For pharma and biotech companies advancing innovative drug development, working with Precision’s CIR-accredited European entities can help support eligible outsourced R&D activities while helping offset the cost of research and clinical development programmes in France and other applicable regions.
For sponsors running biomarker-driven programmes, every efficiency matters, and one of the most valuable is often overlooked: where, and with whom, R&D work is performed. France’s Crédit d’Impôt Recherche (CIR), one of Europe’s longest-standing R&D incentives, helps reinforce the country’s commitment to innovation by supporting private-sector investment in research and development, including eligible work outsourced to CIR-accredited partners. As a biomarker-driven clinical development and specialty laboratory partner, Precision for Medicine connects translational science, laboratory testing and clinical execution under one CIR-accredited umbrella, from preclinical research through to late-stage trials. With a strong presence in France and CIR-accredited entities across Europe, Precision is well positioned to support eligible R&D activities from both a clinical and laboratory perspective.
Disclaimer: PFM prepared this article for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on as, tax, legal or accounting advice. Please consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisers before engaging in any French tax credit applications.
France has become an important centre for biopharma innovation, supported in part by the French R&D tax relief programme, also referred to as the Crédit d’Impôt Recherche (CIR). For qualifying activities, eligible R&D expenses may be claimed from early research through clinical development, creating a meaningful opportunity for companies advancing new therapies in France.
The French Ministry of Higher Education and Research provides official guidance on the CIR programme, including an online overview of the process (here) and an annual CIR guide to help claimants identify eligible activities and associated costs.1 Current rates and thresholds are published on the Ministry’s website, with eligible expenses spanning researchers and technicians directly assigned to R&D, depreciation of research assets, associated operating costs and R&D subcontracted to approved public and private research organisations.
Precision is highly engaged in innovative research and development and has obtained CIR accreditation approval for several of its EU-based entities. This French-approved accreditation enables French sponsors to optimise their innovation costs by recovering eligible R&D costs outsourced to Precision’s EU entities.
For French biopharma companies, the right partner can help advance innovative research while making it easier to align eligible outsourced activities with the CIR programme. Precision’s CIR-accredited EU entities, including its Berlin laboratory, give sponsors access to clinical development, biomarker and specialty laboratory services that may support eligible R&D claims, even when the work is performed outside France. With Precision, sponsors can bring clinical and laboratory workstreams together through a single CIR-accredited partner, helping streamline R&D execution while supporting the scientific complexity of modern drug development.
Learn how Precision for Medicine can support your efforts.
Angélique Heckmann, PhD
Regional VP, Translational Business Solutions, Europe & APAC
angelique.heckmann@precisionformedicine.com
1. Guide du crédit d’impôt recherche. https://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2021-12/guidecir2021-15502.pdf. Accessed 13 October 2026.