The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) administers the research and development (R&D) tax incentive programme in terms of section 11D of the Income Tax Act (Act No. 58 of 1962) in conjunction with National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service (SARS). The programme seeks to encourage private sector investment in scientific and technological R&D in South Africa.
We are working with the DSI to design, develop, implement, maintain and support a software solution that will automate its management processes. This automation will allow private companies to submit applications for Ministerial pre-approval from the DSI and submit progress reports as necessary on approved online R&D activities.
The solution is based on BBD’s business automation accelerator, Vanguard, which will automate the registration, application and progress reporting processes of research projects submitted. Currently paper-driven and cumbersome, these processes create inefficiencies and are a burden on the DSI. By digitising the management of the overall programme, BBD will help optimise the programme while making the processes available online.