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    NQCC Quantum Computing Testbed Programme

    A £30m programme that paid seven companies to build prototype quantum computers, known as testbeds, at the NQCC in Harwell.

    Project data last updated 11 October 2026

    About this project

    The results of the competition were announced in February 2024. The seven projects cover superconducting, trapped-ion, neutral-atom, photonic and silicon spin qubits. Each company was to build and deliver its testbed at the NQCC's facilities by March 2025.

    The testbeds let the NQCC characterise and benchmark early quantum computers built on different hardware. The programme was funded through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund and the NQCC, with Innovate UK running the competition.

    Who leads it

    Lead organisation

    NQCC

    Research organisation · Harwell

    The UK's national quantum computing lab at Harwell: seven hardware testbeds, the SparQ user programme and the UK's first 100-qubit machine.

    Partners (7)

    Funders

    In the news

    Quantum Zeitgeist articles naming the lead organisation or partners. They may not be about this project.

    • A recap of the Quantum Software Lab's Quantum Fringe in Edinburgh

      · UK

      A recap of the Quantum Software Lab’s Quantum Fringe in Edinburgh, read on Quantum Zeitgeist

      The Quantum Software Lab (QSL) at the University of Edinburgh has become a globally recognized hub for creating software solutions, and with its strategic partnership with the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), now has more than 70 researchers. In three years, the QSL is poised to lead a

      Image © Quantum Zeitgeist

    • QuEra Computing expands to Maryland’s Capital of Quantum

      QuEra Computing expands to Maryland’s Capital of Quantum, read on Quantum Zeitgeist

      QuEra Computing, the Boston-based leader in neutral-atom quantum computing, will open an office in Discovery District Maryland, joining the Capital of Quantum’s expanding roster of quantum companies. The move builds on an agreement between QuEra and the University of Maryland’s National Quantum Labo

      Image © Quantum Zeitgeist

    • A complex circuit board glows with vibrant, multicolored light trails, representing digital connectivity and technological innovation.

      Quantum Zeitgeist weekly digest, 21 September 2026, read on Quantum Zeitgeist

      IBM’s $2 billion investment, split between direct funding and a new venture called Anderon, signals a decisive shift in the quantum computing landscape, from chasing qubit counts to securing a domestic supply chain for advanced wafer manufacturing. This move directly addresses a bottleneck seen in m

      Image © Quantum Zeitgeist

    All news for this project and its partners

    Sources

    1. NQCC: Science Minister announces the results of the £30m quantum computing testbed competition (nqcc.ac.uk)
    2. NQCC: Quantum computing testbeds (nqcc.ac.uk)
    3. Quantum Zeitgeist: UK Funds Quantum Sector with £45M Investment (quantumzeitgeist.com)
    4. Quantum Zeitgeist: NQCC open access testbed programme (quantumzeitgeist.com)