(April 3, 2025) DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) has identified a cohort of companies who will characterize their unique concepts for creating a useful, fault-tolerant quantum computer within a decade. QBI, which kicked off in July 2024, aims to determine whether it’s possible to build such a computer much faster than conventional predictions. Specifically, QBI is designed to rigorously verify and validate whether any quantum computing approach can achieve utility-scale operation — meaning its computational value exceeds its cost — by the year 2033.

(August 29, 2024) DARPA is hosting a Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) proposers day on Sept. 3, 2024, for quantum computing companies that believe they are on track to develop an industrial-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer in the near term. The goal of the hybrid in-person and virtual proposers day is to introduce the quantum computing research and development community to DARPA and the QBI vision and goals, explain the mechanics and milestones of the QBI solicitation, and solicit and reply to questions from attendees. DARPA will also offer individual, brief sidebar discussions (in person or virtually) with the QBI Program Manager. The proposers day and sidebar discussions are open to U.S. and international quantum computing companies and organizations.

(October 11, 2023) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) on Quantum Sensing in Biomedical Applications (SBIR/STTR). This NOSI encourages Phase I, Fast-Track and Direct to Phase II SBIR, as well as Phase I and Fast-Track STTR grant applications from Small Business Concerns to develop commercializable tools, resources, and approaches that harness new quantum sensing approaches to solve biomedical research questions with application in areas of preventing, monitoring and diagnosing disease. The overarching goal is to bring quantum mechanics -based sensing applications from the lab to the biomedical market and clinic. To be responsive to this NOSI, a project must focus on a relevant biomedical problem that falls within the mission of one of the participating Institutes or Centers.  Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIH Scientific/Research staff and participating NIH Institutes/Centers prior to preparing an application.

(August 25, 2023) On August 9, 2023, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Addressing United States Investments in Certain National Security Technologies and Products in Countries of Concern. It declared a national emergency to address United States investments in countries of concern in sectors including semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information technologies, and artificial intelligence capabilities. The Secretary of the Treasury—in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and other agency heads, as appropriate—will issue regulations that require certain transactions be reported or prohibited.

Highlighting the QED-C | The Quantum Economic Development Consortium (quantumconsortium.org)

(October 7, 2021) Earlier this week, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) convened industry stakeholders from across the country to discuss how quantum computers and quantum sensors will benefit American society. Challenges and opportunities for increasing United States competitiveness in this critical industry of the future were also discussed.