Dates:
Competition opens: Monday 4 November 2024
Competition closes: Wednesday 11 December 2024 11:00am
Applicants notified: 31 January 2025
Project start date & duration: 01 April 2025 for 1 months
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); Quantum Networks (QN)
For Quantum Computing projects you must: 1) outline the development of innovative quantum hardware, this could include the development of a quantum computing testbed at an advanced stage. Or 2) 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
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 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. In your QN project, we consider technologies involving single photon generation and detection to be in scope. We encourage projects for networking of quantum computers to advance information processing.
Projects that will not be funded
- do not use ‘second generation’ quantum technologies defined as those involving the generation and coherent control of quantum states, resulting in phenomena such as superposition or entanglement
- would directly duplicate existing innovation; are low maturity in their development; do not include delivery of significant and critical activities in the UK
Eligibility
- To lead a project your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size and collaborate with other UK registered organisations;
- You may collaborate with: businesses, academic institutions, charity, not of profit, public sector, RTO
- Must have one or more end users within the consortium; Must carry out its work in the UK; Intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
Funding Rates
Total eligible project costs: QC £1m-£3m, QN £300k-£1m; Funding rates for industrial research: micro/small: 70%, Medium SME 60%, Large Organisation 50%. Research organisations in your consortium can share up to 30% of the UK total eligible project costs.
How PNO can support you
The UK team has a strong track record in securing some of the most competitive national and European grants on behalf of its clients, with a full understanding of how a project should be presented to stand the highest chance of success. Each year in the UK alone, we are responsible for the submission of more than 100 funding applications across all sectors and priority areas. Based on this extensive experience, through careful project selection and using key insight into how a project should be best positioned, we consistently achieve success rates that are more than 5 times the typical success rates for UK national schemes and EU programmes.
For further information or to discuss a project idea please contact PNO Consultants
0161 488 3488 | info.uk@pnoconsultants.com
