The DOE Quantum Genesis Q Competition
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The Department of Energy Office of Science has launched the Quantum Genesis Q Competition under solicitation DE-FOA-0003657 to accelerate the development and deployment of the first fault-tolerant, scientifically relevant quantum computing (SRQC) capability. This initiative, part of the broader Genesis Mission, seeks domestic commercial entities capable of delivering a first-generation SRQC by 2028, with some flexibility extending to 2030. The program is designed to scale quantum hardware, software, and enabling technologies to support national scientific advancement and establish a foundation for next-generation SRQCs at National Laboratories through the 2030s. The competition is administered via Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) rather than standard FAR-based contracts, utilizing a milestone-based funding structure with a total estimated value of 215 million dollars over the first 30 months. Funding is distributed through initial plan approvals at 250,000 dollars, prototype milestones at 1.25 million dollars, and a 100 million dollar general incentive pool for achieving first-generation goals. Additional bonus pools of 50 million dollars each are available for achieving 150 and 200 total logical qubits, respectively. All work and capabilities must be built and performed within the United States. Applications are evaluated on a merit-based system prioritizing scientific and technical feasibility, operational feasibility, impact on the DOE mission, and contributions to the U.S. quantum ecosystem. Due diligence reviews for research, technology, and economic security are mandatory for all applicants. Eligible domestic commercial entities must be registered in SAM.gov and submit their applications via Grants.gov by October 19, 2026. Awardees are subject to strict intellectual property terms, research security training requirements, and must maintain comprehensive conflict-of-interest policies.
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Full Description
The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the establishment of the Quantum Genesis initiative to develop and deploy the world’s first fault-tolerant, scientifically relevant quantum computing (SRQC) capability for research and development. The Department seeks to realize this bold ambition through the Quantum Genesis Q Competition (herein, the Q Competition), a first of its kind effort to accelerate the timeline for realizing this novel, transformative capability. The Quantum Genesis initiative will serve as a foundational pillar of the broader Genesis Mission, designed to usher in a new era of computational power for the nation and accelerate scientific discovery and innovation. The announcement of the Quantum Genesis initiative marks a significant step toward the Department’s goals outlined in President Trump’s Executive Order (EO), Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation and its Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science (QC-ADDS) effort.[1]
This request for applications (RFA) invites proposals from domestic commercial entities have a technically viable plan for the Quantum Genesis program and achieving the milestones of the Q Competition. The intent of the Q Competition is to accelerate the development timeline for SRQCs, align successful applicants with the needs of the Department and the scientific community, and to enable the necessary scaling of quantum hardware, software, and enabling technology while developing scientific workflows that ensure SRQCs contribute to national scientific and technological advancement. In addition to the goal of building the first-generation SRQC, these partners may also help to form the technical foundation for DOE’s continued efforts into the 2030s to deploy one or more next-generation SRQCs at National Laboratories.
DOE envisions this competition as a first step toward scaling fault-tolerant quantum computers to scientific relevance alongside other ongoing and planned activities. DOE acknowledges that potential vendors may have timelines that do not coincide with this competition, even though they may have a viable path to future platforms of interest to the DOE. Failure to participate or complete the milestones does not disqualify an entity or vendor from future DOE collaborations or procurements.
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