Commercialising quantum technologies: feasibility studies round 3
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £6 million in innovation projects. This funding is from the ISCF Commercialising quantum technologies challenge.
The aim of this competition is to advance the commercialisation of quantum technologies in the UK and to address one or more of the technical challenges:
- connectivity
- seeing the invisible
- positioning, navigation and timing
- computing
Your proposal must identify a clear market opportunity and an innovative project which exploits it.
Your project must:
- exploit second generation quantum techniques
- demonstrate how the technology will contribute towards the commercialisation of quantum technologies in or from the UK
- outline the investment from industry that you will generate.
Your project must:
- have total eligible costs up to £500,000
- start by 1 November 2022
- last between 12 and 18 months
- carry out all of its project work in the UK
- intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
To lead a project or work alone your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size, and must involve at least one grant claiming SME. Academic institutions and research organisations cannot lead or work alone. Any one business can lead up to 3 applications, but all applicants can partner in any number of applications.
Your project must
- study a commercial opportunity
- quantify performance objectives
- provide a roadmap of future exploitation
- exploit second generation quantum techniques.
Second generation quantum technologies are defined as those involving the generation and coherent control of quantum states, resulting in phenomena such as superposition or entanglement. We consider technologies involving single photon generation to be in scope.
You must describe how you will collect project metrics, including:
- investment in addition to the project partner matched funding
- additional capital investment aligned to or dependent on the project outcomes
We particularly encourage projects that:
- involve consortia which span the supply chain of component suppliers, system integrators, and end user businesses
- advance quantum technology systems to market through integration of innovative component technologies
- realise the benefits of quantum technologies to enable end users to deliver measurable economic impact
- bring new investment and businesses to the UK’s growing quantum technology sector
Your project must address one or more of the specific themes:
- Connectivity: techniques for securing data in storage and in flight.
- Seeing the invisible: imaging, sensors and detectors for the environment, transport, autonomous systems, infrastructure, and healthcare.
- Positioning, navigation and timing: developing resilience and precision for situational awareness and time dissemination.
- Computing: advancing quantum computing for addressing intractable problems through modelling & simulation, machine learning and optimisation.
We will fund feasibility projects and industrial research projects, as defined in the guidance on categories of research.
A briefing event will be provisionally held on 17th January 2022: details to follow.
If you want help to find a project partner, contact Bob Cockshott or Najwa Sidqi at Innovate UK KTN.