Quantum Missions Pilot: Quantum Computing and Quantum Networks (UK)

Scope

• The aim of this competition is to accelerate Quantum Computing (QC) and Quantum Networks (QN) technologies by increasing their capabilities and removing technological barriers to their commercialisation and adoption.
• Your project must identify one or more key technological barriers or limitations and propose an innovative project that will address them.
• Your proposal must focus on one or more of the two technological themes:
  • Quantum Computing (QC): For Quantum Computing projects you must:
    • outline the development of innovative quantum hardware, this could include the development of a quantum computing testbed at an advanced stage or
    • outline a follow up development to an already existing testbed in use by the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) to significantly increase its capabilities
  • You must also:
    • describe how the hardware presents an improvement over available existing technology
    • include the requirements and specification development, build, commissioning, initial test and validation stages
    • lead to an operational system as the main project output
  • In your QC project, the term “testbed” corresponds to stable and well characterised prototype, or development platform solutions for a physical quantum computer. It must be capable of running quantum algorithms or analogue quantum processes, which must be tested and validated at system level by the end of the project.
  • Quantum Networks (QN): For Quantum Network projects you must:
    • describe the implications to businesses of the addressed barrier and how it impedes widespread customer adoption
    • deliver an innovative, competitive technical solution
    • plan to demonstrate the technical solution and its commercial viability
    • demonstrate how the project will enhance the scalability of quantum network technologies and build UK leadership in the emerging global market
  • Your application must outline a plan to further develop and exploit the solution within the UK. Your project must exploit the capabilities of second generation quantum technologies. These are defined as those involving the generation and coherent control of quantum states, resulting in phenomena such as superposition or entanglement.
  • In your QN project, they consider technologies involving single photon generation and detection to be in scope.

Theme

• Your project must focus on one or more of the following:
  • Quantum Computing
  • Quantum Networks

Funding Information

• Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £9.5 million for Quantum Computing (QC) and Quantum Networks (QN) projects.
• Quantum Computing projects: Your project’s total eligible grant funding request must be between £1 million and £3 million
• Quantum Networks projects: funding request must be between £300,000 and £1 million

Eligibility Criteria

• Your project must:
  • have a total grant funding request of between £1 million and £3 million for Quantum Computing projects
  • have a total grant funding request of between £300,000 and £1 million for Quantum Networks projects
  • have a total grant funding request of between £1 million and £3 million for combined Quantum Computing and Quantum Network projects
  • last between 8 and 12 months
  • start by 1 April 2025
  • end by 31 March 2026
• Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non-working day. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean they need to delay your project start date.
• You must only include eligible project costs in your application.
• If your project’s total grant funding request falls outside of their eligibility criteria, you must provide justification by email at least 10 working days before the competition closes. They will decide whether to approve your request.
• If you have not requested approval or your application has not been approved by them, you will be made ineligible. Your application will then not be sent for assessment.
• Lead organisation:
  • To lead a project your organisation must:
    • be a UK registered business of any size
    • carry out its project work in the UK
    • intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK
  • Academic institutions cannot lead or work alone.
• Project team:
  • To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:
    • business of any size
    • academic institution
    • charity
    • not for profit
    • public sector organisation
    • research and technology organisation (RTO)
• UK-based project partners must carry out the majority of their project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in the UK.
• Each partner organisation must be invited into the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) by the lead to collaborate on a project. Once partners have accepted the invitation, they will be asked to login or to create an account in IFS. They are responsible for entering their own project costs and completing their Project Impact questions in the application.
• To be an eligible collaboration, the lead and at least one other organisation must apply for funding when entering their costs into the application.
• Non-funded partners:
  • Your project can include non-UK partners, including partners based in the EU, who bring their own funding. Non-UK partners are permitted to carry out project work from within their home countries and exploit results overseas. Their costs will count towards the total eligible project costs.
• Subcontractors:
  • Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.
  • Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.
  • You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you cannot use suppliers from the UK.
  • You must provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unable to work with you. They will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.
  • All subcontractor costs must be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs.
• Number of applications:
  • A business can only lead on one application but can be included as a collaborator in two further applications.
  • If an organisation is not leading an application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.

For more information, visit Innovate UK.