome button. You aren't on the Completion Stage. Ask your finance lead to add you.

No deadline reminders arrive. The claim has no deadline, or nobody is on the stage the claim is at.