Here's exactly what an engagement with Prodmatix looks like — from the first call to the filed claim.
A modest base fee on engagement, plus a contingency percentage on the refund secured. For most claims, the total comes out lower than what a pure-contingency competitor would charge — and you only pay the contingency when CRA actually pays out.
The base fee lets us give your file the time it actually deserves rather than rushing to a quick filing. It also filters for clients who are serious — which means we can take fewer engagements and serve each one properly. On most claims, the math works out cheaper for you than a pure-contingency model anyway.
A typical engagement runs 6 to 10 weeks from kickoff to filed claim. Faster is possible when the client is well-organized; slower happens when evidence collection drags. Here's the standard week-by-week shape.
Welcome packet, intake questionnaire, kickoff call. We identify the people we'll need to interview and set the working rhythm. By end of week 1, the engagement folder is set up and you've submitted the intake.
We review the intake and identify candidate SR&ED projects from the work your team did in the last fiscal year. Output: a project list with eligibility hypothesis for each.
60–90 minute interviews with each project lead. We capture the work as engineers describe it and structure it for CRA. In parallel, we gather supporting documents — drawings, lab notes, emails, photos, test data.
First-draft T661 Part 2 technical narratives for every project. We coordinate with your accountant on cost components in parallel — salary allocations, materials, contractor invoices, proxy method.
We run every narrative through a structured self-review and risk-rate each project. If any project is borderline, we tell you transparently and discuss whether to include with caveats, reduce, or exclude.
We send you the full draft for review at least two weeks before the filing deadline. A 45-minute walk-through; you sign off, we incorporate edits, deliver final.
We hand the final claim to your accountant for filing with the T2 corporate return. Engagement closes pending CRA processing. We remain available for any technical review CRA may open.
Most accountants do the cost side competently. The technical narratives are where claims get reduced or denied — and that's where our background does the most work. We're happy to coordinate with your existing accountant rather than replace them; that's actually the standard arrangement.
The first 8 hours of technical review defence is included in the engagement — that covers most reviews. If CRA opens a full audit, we scope additional time separately, typically at $250/hour or as a flat fee depending on the scope. The financial side of any review stays with your accountant.
If after the eligibility assessment we conclude there's no viable claim, we tell you upfront and invoice only the assessment portion ($1,500 of the $2,500 base) — you walk away with a written eligibility memo you can use however you like.
Our hybrid pricing works best for estimated refunds of $50,000 or more. Below that, we'll either propose a flat fee ($5,000) or recommend you find another firm. Either way, we'll give you a straight answer on the first call.
The CRA filing deadline for an SR&ED claim is 18 months after fiscal year-end. To do the work properly — not rush it — engage us 8 to 14 weeks before that deadline. If your FY-end was within the last 12 months, you have plenty of runway.
Machine shops, tool & die / mould makers, metal fabrication and welding, additive manufacturing (metal and polymer), foundries, coatings and surface treatment, composites, industrial equipment OEMs, materials processing, battery and energy storage. If you're in advanced manufacturing or materials R&D and you're not on that list, ask — we may still be able to help.
Book a 30-minute discovery call. We'll review the technical work your team has been doing and give you a candid assessment of eligibility and refund range.
Book a discovery call