Superconducting Platform Technologies

Horizon Europe / EuroHPC JU Research and Innovation Action (single-stage) to fund one consortium to develop a full-stack superconducting quantum computing platform targeting about 1,000 physical qubits and to advance from TRL 4 to TRL 7. Indicative budget is €20 million for a single grant, opening 13 August 2026 with deadline 17 November 2026, 17:00 Brussels time, and funding follows Horizon Europe RIA rules. Eligible applicants are multi-partner consortia from EU Member States and Associated Countries covering hardware, cryogenics, control/readout electronics, software and industrial validation, with mandatory technical targets on coherence, gate and readout fidelities, cryogenic integration, error correction and demonstration of at least two industrial use cases.

Who can apply

Eligibility highlights

Multi‑partner consortia led by legal entities in Horizon Europe participating countries. Typical participants: research organisations, universities, industry (including SMEs and chiplet manufacturers), cryogenics and control‑electronics suppliers, HPC centres and cloud providers. Check Annex B of the Work Programme for country/association rules.

What it funds:Development and demonstration of a full‑stack superconducting quantum computing platform targeting ~1,000 physical qubits (chiplet-based QPU), with high coherence (T1 >100 µs), gate/readout fidelities >=99.9%, fast gates/readout, cloud integration with HPC, validated industrial use‑cases showing quantum advantage, mature error correction/fault tolerance, standardised software stack, and strengthened EU supply chains.

1. 1HORIZON‑JU Research & Innovation Action (RIA) single‑stage call
2. 2Consortia must address at least two SRIA 2030 roadblocks, including mandatory Error Correction & Fault Tolerance and Cryogenic/Interconnect Engineering
3. 3Target TRL: start TRL 4, reach TRL 7 by project end

Type and timing:HORIZON-JU-RIA (HORIZON Action Grant budget‑based). Opening 13 Aug 2026, deadline 17 Nov 2026 17:00 Brussels time.

Projects must deliver a modular, cloud‑accessible superconducting quantum computer with chiplet QPU architecture, full‑stack software, demonstrated industrial use cases (minimum two), cryogenic screening and standardisation/certification activities, and contribute to an independent European supply chain and open access for co‑design.

Funding range:Indicative single grant size €19–€20 million ¹

Apply via the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page:Superconducting Platform Technologies.

Footnotes

1. 1Budget overview and submission details are available on the topic page and in the Work Programme topic documentation: Topic page.

Core facts and administrative data

Call identifier HORIZON-JU. Topic title Superconducting Platform Technologies. Type of action HORIZON-JU-RIA (Research and Innovation Action) under a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based model (HORIZON-AG). Opening date 13 August 2026. Deadline 17 November 2026, 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage submission). Submission channel Funding & Tenders Portal electronic submission system. Topic status Open for submission. Indicative number of grants: 1.

Indicative budget and expected EU contribution:Total budget for this topic: €20,000,000 (Budget year 2026). Indicative contribution to a single selected grant: €19,000,000 to €20,000,000 ¹.

Type of grant and model grant agreement:HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Action (RIA) using the HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based model (HORIZON-AG). The award will follow the Horizon Europe RIA rules, General Annexes and the specific topic text.

Purpose, scope and technical requirements

Expected outcome:The action aims to consolidate Europe’s position in superconducting quantum computing by delivering a full-stack superconducting quantum computer platform targeting around 1,000 physical qubits (QPU architecture based on chiplet technology) and by strengthening EU supply chains and industrial manufacturing. The project must deliver hardware, cryogenic systems and interconnect engineering at scale, a standardised full-stack software suite, mature error correction and fault-tolerance protocols, validated quantum advantage on at least two industrial use cases, cloud access and HPC integration, test and measurement capabilities (including cryogenic screening of chiplets) and establish interoperability and standards (including certification schemes).

Scope and mandatory technical targets:proposals must address at least two critical SRIA 2030 roadblocks, of which the following two must necessarily be covered: Error Correction and Fault Tolerance, and Cryogenic and Interconnect Engineering at the 1,000+ qubit scale. The delivered system must target T1 coherence times > 100 µs, gate fidelities (1-qubit, 2-qubit and readout) of at least 99.9%, read-out speed below 300 ns, two-qubit gate speed below 20 ns, and a chiplet-based modular QPU architecture with scalable, user-adjustable configuration. The project should progress from TRL 4 start to TRL 7 by project end (per General Annex B of Horizon Europe).

Who should apply and eligible applicant types

This is a major multi-organisation RIA intended for deep-technology consortia with strong systems integration capability in quantum hardware and cryogenics, controls and software. Eligible applicant types include universities and higher education institutions, public research institutes, national research infrastructures, large enterprises, SMEs (including quantum startups and scale-ups), manufacturers and system integrators (cryogenics, control/readout electronics), non-profit research organisations, standardisation bodies and national/regional public authorities involved in research infrastructure development. International European research organisations and joint research centres may participate where allowed. In practice the topic expects a multi-partner industrial/academic consortium combining fabrication, cryogenics, control electronics, software, HPC/cloud integration and end-user industries for quantum use-case validation.

Eligible countries and geographic scope

Geographic eligibility follows Horizon Europe General Annex B. Beneficiaries established in EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe are eligible for EU funding. Organisations from third countries may participate subject to the rules in General Annex B; some non-associated third-country participants may be eligible for funding only by prior agreement or if the call conditions allow exceptional funding. Note that entities established in Russia, Belarus or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine are not eligible to participate in any capacity, unless an exceptional case is justified and agreed. See the Portal for the up-to-date list of associated countries. Participation from international partners is encouraged to build global R&D collaborations, while funding eligibility is subject to the Horizon Europe rules.

Consortium requirement and project structure

The call is single-stage and the topic is a Research and Innovation Action that expects a multi-beneficiary consortium. As per Horizon Europe General Annexes, unless specified otherwise, a multi-beneficiary RIA should include at least three independent legal entities established in at least three different Member States or Associated Countries, with at least one in an EU Member State. Given the scale, ambition, and the budget indicative for this topic (single grant €19–€20M), proposers should prepare a large cross-sector consortium combining hardware vendors, fab partners, cryogenics and interconnect specialists, control/readout electronics firms, HPC/cloud partners, software stacks developers, standards organisations and representative industrial end-users for the required use-case validation.

Target sectors and technology areas

1. 1Quantum computing — superconducting qubits, QPU architectures and chiplet technology
2. 2Cryogenics and cryoelectronics — scalable low-temperature engineering and interconnects
3. 3Quantum control and readout electronics — cryogenic and room-temperature control systems with high-fidelity, high-speed readout
4. 4Quantum software stack and middleware — calibration, control, benchmarking, APIs, interoperability with HPC and cloud
5. 5High-performance computing and hybrid quantum-classical integration
6. 6Semiconductor and superconducting chip fabrication (chiplets, screening and packaging)
7. 7Standards, certification and supply chain development for quantum technologies
8. 8Applications / vertical use-cases — industrial partners for demonstration and benchmarking

Project maturity and Technology Readiness Levels

The rules require activities starting at TRL 4 and aiming to reach TRL 7 by the end of the project, consistent with General Annex B of Horizon Europe. Expected work includes lab validation, system integration and demonstration in operational or realistic environments (cloud-accessible deployment and HPC integration).

Funding type, nature of support, and co-funding

Primary financial mechanism:Grant (budget-based, HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Action). The beneficiaries will receive monetary support (direct grant contributions). The opportunity also includes non-financial expected deliverables such as system access (cloud access), open access facilities, software stacks and training materials. Funding rate: RIA funding may be up to 100% of eligible costs for research organisations and public bodies where applicable; consult General Annex G for exact rates and conditions. There is no generic requirement for beneficiaries to contribute co-funding beyond eligible costs, although applicants must demonstrate operational and financial capacity and possibly co-financing depending on the specific proposal budget and legal entity rules. The call text does not require private matching funds but projects of this scale typically combine EU funding with industrial in-kind or cash contributions and use of in-house facilities.

Indicative funding amount and number of grants

This topic offers a single anticipated grant with an indicative EU contribution of €19,000,000 to €20,000,000. The public Budget year 2026 shows €20,000,000 for the topic and the budget overview indicates one grant expected.

Application process and forms

Application method:Single-stage open call via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Applicants must submit the online Part A administrative data and upload Part B (technical description) in the Portal submission system. The application must follow the specific page limits and layout in the submission system (Part B limits typically 45 pages for RIAs) and include mandatory annexes per General Annex E. Supporting documents and legal entity validation will be required at grant preparation stage.

Submission and evaluation templates:Use the application form inside the Submission System (Part A and Part B). Evaluation will use the standard HE RIA evaluation forms and scoring (0–5 scale) — Excellence, Impact and Quality & Efficiency of Implementation; thresholds apply (individual criterion threshold 3 and overall threshold 10, weighting for IAs differs). Evaluation and award procedures follow General Annexes D–F and the RIA-specific evaluation templates available in Reference Documents.

Application timing and schedule

Opening date 13 August 2026; deadline 17 November 2026 (17:00 Brussels time). Indicative evaluation timeline per General Annex F: evaluation outcome letters around 5 months after deadline; signature of grant agreements around 8 months after deadline, subject to legal and financial checks and grant preparation.

Evaluation, award criteria and templates

Evaluation uses Horizon Europe standard award criteria for RIA:Excellence, Impact, Quality and efficiency of the implementation. Each criterion scored 0–5; threshold per criterion normally 3; overall threshold 10 (see specific evaluation forms and HE RIA evaluation templates). Additional checks include ethics, security, exclusion and financial and operational capacity. Model Grant Agreement HORIZON-AG applies; applicants must use the Portal application form.

Application stages and success rates

Submission procedure:single-stage (one submission containing full proposal Part A and Part B). Number of evaluation stages: 1 (single-stage evaluation). The topic indicates one grant will be funded; success rate will depend on the number and quality of proposals submitted but is expected to be very competitive given the single-grant call and high budget. No historical success-rate figures are provided on the topic; applicants should assume a low probability of success and prepare competitive, clearly-targeted proposals aligned with the topic requirements.

Contractual, legal and audit requirements

The grant will be awarded through a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based Model Grant Agreement (HORIZON-AG). Grant management will follow Horizon Europe General Annexes A–G (admissibility, eligibility, award, legal and financial set-up, reporting, audits and controls). Beneficiaries will be subject to legal entity validation, possible financial capacity checks (coordinator if requested grant ≥ €500,000), ongoing reporting obligations, record-keeping and audits. Security-sensitive research may require additional security clearances and restrictions on participation by entities assessed as high-risk suppliers (see General Annexes).

Co-funding and use of third parties

The topic does not explicitly require beneficiary cash co-funding, but industrial partners typically contribute significant in-kind and/or cash resources (e.g., equipment, fabrication, test-facilities, personnel). The program allows affiliated entities, associated partners, subcontracting and third parties giving in-kind contributions where properly declared. Financial support to third parties (if any) is subject to strict rules in the call and must be described in the proposal. Any dual funding of the same costs is prohibited.

Templates and supporting documentation required

1. 1Part A administrative form (online) — legal entity data, PICs, budget summary, call-specific questions.
2. 2Part B technical proposal (upload PDF) — project description, work packages, milestones, deliverables, specific TRL targets and integration plan for hardware, cryogenics, control electronics and software.
3. 3Consortium description and letters of commitment / support from major partners and industrial end-users.
4. 4Budget justification and Annex 2 style estimated budget in Portal format.
5. 5Ethics self-assessment and supporting ethics documents (if applicable).
6. 6Data management plan and open science / FAIR data approach.
7. 7Documentation for legal entity validation (to be submitted at grant preparation stage): statutes, proof of legal status, financial statements, and any prefinancing guarantee if requested.
8. 8Where applicable, CEN-CENELEC / ETSI advice on standardisation plans and external IPR or third-party licences.

Applicants must use the forms provided in the electronic submission system; templates and evaluation forms are available on the Portal Reference Documents. Do not submit different or additional Part B templates than those in the Portal.

Important topic-specific risks and constraints

Security and export-control considerations are important:applicants should ensure compliance with EU restrictions and research security requirements. Participation of entities assessed as high-risk suppliers might be limited or excluded. Proposals must address supply-chain independence and standards/certification activities for Europe. Research must be civilian in focus; defence or classified work is excluded unless explicitly authorised through security procedures and the grant conditions.

How to prepare a strong proposal — key technical and proposal points

1. 1Explicitly address the mandatory roadblocks: Error Correction and Fault Tolerance, and Cryogenic and Interconnect Engineering at 1,000+ qubit scale.
2. 2Show evidence of capability to reach the stated hardware targets (T1 > 100 µs, 99.9% gate/readout fidelity, read-out < 300 ns, two-qubit gate < 20 ns).
3. 3Present a credible TRL progression from TRL 4 to TRL 7 in the project timeframe and a clear system integration plan.
4. 4Define at least two industrial use cases with benchmarking plans and classical comparison methods to validate quantum advantage or progression thereto.
5. 5Include a detailed supply-chain and manufacturing plan (chiplet fabrication, cryogenic screening, control/readout electronics) and plans for standards and certification.
6. 6Provide a comprehensive software and control stack plan (bring-up, calibration, control, APIs, HPC/cloud integration and user access).
7. 7Describe test & measurement infrastructure including cryogenic screening capabilities and production-site quality assurance.
8. 8Describe consortium governance, partner roles, resource allocation, and a risk management plan, including mitigation of dependencies on restricted suppliers and security measures.
9. 9Include training, open access for algorithm co-design, documentation and outreach plans.

Portal and support links:use the Funding & Tenders Portal for submission, Partner Search function to recruit consortium partners, the Online Manual, National Contact Points (NCPs) and the IT Helpdesk for technical support. Full topic text, updates and submission link are on the Portal topic page Topic Page and Call Text ¹.

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

This is a high-profile Horizon JU Research & Innovation Action calling for a large European consortium to design, build and demonstrate a modular superconducting quantum computing platform based on chiplet QPU architecture at the 1,000+ qubit scale. The project must push key hardware metrics (coherence, gate fidelity and speed, readout speed), deliver a full-stack integration (hardware, cryogenics, control electronics, software and cloud/HPC integration), mature error-correction and fault-tolerance approaches, demonstrate quantum advantage on at least two industrial use cases with rigorous benchmarking against classical methods, and strengthen European supply chains and standards. The call is highly ambitious and well funded (one single grant of approximately €19–€20 million). Applicants must submit a single-stage full proposal via the Funding & Tenders Portal by the published deadline, follow Horizon Europe eligibility and evaluation rules, and prepare to demonstrate TRL advancement from 4 to 7 by project end. Given the single-grant and large budget, competition will be strong; consortia should bring complete systems capabilities, strong industrial partners, manufacturing and cryogenic test infrastructure, and clear plans for software, standards and open access.

Footnotes

1. 1Official topic page and full call documentation available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: HORIZON-JU || ec.europa.eu

This is a Horizon Europe EuroHPC Joint Undertaking Research and Innovation Action for a single-stage call aimed at building a full-stack superconducting quantum computing platform, with one project expected to be funded.[4]

What the opportunity is about

The call seeks to consolidate Europes position in superconducting quantum computing by moving from laboratory development to a modular, cloud-accessible, high performance computing integrated system based on chiplet technology.[4]

Technical and operational targets

• Establish a full-stack superconducting quantum computer targeting about 1000 physical qubits and a scalable user-adjustable architecture.[4]
• Deliver performance targets including T1 coherence time above 100 microseconds, gate fidelities of at least 99.9 percent, read-out speed below 300 nanoseconds and two-qubit gate speed below 20 nanoseconds.[4]
• Demonstrate quantum advantage on at least two industrial use cases, benchmarked against best-in-class classical methods.[4]
• Advance fault-tolerant quantum computing through error correction and noise mitigation.[4]
• Deploy a standardized software stack for system bring-up, calibration, control, benchmarking, remote access and user operations.[4]
• Strengthen European supply chains for cryogenics, readout and control electronics, superconducting chip fabrication and related industrial capacity.[4]

Who can apply

The topic is designed for collaborative consortia able to cover the full stack from quantum hardware to cryogenics, electronics, software and industrial validation. Under the general Horizon Europe rules, eligible beneficiaries are legal entities established in the EU, associated countries, certain overseas countries and territories and some low and middle income countries, while entities outside those categories can participate only if the rules or topic conditions allow it.

• At least three independent legal entities are normally required, each from a different country.
• At least one beneficiary should be established in a Member State and the other two in different Member States or Associated Countries.
• Associated partners may join without claiming EU funding.
• Public bodies, research organisations and higher education institutions in Member States and Associated Countries must have a gender equality plan.
• Entities under EU sanctions, and entities established in Russia, Belarus, or non-government controlled territories of Ukraine, are excluded under the general rules.

Budget, timing and funding

As a Research and Innovation Action, the project is normally funded at 100 percent of eligible costs under Horizon Europe rules, with actual cost reimbursement and a 25 percent flat rate for indirect costs. The standard grant setup includes prefinancing, interim payments and a final adjustment, and the consortium is generally subject to individual financial responsibility.

Evaluation and compliance

• Proposals are assessed on excellence, impact and quality and efficiency of implementation.
• For standard full applications, each criterion is scored out of 5, with a minimum score of 3 per criterion and an overall threshold of 10.
• Applications must be submitted electronically and must be complete, readable and within the page limits set in the submission system.
• The proposal should include a clear exploitation and dissemination plan and, for this topic, a credible route to standards, interoperability and industrial validation.
• Projects must comply with the applicable open science, ethics, security and grant agreement requirements.

Practical applicant takeaways

1. 1Build a consortium that combines quantum hardware, cryogenic engineering, control electronics, software engineering and industrial use case expertise.[4]
2. 2Include at least two realistic industrial use cases with measurable benchmarks against classical methods.[4]
3. 3Show a credible path from TRL 4 demonstrators to a TRL 7 operational system prototype.[4]
4. 4Make standardisation, interoperability, certification and supply chain development visible and well resourced work packages.[4]
5. 5Prepare early for legal entity validation, financial capacity checks and portal submission requirements.