Your industry qualifies more often than you think.

Agriculture

Every season is a trial.

Farms, ranches, growers, orchards, vineyards, dairies, nurseries, and greenhouse operations run variety trials, irrigation tests, feed changes, and precision agriculture programs. Trials with a real unknown can qualify.

Read the brief Architecture

Your drawings are research.

Design problems architects solve by testing options can qualify, when the contract leaves the risk and rights with you.

Read the brief Audio-Video Integration

Your installs are research.

AV integrators, custom install firms, and smart home companies engineer home theater, home automation, video walls, lighting control, and distributed audio with Crestron, Control 4, Savant, and Lutron programming. When an install needed new control logic to work, that systems work can qualify.

Read the brief Automotive Aftermarket

Every build is a test.

Performance parts makers, custom vehicle builders, upfitters, restoration shops, off-road and racing fabricators, and specialty vehicle manufacturers design, prototype, and dyno test parts, tunes, and conversions. That development work qualifies.

Read the brief Boat Manufacturing

Every boat is a prototype.

Specialty boat builders and marine shops iterate on hulls, builds, and models. Developing a new hull can qualify, even when that first boat sells.

Read the brief Breweries and Distilleries

Every batch is an experiment.

Craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, cideries, meaderies, and taprooms develop recipes, trial yeast and fermentation, run pilot batches, trial new aging methods, and solve canning and shelf-life problems. That process work can qualify.

Read the brief Cabinetry and Millwork

Your shop drawings are research.

Custom cabinet makers, architectural millwork shops, furniture makers, woodworkers, casework fabricators, and store fixture builders develop shop drawings, joinery, finishes, CNC programs, and mockups. That fabrication work qualifies.

Read the brief Chemical Formulation

Every formula is a hypothesis.

Coatings and paint manufacturers, adhesive and sealant makers, cleaning and janitorial chemical companies, cosmetics and personal care formulators, lubricant blenders, and specialty chemical producers develop, reformulate, and test formulas. That lab work qualifies.

Read the brief Construction Contractors

Means and methods are research.

General contractors, design-build firms, construction managers, concrete and structural contractors, and specialty subcontractors solve means and methods, temporary works, BIM clashes, and prefabrication problems on hard jobs. That problem solving can qualify.

Read the brief Diagnostic Imaging

Every new modality is a trial.

Imaging centers, outpatient radiology, mammography and breast centers, ultrasound, MRI and CT facilities, and bone density screening adopt AI second-read tools, automated whole-breast ultrasound, cloud PACS, and new screening protocols. Testing how a new imaging tool works in your patient care can qualify.

Read the brief Electrical Contractors

Your one-lines are research.

Electrical contractors, design-build electrical firms, controls and automation integrators, low-voltage and solar installers, and industrial electrical shops design distribution, program controls, prefab assemblies, and solve routing on every hard job. That design work qualifies.

Read the brief Electronics Manufacturing

Every board is a prototype.

Electronics manufacturers, PCB and circuit board assemblers, contract manufacturers, embedded systems and firmware developers, IoT and sensor makers, and cable and harness builders design, prototype, and test boards and products. That development work qualifies.

Read the brief Engineering Firms

Your calculations are research.

Civil engineers, structural engineers, MEP engineering firms, geotechnical and environmental consultants, land surveyors, and consulting engineering practices run analysis, design systems, and resolve hard site problems. That design work can qualify.

Read the brief Food Manufacturing

Every recipe is a formula.

Food processors, snack and bakery manufacturers, sauce and condiment makers, beverage companies, meat and dairy processors, supplement makers, and co-packers formulate products, run pilot batches, test shelf life, and develop lines. That product work qualifies.

Read the brief HVAC and Mechanical Contractors

Your load calcs are research.

HVAC contractors, mechanical contractors, sheet metal shops, plumbing and piping contractors, refrigeration companies, and building automation integrators run load calcs, detail ductwork, write control sequences, and prefab assemblies on design-build jobs. That design work can qualify.

Read the brief Machine Shops

Your first articles can be research.

Machine shops, CNC and precision machining companies, job shops, Swiss and turning shops, tool and die makers, and aerospace and medical component machinists program, fixture, and prove out hard new parts. When the process was uncertain, that work can qualify.

Read the brief Manufacturing

Every new line has a rough first month.

Manufacturers, plants, factories, and production lines develop new products, bring up new lines and equipment, automate with robots and PLCs, build tooling, dies, jigs, and fixtures, and run trials to raise yield, cut scrap, and shorten cycle time. Assembly, contract manufacturing, OEM parts, and industrial products. That work can qualify.

Read the brief Medical Imaging

Your image pipeline is research.

Medical imaging operations, PACS and RIS administrators, imaging IT, hospital and multi-site imaging providers, and mobile imaging build HL7 interfaces, patient engagement and billing integrations, cloud imaging platforms, and image archives. Hard integration work can qualify, and billing tools need to clear a higher bar.

Read the brief Medical Practices

Your protocols are research.

Private practice doctors, physicians, dentists, orthodontists, and specialty clinics adopt new scanners, imaging, 3D printers, medical devices, and treatment protocols. Working out how new technology fits your patients can qualify when the answer took testing.

Read the brief Metal Fabrication

Your weld procedures are research.

Metal fabricators, welding shops, sheet metal and structural steel fabricators, custom enclosure and frame builders, and laser and press brake shops develop weld procedures, fixtures, shop drawings, and first articles. That process work qualifies.

Read the brief Plastics and Injection Molding

Every mold is an experiment.

Injection molders, custom plastics manufacturers, mold makers and tool builders, extrusion and thermoforming companies, rotational and blow molders, and composites fabricators design molds, run sampling, and develop process windows. That development work qualifies.

Read the brief Podiatry

Your orthotics are research.

Podiatrists, DPMs, foot and ankle surgeons, and podiatry groups design custom orthotics, bring fabrication in-house with a mill, refine surgical techniques, and rework clinic protocols. Solving the foot the standard treatment does not fit qualifies.

Read the brief Radiology

Your reads are research.

Radiology groups, radiologists, reading rooms, breast imagers, and teleradiology practices validate AI-assisted reads, build reading protocols for new capture methods, and trial new reading workflows. Testing what a new tool does to the read can qualify.

Read the brief Sawmills and Plywood

Tuning the line is research.

Sawmills, plywood plants, veneer mills, LVL and engineered wood producers, lumber and planer mills, and wood products manufacturers develop new layups, dryer schedules, press cycles, and lathe setups, and spend months commissioning new lines. That process work qualifies.

Read the brief Software Development

Your commits are research.

Software companies, SaaS startups, custom software developers, app developers, and product teams building platforms, algorithms, and machine learning models often do work the credit was written for.

Read the brief