Quantum-Testing Infrastructure for Quantum Technologies

Horizon Europe HORIZON-JU funds a single large Research and Innovation Action to establish a pan‑European open-access quantum testing and experimentation infrastructure including distributed facilities, interoperable testing and benchmarking methodologies, metrology integration, certification services and a digital platform. The call is single-stage via the Funding & Tenders Portal, opens 13 August 2026 and closes 17 November 2026 (17:00 Brussels time), with an indicative EU contribution of €19–€20 millionfor one grant and funding up to 100% of eligible costs. Eligible consortia must follow Horizon Europe rules and are expected to span multiple Member States/associated countries, combine testing infrastructure operators, metrology and digital platform expertise, and demonstrate TRL progression from ~3–4 to 5–7 and clear industry engagement for SMEs and start-ups. Proposals must implement the Qu-Test action plan elements, address standardisation and certification pathways, and include governance, sustainability and FAIR-compliant data handling arrangements.

Call HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-QTI-13-01 (HORIZON-JU-RIA)

What it funds

Establishes a pan-European open-access testing and experimentation infrastructure for quantum technologies: deployment and interconnection of distributed test facilities, interoperable testing and benchmarking protocols, metrology and validation capabilities, certification services, a digital platform for remote test planning/execution/reporting, and industry engagement to support SMEs, start-ups and research institutions.

Who can apply:Consortia of research organisations, research and technology organisations (RTOs), universities and industry (including SMEs and start-ups) across Member States and eligible associated countries in line with Horizon Europe rules; applications must implement the testing-related part of the Qu-Test FPA and show multi-country facility expansion and interconnection ¹.

1. 1Focus on TRL 3/4 validation progressing to TRL 5–7 by project end
2. 2Include distributed open-access test facilities (processors, sensors, photonics, control systems etc.) and a remote digital platform
3. 3Develop interoperable methodologies, benchmarking and certification aligned with standards; engage SMEs/start-ups and industry-driven access models

Footnotes

1. 1Topic page and submission entry: EU Funding & Tenders Portal - Topic.

Call type, programme and deadlines

Horizon Europe / HORIZON-JU-RIA (HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions) - single-stage

Call opening date:13 August 2026. Submission deadline: 17 November 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Type of action: HORIZON-JU-RIA, HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based (HORIZON-AG). Submission is single-stage through the Funding & Tenders Portal. Indicative total contribution for the topic: €19 000 000 to 20 000 000, with 1 indicative grant expected.

Aim and scope of the topic

Objective:Establish a pan-European open-access testing and experimentation infrastructure for quantum technologies focused on systematic validation and certification of quantum components and systems. The action implements the testing-related part of the Qu-Test Framework Partnership Agreement action plan and must expand and interconnect open-access testing facilities across multiple Member States, develop interoperable testing methodologies, benchmarking protocols and certification procedures, integrate metrological/validation capabilities into RTOs and academic infrastructures at TRL 4–7, and create a digital platform for test planning, remote execution and data reporting.

Expected outcomes:Deployment of distributed quantum testing facilities across Europe with remote access and standardised test protocols; provision of certification services aligned with future standardisation; support for SMEs, start-ups and research institutions in validation of components and sub-systems; strengthened European competitiveness through robust quality assurance and accelerated time-to-market for quantum products; coordination with European and international standardisation initiatives and alignment with SRIA 2030.

Topic requirements and mandatory elements

The proposal must implement the testing part of the Qu-Test action plan (Framework Partnership Agreement). Mandatory inclusions: expansion and interconnection of open-access testing facilities in multiple Member States covering processors, sensors, photonics, control systems and others; development/deployment of interoperable testing methodologies, benchmarking protocols and certification procedures; integration of metrological and validation capabilities into existing RTOs and academic infrastructures focusing on TRL 4–7; creation of a comprehensive digital platform supporting test planning, remote execution and data reporting; industry engagement focused on user-driven requirements and access models; establishment of feedback loops between testing and design/manufacturing; coordination with relevant standardisation initiatives; alignment with SRIA 2030 objectives supporting quality, reliability and reproducibility.

Technology readiness levels expected:Testing activities do not themselves have a TRL, but projects are expected to validate technologies starting at TRL 3–4 and demonstrate progression to TRL 5–7 by project end, in line with General Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027.

Structured extraction and categorisation

Eligible Applicant Types:Legal entities as described in Horizon Europe General Annexes: universities, research organisations (RTOs, public and private research institutes), SMEs, large enterprises, start-ups, non-profit organisations, public authorities, international European research organisations, affiliated entities to beneficiaries, associated partners. Legal entities from non-EU / non-associated countries may participate according to General Annex B provisions and specific call conditions; third-country participation may be subject to exceptional funding rules. Individual natural persons are not direct beneficiaries under this topic; participation is via legal entities.

Funding Type:Grant — Horizon JU Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-JU-RIA), budget-based action grant (HORIZON-AG). The funding is budget-reimbursing actual costs, complemented where applicable by unit costs or other Horizon cost modalities as defined in the call model and annexes. No procurement, prize or equity instrument is offered through this topic; this is a grant call.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium required. Unless the topic text specifies otherwise, standard Horizon Europe consortium rules apply: a consortium of independent legal entities, typically minimum three beneficiaries from different countries (see General Annex B). Affiliated entities do not count towards minima. The call itself lists one grant to be awarded and expects multi-country pan-European consortia linking multiple Member States (and associated countries) testing facilities and organisations.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Primarily EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries for funding eligibility. Legal entities from non-associated third countries can participate but funding eligibility depends on General Annex B and specific call provisions; some third-country participants may be eligible for funding only in exceptional cases or under national co-funding arrangements. The implementation must expand/testing facilities across multiple Member States.

Target Sector:Quantum technologies (quantum processors, sensors, photonics, quantum control systems), research infrastructures, metrology, standardisation, certification, digital platforms for remote testing and data reporting, innovation support for SMEs and start-ups. Cross-cutting topics: ICT, photonics/optics, advanced materials, sensors, metrology, industry-academia collaboration, standards and certification.

Mentioned Countries:The topic text explicitly references Europe, Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. No specific Member States are singled out in the topic text. The funding rules reference the lists in the Horizon Europe General Annexes and the Programme Guide for eligible countries.

Project Stage:Testing and validation focus — projects will take technologies from early validation (TRL 3–4) and confirm progression to TRL 5–7 by project end. Activities centre on testing, benchmarking, metrology, validation and infrastructure deployment rather than fundamental research alone.

Funding Amount:Call-level indicative contribution: €19 000 000 to €20 000 000. The call indicates one indicative grant in that range. Applicants should propose budgets consistent with the proposed work and follow the budget templates in the Submission System. Final grant amount will be set in the Grant Agreement and may be lower than requested.

Application Type:Open call via the Funding & Tenders Portal — single-stage submission. Applicants submit full proposals through the electronic Submission System (no paper). Use the application form provided in the Portal.

Nature of Support:Monetary funding (grant budget-based) to beneficiaries. The action will finance testing infrastructure expansion, interoperable methodologies, digital platforms and associated operational costs and may finance support to third parties only if explicitly allowed in the topic and call conditions.

Application Stages:Single-stage evaluation. The single-stage selection is carried out through the Portal and evaluated by independent external experts using Horizon Europe award criteria and evaluation forms (excellence, impact, implementation).

Success Rates:Not specified in call text. Horizon JU competitive single-grant calls with one grant and a large budget typically have a low success rate at the proposal level; applicants should assume a competitive selection and aim for high quality and strategic impact aligned with the topic. Seal of Excellence may apply in some cases where demand exceeds budget (subject to call conditions).

Co-funding Requirement:Standard Horizon Europe rules apply: beneficiaries must demonstrate operational and financial capacity. Co-funding by beneficiaries is not generally required beyond eligible costs unless specified in the call; MSCA-style actions sometimes require programme contributions but for this RIA the call text does not mandate specific co-funding percentages. Costs must be eligible and reimbursement follows the funding rate in the Grant Agreement. If financial support to third parties is used, the proposal must include the selection and funding modalities.

Templates and Application Forms:Applicants must use the application form inside the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System. Part A (administrative) is filled online. Part B (technical) is prepared in PDF following the Part B structure in the Portal (page limits: full applications typically 45 pages for RIA unless specified otherwise in call; follow Part B instructions). Relevant templates and reference documents (MGA, evaluation forms, Programme Guide, General Annexes) are available from the Portal Reference Documents page. Use the application form in the Submission System — templates on the topic page are for reference only.

Evaluation and award process (practical details)

Evaluation follows Horizon Europe General Annexes:award criteria are Excellence, Impact and Quality & efficiency of implementation. For RIA/Innovation Actions scores for each criterion are on a 0–5 scale; per-criterion threshold is 3 and overall threshold 10 (for full applications). Innovation actions weight Impact by 1.5 for ranking; check General Annex D for details and specific call conditions. For single-stage calls, all criteria will be evaluated in full. Evaluation uses standard Horizon evaluation forms adapted to the type of action. Evaluation timeline: information on outcomes typically around 5 months from deadline and signing of grant agreements around 8 months (indicative). Applicants must comply with admissibility, eligibility, operational/financial capacity, exclusion and ethics rules per the General Annexes.

1. 1Admissibility: submit electronically via the Portal before the deadline; use Portal forms; respect page limits and completeness requirements; provide exploitation and dissemination plan in Part B.
2. 2Eligibility: participants must be legal entities; minimum consortium composition rules apply (usually at least three independent legal entities from different countries) unless otherwise indicated in the topic.
3. 3Financial capacity: may be assessed for coordinators requesting €500 000 or more; public bodies and international organisations exempted.
4. 4Operational capacity: evaluated under implementation criterion; provide CVs, relevant outputs, infrastructure details and up to five relevant publications/projects per participant.

Key compliance and technical requirements applicants must address

Proposals must explicitly and demonstrably implement the testing-related items of the Qu-Test Framework Partnership Agreement action plan, including expansion and interconnection of testing facilities, interoperability of test methodologies, benchmarking and certification procedures, metrological integration, digital platform for remote testing and data reporting, industry engagement and standardisation coordination. Proposed infrastructure and services must be open-access and designed to support SMEs, start-ups and research organisations. The project must plan validation activities that target TRL progression (3/4 -> 5/7), include metrics for quality, reproducibility and reliability, and embed pathways to certification and standard adoption.

1. 1Define scope coverage of quantum technologies: processors, sensors, photonics, control systems; list facility types and capabilities per site.
2. 2Demonstrate interconnection plan and governance for pan-European remote access, scheduling, user management and data handling (including FAIR principles).
3. 3Provide a detailed plan for interoperable testing methodologies, benchmarking protocols, and certification procedures aligned with European and international standards bodies (CEN-CENELEC, ETSI, ISO, etc.).
4. 4Describe metrology and validation capabilities to be integrated in RTOs and academic labs; specify TRL ranges targeted for validation activities, experimental methods and statistical approaches for benchmarking and reproducibility.
5. 5Specify the digital platform architecture, functionalities (test planning, remote execution, resource reservation, secure data transfer, storage, reporting, user dashboards), security and data protection measures, and plans for open data/metadata standards and FAIR compliance.
6. 6Provide a user access model engaging industry, SMEs and start-ups and describe processes for user-driven requirements gathering, pricing or access policies (open-access, paid-services, vouchers if applicable).
7. 7Describe feedback loops with design/manufacturing entities and mechanisms for iterative product improvement.
8. 8Provide a plan for coordination with European and international standardisation initiatives and a roadmap towards certification services.
9. 9Provide detailed work plan, milestones, deliverables, risk management and resource allocation. Include exploitation and dissemination plans and IP arrangements if relevant.

Evaluation templates and forms referenced

Evaluation will use standard Horizon Europe RIA evaluation templates and forms (excellence, impact, implementation), as described in General Annex D and in the evaluation form templates available on the Portal (HE RIA evaluation forms). Applicants should consult the evaluation forms to align the proposal structure and Part B sections with the criteria and sub-questions used by evaluators.

Key Portal references and supporting documents

1. 1Call topic page in Funding & Tenders Portal (start submission from the topic page).
2. 2Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027 General Annexes (Admissibility, Eligibility, Award criteria, Financial and operational capacity, Procedure, MGA templates).
3. 3Horizon Europe Programme Guide and Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual for submission rules and participant registration.
4. 4Model Grant Agreement (HORIZON-AG) and call-specific MGA text available on the Portal.
5. 5Evaluation form templates for RIA and RIA stage 1, RIA full evaluation and other relevant evaluation forms on the Portal Reference Documents page.
6. 6Guidance on ethics, security, data management and open science practices.

Practical advice for applicants

Preparation:register participants in the Participant Register and obtain PICs in advance; allow time for legal entity validation and (if required) financial capacity checks. Use the Part B structure in the Submission System and respect page limits. Describe the technical testing capabilities, interoperability plans, standardisation engagement and digital platform in detail. Provide evidence of user demand and engagement with SMEs/start-ups and of links to metrology institutes and RTOs. Demonstrate consortium capacity, past track record and access to necessary infrastructure. Data management: include a data management plan and FAIR compliance approach. Ethics and security: complete ethics self-assessment and address potential security and IP implications. Budget: propose realistic budgets and justify costs in line with the grant rules and the MGA data sheet. Timeline: plan testing and validation activities to show TRL progression to TRL 5–7 by project end.

Summary: What is this opportunity about and how to explain it

This Horizon Europe joint undertaking Research and Innovation Action topic seeks a single, large-scale pan-European project to create and operate a distributed, open-access quantum-testing and experimentation infrastructure. The project will connect and expand testing facilities across multiple Member States, develop interoperable test methods, benchmarking and certification procedures, integrate metrological capabilities, and provide a digital platform for remote test planning and data reporting. It is targeted at accelerating validation and certification of quantum components and systems (processors, sensors, photonics, control systems), supporting SMEs, start-ups and research institutions, and aligning with standardisation efforts to enable trustworthy, interoperable quantum products. Successful applicants should present a multidisciplinary consortium of research organisations, RTOs and industry partners with the capacity to deploy the infrastructure, demonstrate TRL progression (3/4 -> 5/7), deliver certification pathways and ensure sustainable operations and access models across Europe. Funding is large (EUR ~19–€20Mindicative) and awarded through a competitive single-stage call on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Where to apply and get support

Submit proposals via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Use the Portal's Submission System Part A and Part B. Consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, General Annexes, model grant agreement and reference documents on the Portal. Contact national NCPs and Enterprise Europe Network for proposal support. Use participant and partner search tools available on the Portal.

This Horizon Europe call aims to create a pan-European open-access testing and experimentation infrastructure for quantum technologies, with distributed facilities, remote access, standardized test protocols, certification services, and support for SMEs, start-ups, and research institutions.[3] It implements the testing-related part of the Qu-Test action plan and is aligned with SRIA 2030 objectives focused on quality, reliability, reproducibility, and faster market uptake of quantum technologies.[3]

What the call supports

• Expansion and interconnection of open-access quantum testing facilities across multiple Member States, covering technologies such as processors, sensors, photonics, and control systems.[3]
• Development of interoperable testing methodologies, benchmarking protocols, and certification procedures.[3]
• Integration of metrological and validation capabilities into existing research and academic infrastructures, with a focus on TRL 4 to TRL 7 validation pathways.[3]
• Creation of a digital platform for test planning, remote execution, and data reporting.[3]
• Active engagement with industry, especially start-ups and SMEs, to define user needs, access models, and feedback loops between testing and design or manufacturing.[3]
• Coordination with European and international standardisation initiatives to support wider adoption of certified quantum components.[3]

Application route:Submit through the Funding and Tenders Portal topic page for HORIZON-JU, using the single-stage submission system and the HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based model grant agreement.[3]

Eligibility and consortium expectations

The topic points applicants to the standard Horizon Europe eligibility framework, so participation and funding follow the general annexes and the topic-specific work programme conditions. In practice, applicants should expect a consortium-based proposal with the usual Horizon Europe requirements for admissibility, legal and financial capacity, exclusion checks, and evaluation under excellence, impact, and implementation criteria.

• Eligible participants normally include legal entities from EU Member States and associated countries, with participation rules also allowing certain other countries under Horizon Europe general provisions, subject to whether they are eligible for funding.
• Unless the topic states otherwise, the standard consortium rule applies, meaning at least three independent legal entities from three different countries, with at least one established in a Member State and the others in different Member States or associated countries.
• Public bodies, research organisations, higher education institutions, RTOs, quantum technology providers, industrial users, and infrastructure operators are all plausible participant types if they can contribute to testing, validation, certification, digital services, or standardisation.
• Applicants from Member States and associated countries that are public bodies, research organisations, or higher education establishments should have a gender equality plan in place under the general Horizon Europe rules.
• The call requires civil applications and follows the normal Horizon Europe rules on ethics, security, dissemination, open science, and no double funding.

Funding, budget, and timing

The budget is highly concentrated, with only one indicative grant foreseen and a requested contribution very close to the full call budget. That suggests the call is intended for a large, Europe-wide consortium able to operate and coordinate a distributed infrastructure at scale.

Key applicant takeaways

1. 1Build a consortium that clearly combines testing infrastructure operators, quantum technology expertise, metrology, digital platform capability, and user access or validation experience.
2. 2Show how the proposal will connect existing facilities into a genuinely pan-European service, not just a network of isolated sites.
3. 3Explain the testing workflow in detail, including user access, remote execution, benchmarking, data handling, certification logic, and links to standardisation.
4. 4Demonstrate strong industrial relevance, especially for SMEs and start-ups, with realistic access models and feedback mechanisms.
5. 5Map the project against the Qu-Test action plan and SRIA 2030 priorities, making the contribution to Europe-wide quality assurance and interoperability explicit.
6. 6Prepare a credible implementation plan for governance, risk management, service design, and sustainability beyond the grant period.
7. 7Make sure the proposal fits the usual Horizon Europe formal rules on completeness, page limits, eligibility, financial capacity, and admissibility before submission.