US launches $215m competition for fault-tolerant quantum computers - Innovation News Network

US launches $215m competition for fault-tolerant quantum computers By Jack Thomas QuantumTechnology 21st September 2026 Share FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailPrint The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the Quantum Genesis Q Competition, a programme offering up to $215m in investment to accelerate the development of the first scientifically relevant, fault-tolerant quantum computers. The competition, led by the DOE’s Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR), is seeking proposals for quantum computers with at least 100 logical qubits capable of carrying out hundreds of millions of fault-tolerant operations, alongside scientific demonstration programmes. Alongside the competition, the DOE has announced a separate $45m call for its National Laboratories to establish a Quantum High-Performance Computing Validation and Verification Testbed. The facility will provide independent capabilities to benchmark and validate competitors’ claims. Quantum Genesis Q targets fault-tolerant quantum computing The Quantum Genesis Q Competition is designed to accelerate the deployment of fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of addressing problems that are currently intractable in chemistry, materials, physics, and applied mathematics. The programme will run in two phases. Phase I will provide fixed awards of up to $1.5m to successful applicants as they reach early development milestones. Phase II will introduce a $100m general incentive pool. This funding will be distributed among awardees that demonstrate a first-generation scientifically relevant quantum computer with at least 100 logical qubits. Two additional incentive pools, each worth $50m, will provide bonuses for systems demonstrating 150 and 200 logical qubits. The planned funding totals up to $215m, including $2.5m in Fiscal Year 2026 funding. Future funding will depend on congressional appropriations. Applications are open to private-sector companies, with final submissions due on 19 October 2026. The DOE will also hold a virtual information webinar for prospective applicants on 25 September. DOE Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil believes the initiative will revolutionise America’s quantum computing capabilities: “Through the Quantum Genesis Q Competition, we are building a new era of computational power for the nation through innovative public-private partnerships. “This competition will enable new quantum computing capabilities and unleash new computational frontiers, driving new scientific and technological discoveries that have previously only been theorised.” National Laboratories to validate quantum claims The DOE’s separate $45m National Laboratory call addresses another challenge: determining whether emerging quantum systems can deliver the performance they claim. The proposed Quantum High-Performance Computing Validation and Verification Testbed will draw on expertise across the DOE National Laboratories to develop tools for assessing a quantum computing system from its underlying hardware through to scientific applications. This includes evaluating physical hardware, quantum gates, logical architectures, and quantum algorithms, as well as the classical control systems that support them. The testbed is intended to provide the validation and benchmarking capabilities needed for the Quantum Genesis Q Competition while supporting the DOE’s wider quantum computing objectives.

The National Laboratory programme has $14m allocated in Fiscal Year 2026, with additional funding in later years dependent on congressional appropriations. Building toward scientifically relevant quantum computers The DOE says the competition supports the objectives of the President’s Executive Order on Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation. It also builds on recommendations from the Blueprint for DOE Quantum Supercomputing and a report from the Office of Science Advisory Committee outlining a path toward an integrated quantum future. For the DOE, the focus is therefore not simply on increasing the number of physical qubits.

The Quantum Genesis Q Competition specifically targets systems with logical qubits capable of sustained fault-tolerant operations and meaningful scientific demonstrations. If successful, the programme would establish a framework to move fault-tolerant quantum computers from development to demonstrated scientific capability, while the accompanying validation testbed would provide a mechanism to measure and compare the systems being developed. QuantumTechnology Computer ScienceHigh-Performance ComputingNorth AmericaQuantum ComputingQuantum Technology Share FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailPrint Contributor Details Jack ThomasInnovation News NetworkManaging EditorLinkedIn Recommended Articles EDITOR'S PICK Europe’s semiconductor industry: Global dependencies and the 2030 outlook EDITOR'S PICK Accelerating the UK semiconductor sector Previous articleWildfire Smoke causes greater health risks than other air pollutionNext articleMaynooth University team build world-first DNA computer Featured TopicsDisruptive TechnologyComputer ScienceDigital InfrastructureCyber Security Featured News Ateios Systems and Kodak’s battery platform earns PFAS-free verification 30th March 2026 Elestor’s hydrogen-iron flow battery could deliver 25-year grid storage lifetimes 13th March 2026 Advertisements Featured Content The latest handpicked content, focusing on breaking developments and in-depth analysis from key research and innovation partners. Why component standardisation is the hidden key to industrial resilience Join the EUPEX workshop on ARM-based architectures at HiPEAC 2026 From classrooms to careers: Quantum.Tech Europe 2025 champions global talent in Rotterdam Similar Articles Maynooth University team build world-first DNA computer Technology 21st September 2026 Europe’s semiconductor industry: Global dependencies and the 2030 outlook Technology 21st September 2026 Gradiant secures $300m in semiconductor fabrication contracts Technology 17th September 2026 Accelerating the UK semiconductor sector Technology 17th September 2026 More from Innovation News Network Maynooth University team build world-first DNA computer Technology 21st September 2026 Europe’s semiconductor industry: Global dependencies and the 2030 outlook Technology 21st September 2026 CRIFS: From discovery to defence in food safety Environment 18th September 2026 Gradiant secures $300m in semiconductor fabrication contracts Technology 17th September 2026 Jack ThomasInnovation News NetworkManaging EditorLinkedIn