The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) has launched the Quantum Genesis Q Competition, a Request for Applications (RFA) offering up to $215 million in planned funding to demonstrate Scientifically Relevant Quantum Computers (SRQCs). In parallel, the DOE issued a $45 million National Laboratory call to establish a Quantum HPC Validation and Verification (V&V) Testbed. The dual initiative is modality-agnostic and open to private sector companies, designed to accelerate the deployment of fault-tolerant hardware capable of solving complex problems in chemistry, materials science, nuclear physics, and applied mathematics.
Technical Thresholds and Phase Structure
To qualify for funding, applicants must demonstrate a quantum computing system that meets or exceeds specific operational metrics:
- Logical Qubit Count: Minimum of 100 logical qubits executing hundreds of millions of fault-tolerant operations.
- Demonstration Program: A verifiable scientific execution program targeting domain-specific computational benchmarks.
- Phase I Structure: Fixed milestone awards up to $1.5 million per awardee ($2.5 million allocated from FY 2026 funds).
- Phase II Incentives: A $100 million general incentive pool divided among systems achieving the 100 logical qubit threshold, alongside two $50 million bonus pools for systems demonstrating 150 and 200 logical qubits, respectively.
Validation Testbed and Policy Integration
The parallel $45 million Lab Call ($14 million allocated in FY 2026) establishes testbeds across DOE National Laboratories to independently benchmark competitive claims. This characterization layer will evaluate physical hardware performance, logical gate fidelities, classical control stack integration, and algorithm execution times across the entire stack. The program aligns with the executive order on quantum innovation, the Blueprint for DOE Quantum Supercomputing, and the Office of Science Advisory Committee’s Path to an Integrated Quantum Future report. An applicant webinar is scheduled for September 25, 2026, with final RFA submissions due by October 19, 2026.
You can find the official DOE announcement regarding the Quantum Genesis Q Competition here. Further information on the RFA and National Laboratory funding calls can be accessed through the Office of Science Funding Opportunities webpage here.
September 17, 2026