Energy launches quantum computer development competition

The Energy Department announced the launch of an initiative on Thursday that looks to turbocharge U.S. deployment of the world’s first fault-tolerant, scientifically relevant quantum computer by offering private sector firms monetary incentives for reaching key development milestones. 

The new Quantum Genesis Q Competition will offer up to $215 million in total planned funding to participating companies that submit proposals on ways “to deploy quantum computers with at least 100 logical qubits that are capable of performing hundreds of millions fault-tolerant operations and scientific demonstration programs.”

The agency also posted a request for applications on Thursday “from domestic commercial entities [that] have a technically viable plan for the Quantum Genesis program and achieving the milestones of the Q Competition.” Companies have until Oct. 19 to apply.

Energy launched the Quantum Genesis initiative in June, which looks to develop and deploy the first U.S. fault-tolerant quantum computer for scientific research by 2028. That program debuted the day after President Donald Trump issued two executive orders looking to secure U.S. technologies from future quantum computing threats and to accelerate development of a scientifically-relevant quantum computer.

The competition announced on Thursday will operate in two phases, the agency said, with applicants in the first half being able to receive up to $1.5 million each for reaching early milestones. The RFA says participants who submit a detailed technical plan approved by Energy are eligible to receive an initial $250,000. The companies that then move on to “successful completion of a validated intermediate milestone (prototype device)” can then receive an additional $1.25 million.

Energy says it plans to split funds among phase two participants “who successfully demonstrate a device” that can operate at its targeted goal of 100 logical qubits or higher.

In a press call ahead of the initiative’s launch, Energy’s Undersecretary for Science Darío Gil said previous engagement with quantum-focused partners provided “very, very ample feedback” that development of a first-generation scientifically relevant quantum computer is possible. 

To ensure the U.S. leads the global quantum computing tech race, Gil said the agency realized it could leverage the work of the commercial sector “to allow both collaboration and competition to take place … to bring the best of the competitive spirits.”

He added that “because we don't know what the answer is in terms of what modalities we’ll be able to realize [as early as 2028, the goal] is to allow teams to form and to set up a competition where there would be a reward function in that competition, depending on the scale of what gets demonstrated.”

In addition to launching the competition, Energy also announced on Thursday the rollout of a Quantum High-Performance Computing Validation and Verification Testbed Lab Call. 

The initiative, which is only open to the agency’s network of national laboratories, calls for proposals “to develop and apply a complete set of necessary tools and expertise to perform performance verification of fault tolerant quantum computers.” Energy said it has set aside $45 million in planned funding for that effort.