This new Innovate UK competition will provide up to £9.5 million for quantum computing projects. Read on to see if you’re eligible.
Are you working on an innovative project in the quantum computing space? Then, you could secure up to £3 million from Innovate UK through a new competition, ‘Quantum Missions pilot: Quantum Computing and Quantum Networks’.
Funding is available to organisations working on the development, commercialisation and adoption of Quantum Computing (QC) and Quantum Networking (QN) solutions. The competition is open to UK businesses of any size plus non-commercial collaborators, such as universities and research technology organisations (RTO).
It closes on 11 December at 11 am.
Below, I’ve explained who’s eligible, how much funding you could secure, and how to apply. If you’d like an expert assessment of your eligibility and the strength of your project, GrantTree’s grant funding specialists are here to help.
Who’s eligible for the Quantum Missions pilot?
To understand who’s eligible, we need to look at your project and your organisation.
Your Project
Your project must look to increase the capability of a QC or QN solution by overcoming one or more of the key technological barriers or limitations preventing it from delivering value and reaching the market.
In addition, your project must:
- Last 8-12 months
- Start by 1 April 2025
- End by 31 March 2026
You’ll also need to carry out all of your project work in the UK and exploit the results of your project here as well.
Your Organisation
You must be a UK-registered business to lead a project.
To collaborate with a lead, you can be a UK-registered…
- Business of any size
- Academic institution
- Charity
- Not for profit
- Public sector organisation
- Research and technology organisation (RTO)
You can include non-UK partners, so long as they fund their own work.
How much funding can I access through the Quantum Missions pilot?
The amount of funding you can apply for depends on what type of project you’re planning to undertake and, if you are a business, how large you are.
Project Type
| Type of project | Amount of funding you can apply for |
|---|---|
|
QN |
£300,000 - £1 million |
|
QC |
£1 million - £3 million |
|
QN and QC |
£1 million - £3 million |
Company Size
As a company, the amount of grant funding is tied to how large you are.
The more employees and resources you have, the less funding you can apply for relative to the overall cost of your project.
Here’s a breakdown.
| Company size | Percentage of project costs funded |
|---|---|
|
Micro or Small |
70% |
|
Medium |
60% |
|
Large |
50% |
For example, if you were a medium-sized business working on a £1.5 million QC project and didn’t have any partners, the most funding you could apply for would be £900,000.
You can read more about the definitions of micro, small, medium, and large companies here.
Funding for Research Organisations
Here’s how much funding you’ll receive as a non-commercial organisation:
- 100% if you are an RTO, charity, not-for-profit, public sector organisation or research organisation
- 80% of your full economic costs (FEC) if you are a Je-S registered institution
Unsure whether you qualify? GrantTree would be happy to perform a no-commitment assessment of your eligibility and how well your project matches what Innovate UK is looking for.
How to apply for the Quantum Missions pilot
The application for the Quantum Missions pilot has four sections:
- Project details
- Application questions
- Finances
- Project Impact
Project details contains six sections. It isn’t scored but provides valuable context for your Innovate UK assessors.
There are 14 questions in ‘application questions’, all of which are scored apart from the first four. This section will make up the bulk of your application.
In Finances, you and your parnters need to enter your project costs, organisation information and funding details.
The last section, Project Impact, is not scored. Nevertheless, it’s important to get it right, as it explains to your assessors how your project will contribute to the UK economy.
Let’s get you funded
Innovate UK’s Quantum Missions pilot is a fantastic opportunity for organisations working on quantum computing to secure a game-changing grant.
However, like all Innovate UK schemes, it is bound to be highly competitive, with only a small percentage of applicants receiving funding.
GrantTree’s grant funding experts can maximise your chances of success.
Calling on decades of experience winning and administering Innovate UK grants, they’ll ensure you put forward the best possible case for funding.
To learn more about our grant funding services, just get in touch.
