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Call key data
Framework Partnership Agreement for developing large-scale quantum Computing platform technologies
Call number
HORIZON-CL4-2023-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-43
deadlines
Opening
08.12.2022
Deadline
29.03.2023 17:00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
Fostering a vibrant European quantum computing industry will require hardware, software, and the development and maintenance of user interfaces and applications. Proposals for this Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) are expected to build on the quantum computing platforms supported under the Quantum Flagship ramp-up phase. Proposals should target the development of open quantum computing platforms compatible with the fabrication techniques of the semiconductor industry (e.g. silicon spin qubits), integrating the key building blocks such as quantum processors in the NISQ regime with control electronics, low-level software, verification and validation of the quantum computation, etc.
Call objectives
Proposals should include practical strategies towards the break-even point of fault tolerance to increase algorithmic depth (number of operations) for quantum computing on existing platforms.
Proposals for the Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) should describe how the activities carried out during the ramp-up phase will be continued involving the relevant disciplines ,technologies and stakeholders, how results of the ramp-up phase will be used, and how they will provide efficient coordination under strong scientific and engineering leadership.
Proposals for the FPA should also address the development and integration in this platform of a full software stack, including a compiler and scheduler, programming tools, a suite of algorithms, use cases etc., that would allow them to showcase their capability of solving real and concrete computational problem(s) that demonstrate a quantum advantage and to make progress towards fault tolerance.
Proposals should aim at the development of open quantum computer experimental systems, and work on the reduction of their form factor.
Proposals for FPAs should also cover: (i) the cooperation with complementary projects previously launched, specifically in the area of the enabling quantum software stack (see HORIZON-CL4-2021-DIGITAL-EMERGING-02-10: Strengthening the quantum software ecosystem for quantum computing platforms), and DEP Future EuroHPC JU Calls for acquisition and operation of Quantum computers, and their integration with the HPC and data infrastructure, including also the need to establish from the beginning of this cooperation appropriate IP exploitation agreements; (ii) the collaboration with other initiatives or programmes at regional, national, transnational or global level; (iii) any additional support they may receive in their activities from relevant national, or regional programmes and initiatives; and (iv) contribution to the governance and overall coordination of the Quantum Technologies Flagship initiative. (v) relevant aspects of cooperation with European industry and SMEs/ They should also contribute to spreading excellence across Europe; for example, through the involvement of Widening Countries.
The partnership will have a duration of 4 years.
In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.
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Expected results
Die Partnerschaftsrahmenvereinbarung (FPA) im Bereich des Quantencomputings soll eine stabile und strukturierte Partnerschaft zwischen der Kommission und den Einrichtungen und Organisationen im Bereich des Quantencomputings begründen, die sich verpflichten, einen strategischen Forschungsplan aufzustellen, zu pflegen und umzusetzen, der mit der strategischen Forschungsagenda für das Quantenflaggschiff abgestimmt ist und einen Beitrag zu einer skalierbaren offenen Quantencomputerplattform auf der Grundlage einer bestimmten Quantenplattformtechnologie leistet.
Diese Partnerschaft wird im Rahmen eines Partnerschaftsrahmenvertrags eingerichtet, der die Fertigstellung des Forschungsplans im Rahmen des Abkommens ermöglichen wird.
Zu den Konsortien, die auf die Aufforderung reagieren, können Forschungsinstitute, Universitäten, RTOs, Stiftungen, die Industrie, KMUs sowie andere Organisationen gehören, die eine Rolle bei der Realisierung dieser Quantencomputerplattformen spielen können. Der Partnerschaftsrahmenvertrag wird die Ziele, die Art der geplanten Maßnahmen und das Verfahren für die Gewährung spezifischer Finanzhilfen festlegen. Der FPA soll zu den folgenden Ergebnissen beitragen:
- Demonstration eines universell programmierbaren Prozessors mit mindestens 200 physischen Qubits (bis 2027), der in der NISQ-Domäne einschließlich Firmware arbeitet und über ausreichende Kohärenz verfügt, um Berechnungen mit allen seinen Qubits durchzuführen; charakterisiert durch eine hardwareunabhängige Testreihe, einschließlich realer Anwendungen, auch für hybrides Quanten-/HPC-Computing, und der Fähigkeit, klassische Computer in einer Reihe relevanter realer Anwendungsfälle zu übertreffen; die Steuerung muss ein Low-Level-Steuersystem, einen Compiler und einen Scheduler umfassen.
- Bis 2029 Bau eines hochgradig vernetzten Full-Stack-Quantencomputers mit mindestens eintausend physischen Qubits, der skalierbar ist und in der Lage ist, klassische Computer in relevanten realen Anwendungsfällen zu übertreffen.
- Formulierung von Normen und Schnittstellenspezifikationen für einen vollständigen Software- und Hardware-Stack, einschließlich des Fernzugriffs über die Cloud.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Norway (Norge)
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, International organization, Natural Person, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- third countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners — Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible
In order to achieve the expected outcomes, and safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security, it is important to avoid a situation of technological dependency on a non-EU source, in a global context that requires the EU to take action to build on its strengths, and to carefully assess and address any strategic weaknesses, vulnerabilities and high-risk dependencies which put at risk the attainment of its ambitions. For this reason, participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States, Iceland and Norway and the following additional associated country: Israel
For the duly justified and exceptional reasons listed in the paragraph above, in order to guarantee the protection of the strategic interests of the Union and its Member States, entities established in an eligible country listed above, but which are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity, may not participate in the action unless it can be demonstrated, by means of guarantees provided by their eligible country of establishment, that their participation to the action would not negatively impact the Union’s strategic, assets, interests, autonomy, or security.
other eligibility criteria
Activities are expected to start at TRL 4-5 and achieve TRL 6-7 by the end of the project.
For the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), the following definitions apply:
- TRL 1 — Basic principles observed
- TRL 2 — Technology concept formulated
- TRL 3 — Experimental proof of concept
- TRL 4 — Technology validated in a lab
- TRL 5 — Technology validated in a relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)
- TRL 6 — Technology demonstrated in a relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)
- TRL 7 — System prototype demonstration in an operational environment
- TRL 8 — System complete and qualified
- TRL 9 — Actual system proven in an operational environment (competitive manufacturing in the case of key enabling technologies, or in space)
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
project duration
4 years
Additional Information
All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 45 pages.
Call documents
HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 4, Destination 4HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 4, Destination 4(580kB)
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