The US Department of Energy is offering up to $200 million per award to build the world's first fault tolerant, scientifically useful quantum computer

[Keane]

The US Department of Energy's Office of Science has launched Quantum Genesis Q, a competition described as a groundbreaking initiative aimed at developing the world's first fault tolerant, scientifically relevant quantum computing capability. The programme's stated goals cover establishing genuinely fault tolerant quantum computers capable of real scientific research use, advancing the underlying hardware, software and enabling technologies needed to get there, and developing scientific workflows that align directly with the needs of DOE and the broader scientific community.

The competition carries a total funding pool of $215 million, with individual award sizes ranging enormously from as little as $250,000 up to as much as $200 million, and the DOE expects to make roughly 10 awards in total across that funding pool. Eligible applicants must be small businesses or other for profit organisations operating as domestic commercial entities, and each must submit a technically viable plan specifically tailored to the Quantum Genesis programme's stated goals and milestones.

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov ahead of an October 19, 2026 deadline, with proposals required to include outlines demonstrating genuine technical feasibility aligned with the programme's defined milestones. Interested applicants can direct questions to a dedicated address, qcompetition@doe.gov, set up specifically to handle enquiries about the competition ahead of that deadline.

The Doe Quantum Genesis Q Competition Advancing Quantum Computingwww2.fundsforngos.org