Contracts for Innovation: Quantum Sensors and PNT Missions Primer

Overview

Scope

The aim of this competition is to accelerate the development and adoption of quantum sensors (QS) and quantum position, navigation, and timing (QPNT) products and services. These will prime the National Quantum StrategyMissions 3, 4, and 5.Examples include sensing-enabled solutions for healthcare, navigation systems and clocks, and sensors for critical infrastructure in the transport, telecoms, energy, and defence sectors.

Your phase 1 project must deliver

1. A Product Maturity Plan which includes plans or roadmaps describing your future product development activities, investment needs, and how they address your intended market.
2. A Product Performance Report which shows the results of a test, a demonstration, modelling, or a trial from which you derive your confidence in being able to meet the technical requirements of your chosen market.

The above deliverables will beused to evaluate the performance of your phase 1 project. Based on performancein phase 1 and the availability of budget, you may be invited to apply to aseparate phase 2 competition. It is expected that you will enact some or all ofthe development activities in your Product Maturity Plan, if you are selectedfor a phase 2 project.

Your product or service mustuse second generation quantum technologies, or your product roadmap mustinclude a plan for the incorporation of second generation quantum technologies.

Second generation quantumtechnologies are defined as those involving the generation and coherent controlof quantum states, resulting in phenomena such as superposition orentanglement. Technologies involving single photon generation and detection areconsidered to be in scope.

Software and hardware are bothin scope as a product or service. However, in the case of software, the productor service must be aligned with a specific hardware device or platform. Thehardware provider can be a collaborator or subcontractor.

Your project must:

• be fundamentally about the development of an innovative product or service
• demonstrate the current status of the technology
• outline future plans for developing the maturity of the product or service, that are founded on a mature product concept and market knowledge
• identify technical, commercial, and regulatory barriers to adoption

You must define your goals in your application and outline your plan for phase

You must demonstrate a credible and practical route to market, so your application must include a plan to commercialise your results.

At this stage contracts will only be given for phase 1.

In phase 2 successful applicants from phase 1 will be asked to develop your proposed product or service based on the plans generated in Phase 1. It is expected that this will include delivering some or all of the development activities in your Product MaturityPlan.

Key themes and topics

Your project can focus on one or more of the following

• quantum sensors (QS)
• quantum position, navigation, and timing (QPNT)

Project duration

Up to 7 months

Must start by 1^st September 2025

End by 31^st March2026

Award value

Must have total costs of between £500,000 and £1.5 million, inclusive of VAT

Eligibility criteria

• Projects must be led by an organisation of any size, including those based in the EU,EEA or internationally
• Contracts will be awarded to a single entity only
• Subcontractors can be used for specialist skills and can be businesses, research organisations, research and technology organisations or the third sector(charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups)
• You must select whether you are VAT registered before entering your eligible project costs
• If you are VAT registered, you must enter your eligible project costs exclusive of VAT and your total eligible project costs inclusive of VAT must not exceed £1.5 million
• If you are not VAT registered, you must enter your eligible project costs exclusive of VAT and your total project costs must not exceed £1.5 million

Your application must have at least 50% of the contract value attributed directly and exclusively to R&D services, including solution exploration and design. R&D can also include prototyping and field-testing the product or service