Protect, Fund, Grow: IP and R&D Tax Credits with Marks & Clerk and Leyton

Wed Feb 11 2026 at 10:00 am to 02:30 pm

Salford Business School | Salford

Centre for Sustainable Innovation
Publisher/HostCentre for Sustainable Innovation
Protect, Fund, Grow: IP and R&D Tax Credits with Marks & Clerk and Leyton
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Expert strategies to protect your ideas and unlock funding for growth.
About this Event

Protect your ideas. Accelerate growth. Unlock funding.

Join us for a fully funded, one-day workshop designed to help SMEs futureproof their business and maximise innovation. This event combines two essential topics for scaling and success:

  • Intellectual Property (IP) and commercialisation: Learn how to protect your IP, manage risk, and turn ideas into revenue streams
  • Research and Development (R&D) tax credits: Understand how to claim valuable tax relief to fund innovation and reduce costs

We’re partnering with global IP experts Marks & Clerk and Leyton, the UK’s largest innovation funding consultancy, to bring you practical insights and strategies.

Why attend?

In today’s innovation-driven economy, IP and funding strategies are critical for growth. This workshop will help you:

  • Safeguard your business and avoid costly mistakes
  • Identify new opportunities and monetise IP assets
  • Reduce tax liability and unlock funding for R&D
  • Build competitive advantage and attract investors

Benefits of attending

  • Secure competitive advantages
  • Generate new revenue streams
  • Gain competitive intelligence
  • Facilitate access to financing
  • Attract partners and investors

You can choose to attend one or both sessions. Please indicate your preference on the booking form.

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About our speakers:

Mitchell Clark, Marks & Clerk

Mitch is a Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney with an engineering focus, working in the Marks & Clerk Manchester office.

He has experience of drafting and prosecuting applications before the UK and European Patent Offices, as well as globally. Mitch also has experience of supporting early-stage projects through to commercialisation, including: invention harvesting; advising on freedom-to-operate; and coordinating multi-case filing series.

Alex Garrett, Marks & Clerk

Alex is a Part-Qualified Trainee Patent Attorney working in the Marks & Clerk Manchester office. He works principally within the Software and Electronics team, with a particular focus on AI and Telecoms.

His practice primarily relates to drafting and prosecuting applications for the UK and European Patent Offices.

Sarah Glanville, Leyton

Sarah leads Strategic Partnerships for Leyton UK & Ireland, specialising in educating businesses on innovation-focused tax incentives and supporting them to both understand and successfully access the schemes available to drive growth. She works closely with companies to translate schemes such as Patent Box, R&D tax credits, capital allowances, and energy incentives into practical, real-world outcomes, guiding clients through the claims process with clarity and confidence.

Alex Hughes, Leyton

Alex is a Senior Enquiry Consultant at Leyton, specialising in R&D tax credit compliance and HMRC enquiry defence. With a background in biology and over five years’ experience across the R&D tax landscape, Alex supports businesses through complex HMRC interactions with an experienced and evidence-led approach.

Having held senior technical and compliance roles, Alex brings deep insight into HMRC expectations, risk areas, and best-practice claim preparation.

Hugo Morgan, Leyton

Hugo is an R&D Tax Consultant with a strong engineering background and an MEng in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Manchester. He has five years' experience supporting innovative businesses in his field to identify qualifying R&D activity and prepare robust, HMRC-compliant R&D tax credit claims.

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What to do next

This free event is a must for SMEs looking to protect their innovations, unlock funding, and accelerate growth. Places are limited, so book now to secure your spot.


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Agenda

?: 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Arrival and refreshments
?: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
IP essentials: Protecting and leveraging your ideas for growth - Marks & Clerk
Host: Mitchell Clark

Info: Gain an insight into intellectual property and how to accelerate your product, idea or service to commercialisation. In this session, you'll receive an introductory intellectual property (IP) seminar suitable for a broad range of businesses. The seminar is intended to be an interactive discussion covering topics including:
- A brief guide to different types of IP, with a particular focus on patents (including what can be protected and when patents may not be appropriate);
- What a considered IP strategy should include, and some common IP pitfalls to avoid;
- Example scenarios highlighting commercial IP considerations; and
- The interaction between AI and IP


?: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Networking lunch
?: 01:00 PM - 02:30 PM
Funding, protecting & commercialising innovation - Leyton
Host: Sarah Glanville

Info: R&D tax credits, Patent Box & HMRC enquiries explained


?: 02:30 PM
Networking, refreshments and event close
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Salford Business School, University Road, Salford, United Kingdom

Tickets

GBP 0.00

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