Neutral-Atom Platform Technologies
Horizon Europe · Grant topic
Summary
A Polish company can use this call for R&D.
Funds eligible legal entities developing scalable neutral-atom quantum processors and simulators, with benchmarking and at least two scientific or industrial use cases.
- Who can apply
- Companies can lead: SME, large company, startup, research org, university, public body, other.
- Amount
- €19M – €20M per projectTotal budget €20,000,000
- Deadline
- 17 Nov 2026 01:00 CETin 24 days
- Status
- Openopened 13 Aug 2026
Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source.
Description
Expected Outcome:
This action aims to establish European leadership in neutral-atom quantum simulation and digital quantum computing by delivering:
• Fully programmable industry-ready quantum simulators based on 10.000 neutral atoms in a scalable architecture, accessible via cloud platforms, and with the possibility of integrating them into high-performance computing environments.
• Fully programmable platform for neutral-atom quantum computing capable of both analogue quantum operations and gate-based computing with 1.000 physical qubits and a clear path to further scalability to 10.000 physical qubits.
• Coherence time of the order of hundreds of interaction times and infidelity of operations below 1%.
• Demonstration of quantum simulation and/or computing operating beyond classical computability, validated through benchmarking with classical methods.
• New real-world applications across science and industry (at least two) (e.g: in the energy and health sectors)
• The software stack for these applications, including enhanced software for verification, algorithm implementation, and user programming interfaces.
• Demonstration of the full quantum stack – including quantum control, electronic control components and verification of quantum processors simulation operating beyond regimes that are classically computable.
• Programming interfaces allowing users (including non-expert ones to the best extent possible), to use these quantum processors to their problem sets.
• Enhanced scalability, stability, and usability of the quantum simulation and computing processors.
• Strengthened European industrial and technological capacity in quantum simulation/computing and associated hardware/software components.
• This action must address at least two of the technical challenges highlighted in the SRIA 2030 for neutral-atom platforms. These include the need for stable atom control during multi-qubit operations, essential for reliable error correction, and the development of Quantum Non-Demolition (QND) measurement and high-fidelity universal gate operations. Proposals should tackle these and comparable bottlenecks with a view to scalable, fault-tolerant systems for simulation and computation.
Scope:
The proposal should advance the maturity and usability of neutral-atom quantum processors platforms with a focus on practical applications. It should include:
• Development and deployment of scalable quantum processors with individually addressable neutral atoms, supporting analogue simulation operation, hybrid analogue-digital techniques and gate-based quantum computing.
• Demonstration of real-world use cases (minimum two), addressing complex scientific or industrial problems (e.g., materials science, chemistry, optimization) that are intractable for classical simulation/computing. These should include benchmarking and verification strategies to assess quantum advantage.
• Development and integration of a complete software stack including quantum control systems, electronic control components, user programming interfaces, classical simulation support tools, and robust operation protocols.
• Cloud-based access to the quantum processor, ensuring usability by researchers and industrial users across Europe. The system should allow for hybrid quantum-classical workflows with HPC environments and support non-expert users to the extent possible.
• Implementation of robust quantum error mitigation, error correction, error detection and quantification techniques adapted to neutral-atom processors.
• Development of benchmarking and cross-platform validation tools to assess the performance of different simulation/computing approaches and support standardisation efforts.
• Pathways highlighting the use of quantum processors as development platforms for future generations of quantum sensors and for the execution of quantum metrological protocols.
• Enhancement of the EU’s supply chain through the development and integration of key quantum components for neutral-atom based computational processors (e.g., trapping and control optics, elecrtronic control components, laser systems, photonic interfaces).
• Coordination of partners activities, including training, documentation, and user engagement activities to foster adoption and ecosystem growth.
The action builds upon the foundations set by the PASQuanS2 FPA and aligns with the goals of the Strategic Research and Industry Agenda (SRIA 2030), the Chips for Europe initiative contributing to Europe’s strategic autonomy in neutral atom quantum simulation and digital neutral-atom technologies.
Who can apply, in detail
- Applicant types
- SME, Large company, Startup, Research org, University, Public body, Other
- Purpose
- Research and innovation
- R&D relevance
- 3 of 3
- Poland eligible
- Yes
- Country limit
- EU Member States or EuroHPC JU Participating States; ownership and control restrictions apply.
- Region
- Any
- Consortium
- Unclear
- Readiness level (TRL)
- —
- Topics
- Neutral-atom quantum computing
- Quantum simulation
- Scalable quantum processors
- High-performance computing integration
Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source. 23 Oct 2026
Conditions
Typed facts extracted from the source documents by Scindu's grant-data review. Each value keeps its own conditions. Unknown means unstated, not zero or unlimited.
- Applicant restriction
- Entities in an otherwise eligible country that are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country/entity may not participate absent guarantees approved by the eligible country showing no negative impact on Union strategic assets, interests, autonomy or security.
- Eligible geography
- Participation is limited to legal entities established in EU Member States or EuroHPC JU Participating States. Associated Horizon Europe countries can qualify if they become EuroHPC JU participating states before grant-agreement signature.
- Eligible project scope
- The proposal must address at least two neutral-atom SRIA technical challenges. The scope calls for at least two scientific or industrial use cases. The listed outcomes include a 10,000-atom simulator and a 1,000-qubit platform with a scaling path to 10,000 qubits.
- Eligible project scope
- The proposal should advance the maturity and usability of neutral-atom quantum processors platforms with a focus on practical applications. It should include:
- Other condition
- HORIZON-JU-RIA under HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based (HORIZON-AG).
- Other condition
- Single-stage call deadline: 17 November 2026.
- Other condition
- Official EuroHPC JU call page lists the single-stage deadline as 17 November 2026, 17:00 CET.
- Other condition
- Employee/equivalent actual personnel costs are calculated using the person’s actual eligible annual personnel cost divided by 215, multiplied by action day-equivalents; this is a calculation method, not a stated salary cap or salary amount. No job-specific pay rates or numeric salary ceilings found in the reviewed topic record.
- Other condition
- The topic budget overview expects one grant.
- Other condition
- The topic submission session opened 13 August 2026; current record gives single-stage deadline 17 November 2026.
- Expected project duration
- 42
Expected project/action duration, not a hard maximum or minimum. QTI duration was not stated in the announcement reviewed.
Amounts and costs
- Indicative budget
- €20,000,000
Topic budget as stated in the portal's budget table. Lump-sum and per-project limits are in the call conditions.
- Call allocation
- €20,000,000
- Eligible cost
- This topic is offered as a HORIZON-AG budget-based grant. MGA describes actual-cost grants as budget-based mixed actual-cost grants reimbursing only eligible costs actually incurred for the project; personnel categories and conditions are defined in MGA Article 6.2.A.
- Eligible cost
- The applicable reimbursement rate is the rate fixed in the specific call/topic conditions and grant agreement; RIA maximum is 100% of eligible costs.
- Eligible cost
- Potential personnel costs for beneficiaries may include (A.1) employees/equivalent under employment contract or equivalent appointing act and assigned to action; (A.2) natural persons under a non-employment direct contract and (A.3) third-party seconded persons against payment, subject to employee-like work conditions and beneficiary ownership of results unless agreed otherwise; and (A.4) unpaid SME owners or natural-person beneficiaries as unit costs under Annex 2a. Topic-specific staff positions, hiring volumes, qualifications, FTE and pay rates are not stated in the reviewed topic record.
- Funding intensity, maximum
- 100
General Horizon Europe maximum for RIA; the call-specific rate fixed in the topic conditions and grant agreement governs and may set the applicable rate.
- Expected project funding, up to
- €20,000,000
Expected EU contribution for the topic; the source describes an expected contribution range, not a guaranteed award or hard project-cost ceiling.
- Expected project funding, from
- €19,000,000
Expected EU contribution for the topic; the source describes an expected contribution range, not a guaranteed award or hard eligibility floor.
Personnel and services
Other role
Staff cost the grant can fund
Conditional eligible cost category under the budget-based HORIZON-AG MGA; a role is not a topic-mandated hire. Must be assigned to the action and incurred/declared under the applicable cost-category rules. No FTE, headcount, or duration requirement found in topic scope.
Source documents
Call facts
- Opens
- 13 Aug 2026
- Deadline model
- Single-stage
- Programme
- Horizon Europe · 2021 - 2027
- Call
- HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-NAPT-11 · Neutral-Atom Platform Technologies
- Types of action
- HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
- Source
- ec.europa.eu
- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- Portal updated
- 7 Sept 2026
- Review status
- Partial review
- Reviewed
- 22 Oct 2026
This is a summary of the source page, not the official text. Eligibility, conditions and the submission system are at the source.