Innovate UK
Funder · Swindon
UKRI's business funder for quantum, behind the Commercialising Quantum Technologies Challenge, the Quantum Missions pilot and ProQure.
Completed Programme
Quantum Sensing Mission Primer: Contracts for Innovation: Quantum Sensors and PNT Missions Primer
Innovate UK contracts for 14 projects building quantum sensors and position, navigation and timing products, run as phase 1 of the sensing missions.
Project data last updated 11 October 2026
About this project
Innovate UK ran this Contracts for Innovation competition in mid-2025 as phase 1 of a possible two-phase programme. Projects ran from 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2026, with budgets of £500,000 to £1.5 million each. The aim was to speed up the development and adoption of quantum sensors and quantum position, navigation and timing (PNT) products.
In November 2025 the government announced 14 projects sharing £14 million. Awardees included Delta g, Xairos UK, MoniRail, NPL, Nascent Semiconductor, Siloton, Cerca Magnetics, Toshiba Europe, ColdQuanta UK (Infleqtion), Curtiss-Wright Wimborne, AQuark Technologies, Quantum Fabrix, Fraunhofer UK Research and BT. Projects ranged from quantum eye scanning and brain imaging to gravity cartography and single-photon flash lidar.
Lead organisation
Partners (10)
Delta g
Company · Birmingham
MoniRail
Company · Birmingham
NPL
Research organisation · Teddington
Cerca Magnetics
Company · Nottingham
Toshiba Europe
Company · Cambridge
Infleqtion UK (ColdQuanta UK Ltd)
Company · Oxford
Aquark Technologies
Company · Southampton
Quantum Fabrix
Company · Kidlington
Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics
Research organisation · Glasgow
BT Group
Company · London
Funders
-
Innovate UK
Funder · Swindon
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Government · London
In the news
Quantum Zeitgeist articles naming the lead organisation or partners. They may not be about this project.
Infleqtion expands Oxford hub for UK quantum systems, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
Infleqtion is expanding its Oxford presence, building on the UK’s quantum investment and a hub with 18+ research institutes.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Quantum Networking Delivers Keys. The Quantum Internet Needs A Repeater, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
Quantum networking is the business of moving quantum information between machines that sit in different places, and almost everything sold under that name today does one narrow job. It delivers encryption keys over optical fibre one photon at a time. Anyone listening in changes what arrives, and giv
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
QuSIT to boost UK quantum sensing and imaging projects with £774k grant, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
The UK Quantum Technology Research Hub in Sensing, Imaging and Timing (QuSIT) has completed the application and grant-awarding phase of the QuSIT Accelerating Capability Fund (ACF) grant, allocating a total of £774k across multiple projects. This ACF Grant, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sci
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Sir Peter Knight, The Physicist Who Helped Build Britain’s Quantum Programme, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
The theorist who taught British quantum physics to cost itself honestly, and who now chairs the board advising on a national quantum strategy worth billions.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Sources
- Government support to get quantum to work faster (GOV.UK, 7 November 2025) (gov.uk)
- Funding competition: Contracts for Innovation: Quantum Sensors and PNT Missions Primer (Innovation Funding Service) (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)
- £1.4M TimeLink Program De-risks Xairos Quantum Protocols for Timing (Quantum Zeitgeist) (quantumzeitgeist.com)
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