EuroHPC Quantum Calls Open at €119 Million for Platforms
Key Takeaways
Open window: Applications close November 17, 2026 at 17:00 CET after an August 13 opening.
Platform targets: Three €20 million Research and Innovation Actions aim at 1,000-plus physical qubits on trapped-ion, superconducting, and neutral-atom stacks.
Infrastructure split: Next-generation QKD receives €24 million. Testing infrastructure receives €20 million. Experimental pilot lines receive €15 million.
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking opened six EuroHPC quantum calls under Horizon Europe on August 13, 2026, with a combined indicative budget of €119 million ($135 million USD) and a shared application deadline of November 17, 2026, 17:00 CET. The package covers trapped-ion, superconducting, and neutral-atom computing platforms, next-generation quantum key distribution systems, open-access testing infrastructure, and experimental pilot lines designed to feed later Chips Joint Undertaking production lines. EuroHPC restated the still-open window in a September 30, 2026 reminder as consortia prepare full-stack hardware, QKD, and manufacturing bids.
Platform Targets and QKD Specs
The three computing calls are each budgeted at €20 million ($22.7 million USD) for expected 3.5-year Research and Innovation Actions.
1. Trapped-Ion Platform Technologies (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-TIPT-09) seeks a full-stack machine with more than 1,000 individually addressable physical qubits, cryogenic integration, modular trap architectures, photonic laser delivery, cloud access, and hybrid workflows with EuroHPC-class high-performance computers.
2. Superconducting Platform Technologies (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-SPT-10) specifies a chiplet-based quantum processing unit of at least 1,000 physical qubits, T1 coherence above 100 microseconds, one- and two-qubit gate plus readout fidelities of at least 99.9 percent, readout below 300 nanoseconds, and two-qubit gates below 20 nanoseconds.
3. Neutral-Atom Platform Technologies (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-NAPT-11) asks for programmable simulators with up to 10,000 atoms, gate-based platforms with 1,000 physical qubits, a roadmap toward 10,000 physical qubits, operation infidelities below 1 percent, and energy or health demonstrations. Each computing topic must address at least two roadblocks listed in the Quantum Flagship Strategic Research and Industry Agenda 2030.
Next-Generation QKD Systems (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-NQKD-12) carries the largest single envelope at €24 million ($27.3 million USD). Call text seeks metropolitan key rates above 1 Mbps, regional coverage beyond 300 kilometers, and experimental work on continuous-variable, measurement-device-independent or device-independent, and twin-field protocols. Consortia must integrate QKD with classical optical networks and software-defined control, then demonstrate hybrid QKD and post-quantum cryptography stacks on at least two demanding use cases outside the existing EuroQCI deployment, including energy grids, cloud storage, and industrial control. The action may also fund early work on quantum communication primitives beyond QKD.
EuroHPC August 2026 quantum call package
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Trapped-ion TIPT-09 | €20 million ($22.7 million USD); >1,000 physical qubits; 3.5 years |
| Superconducting SPT-10 | €20 million ($22.7 million USD); ≥1,000 chiplet qubits; T1 >100 µs; 99.9% fidelities |
| Neutral-atom NAPT-11 | €20 million ($22.7 million USD); 1,000 compute qubits; up to 10,000-atom simulators |
| Next-generation QKD NQKD-12 | €24 million ($27.3 million USD); >1 Mbps metro; >300 km regional; hybrid QKD-PQC |
| Testing infrastructure QTI-13 | €20 million ($22.7 million USD); Qu-Test open-access labs; TRL 4–7; SME certification |
| Experimental pilot lines QEXP-14 | €15 million ($17.0 million USD); Qu-Pilot; TRL 4–6; processors, sensors, cryo packaging |
USD figures use the European Central Bank reference rate of 1.1355 on September 29, 2026.
Testing Lines and Funding Window
Quantum-Testing Infrastructure for Quantum Technologies (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-QTI-13) is budgeted at €20 million ($22.7 million USD) and implements the testing strand of the Qu-Test framework partnership. The call seeks interconnected open-access facilities across Member States covering processors, sensors, photonics, and control systems, plus interoperable benchmarking, certification services, and a digital platform for remote test execution. Work sits at technology readiness levels 4 to 7 and is written to serve startups and small firms as well as research organizations. Quantum Experimental Pilot Lines for Quantum Technologies (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-QEXP-14) is budgeted at €15 million ($17.0 million USD) for 3.5 years. It implements Qu-Pilot production elements between academic research and later Chips JU stability lines, with emphasis on processors, sensors, cryo-compatible packaging, reproducibility, and early certification at TRL 4 to 6.
Governing Board Decision 35/2026 booked the six EuroHPC quantum calls as a €119 million Quantum Flagship block inside the 2026 work programme, with EU funding of eligible costs at 100 percent. The calls opened on August 13, 2026, one day before the formal press release. They sit beside an earlier June wave on photonic platforms, standards, sensors, and quantum machine learning, and they are separate from the Quantum Grand Challenge startup list and from national 1,000-qubit pilot-line contests. Full texts, eligibility rules, and submission forms are posted on the EuroHPC Research and Innovation Calls page and the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Applications close November 17, 2026, 17:00 CET.
Bottom Line
EuroHPC still holds a €119 million Horizon Europe window for 1,000-qubit platforms, next-generation QKD, and pilot production through November 17, 2026.
Find out more here.
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