The DOE Quantum Genesis Q Competition
🏛 Office of Science
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 9, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for domestic commercial entities developing fault-tolerant quantum computers for scientific research. Applicants must have a technically viable plan to achieve quantum computing milestones set by DOE.
The competition focuses on accelerating development of scientifically relevant quantum computing (SRQC) capability. Awards range from $250,000 to $200,000,000 depending on project scope.
No cost sharing is required. This is a competitive, milestone-based funding opportunity designed to accelerate quantum computing advancement for national scientific discovery.
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Program 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.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Project Narrative (technical proposal with quantum computing roadmap)
- Budget and Budget Justification (detailed for multi-year effort)
- Statement of Work (specific milestones and timeline)
- Team qualifications and resumes (key quantum computing personnel)
- Letters of commitment from partners or subcontractors
- Organizational capability documentation
- Conflict of interest disclosures
Program contact
- 👤 Michael S Zarkin Grants Management Specialist
- 📧 qcompetition@doe.gov
- 📞 301-903-4946
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 81.049 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$1,250,640,884
-
$836,082,435
-
$396,718,000
-
$241,000,000
-
$237,065,653
-
$211,031,477
-
$126,425,786
-
$123,402,593
-
$78,691,103
-
$78,303,346
Top States by Funding
- CA 19 awards $1,830.5M
- MI 6 awards $1,414.9M
- MA 12 awards $375.3M
- IL 5 awards $351.2M
- WI 5 awards $343.9M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 81.049). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2018 | $1,332,804,781 | |
| 2019 | $1,256,158,757 | |
| 2020 | $1,351,765,427 | |
| 2021 | $1,370,403,281 | |
| 2022 | $1,526,997,591 | |
| 2023 | $1,716,168,129 | |
| 2024 est. | $1,547,434,169 | |
| 2025 est. | $1,700,000,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for the Quantum Genesis Q Competition?
Domestic commercial entities with a technically viable plan for quantum computing development are eligible. This includes companies with quantum hardware, software, or enabling technology expertise.
What is the funding range for this competition?
Awards range from $250,000 to $200,000,000 depending on project scope and milestones. Total available funding is $215,000,000 across all awards.
Is cost sharing required?
No, cost sharing is not required. Full project costs can be funded through this competition.
What are the main goals of this competition?
The Q Competition aims to accelerate fault-tolerant quantum computing development, align vendors with DOE needs, and establish scientific workflows for quantum computing applications.
What happens if a company doesn't meet milestones?
Failure to complete milestones does not disqualify an entity from future DOE collaborations or quantum computing procurements.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Demonstrate technical viability clearly. Include detailed roadmaps showing how your quantum platform will achieve fault-tolerance milestones within the proposed timeline.
- Align your proposal with DOE scientific priorities. Show how your quantum system will support Department research missions and national scientific advancement goals.
- Detail scaling plans. Explain how your hardware, software, and enabling technologies will scale toward scientifically relevant quantum computing capability.
- Budget strategically across hardware, software, and personnel. This is a large-scale development competition, so multi-year spending plans matter significantly.
- Address risk mitigation. Acknowledge technical challenges and explain contingency plans if certain milestones face delays.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Vague technical roadmaps without specific fault-tolerance metrics fail. Proposals must include concrete engineering milestones and hardware specifications. Ignoring DOE's national laboratory integration needs weakens applications. Applicants should explain how their system fits into the broader quantum ecosystem. Underestimating personnel and resource requirements hurts credibility. This is high-complexity R&D requiring seasoned teams.
Similar grants
- OPEN The Genesis Mission: Transforming Science and Energy with AI — Office of Science
- OPEN NSF National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL) — U.S. National Science Foundation
- ROLLING Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes (QLCI) — U.S. National Science Foundation
- OPEN LPS Qubit Collaboratory (LQC) — Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command
- OPEN Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot — Office of Science