Contracts for Innovation: ProQure – Scaling UK Quantum Computing (Phase 1)
Objective and purpose: ProQure is the UK Government’s programme to identify, grow and deploy quantum computing capabilities to drive economic growth and social impact. This competition is phase 1 of a multi‑phase programme to support UK quantum computing and to inform a future public procurement of large scale quantum computers beyond 2030, with a budget of up to £1 billion.
Funding and scope: This is a standalone Contracts for Innovation competition (procurement). It does not involve the purchase of any solution, and participation in phase 1 does not give automatic eligibility in any future procurement exercise. Organisations can apply for up to £14 million, inclusive of VAT, to develop, build and validate quantum computing hardware and software solutions to demonstrate commercial scale deployment and applications.
Progression: Successful applicants from phase 1 who pass technical and commercial assessment throughout the project will be invited to apply for phase 2, with a contract of up to £75 million inclusive of VAT.
Key aims of phase 1 are to validate technologies and architectures to scale performance of state‑of‑the‑art quantum computers; deploy operational testbeds for independent evaluation and verification; accelerate growth in user adoption and the developer ecosystem; and accelerate enterprise operations and industrial capabilities to deliver economic and societal impact.
Eligibility and structure: To lead, you can be an organisation of any size, including EU, EEA or international organisations. You can work alone or with subcontractors. Contracts will be awarded to a single legal entity.
Dates and process notes: Opens 27 March 2026 and closes 29 May 2026 at 11:00am UK time. Up to 10 contracts are expected. High‑scoring applications may not be funded due to a portfolio approach. Any adoption and implementation would be subject to a separate competitive procurement exercise.