DOE Launches $215M Quantum Computer Competition

The U.S. Department of Energy has launched a $215 million competition aimed at accelerating the development of fault-tolerant quantum computers for scientific research, with a target of demonstrating a system with at least 100 logical qubits by 2028. The Quantum Genesis Q Competition, announced on September 17, 2026, invites private sector companies to propose and build what the department describes as the world's first scientifically relevant quantum computers. The competition is structured in two phases. Phase I offers fixed milestone awards of up to $1.5 million per awardee. Participants who submit a detailed technical plan approved by the DOE can receive an initial $250,000, with an additional $1.25 million available upon successful completion of an intermediate milestone prototype. Phase II includes a $100 million general incentive pool for systems that achieve the 100 logical qubit threshold, along with two $50 million bonus pools for systems demonstrating 150 and 200 logical qubits, respectively. In parallel, the DOE issued a $45 million National Laboratory call to establish a Quantum High-Performance Computing Validation and Verification Testbed.