DE-FOA-0003657: The DOE Quantum Genesis Q Competition
Closed
This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot (DE-FOA-0003673). Status: Closes January 12, 2027 (66 days left). It is in our archive of Office of Science notices from 2026.
Office of Science offered grants of up to $200 million (at least $250,000) to small businesses and businesses. It expected to make about 10 awards worth $215 million in total. Applications closed on October 19, 2026.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed September 16, 2026. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$200 million
- Award floor$250,000
- Total funding$215 million
- Expected awards10
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeOther
Key dates
| Posted | September 17, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | October 19, 2026 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | January 19, 2027 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to small businesses and businesses.
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Office of Science Financial Assistance Program awards averaged $1.2 million; this notice allows up to $200 million per award.
- Most of the program's money (69% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the establishment of the Quantum Genesis initiative to develop and deploy the world’s first fault-tolerant, scientifically relevant quantum computing (SRQC) capability for research and development. The Department seeks to realize this bold ambition through the Quantum Genesis Q Competition (herein, the Q Competition), a first of its kind effort to accelerate the timeline for realizing this novel, transformative capability. The Quantum Genesis initiative will serve as a foundational pillar of the broader Genesis Mission, designed to usher in a new era of computational power for the nation and accelerate scientific discovery and innovation. The announcement of the Quantum Genesis initiative marks a significant step toward the Department’s goals outlined in President Trump’s Executive Order (EO), Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation and its Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science (QC-ADDS) effort.[1] This request for applications (RFA) invites proposals from domestic commercial entities have a technically viable plan for the Quantum Genesis program and achieving the milestones of the Q Competition. The intent of the Q Competition is to accelerate the development timeline for SRQCs, align successful applicants with the needs of the Department and the scientific community, and to enable the necessary scaling of quantum hardware, software, and enabling technology while developing scientific workflows that ensure SRQCs contribute to national scientific and technological advancement. In addition to the goal of building the first-generation SRQC, these partners may also help to form the technical foundation for DOE’s continued efforts into the 2030s to deploy one or more next-generation SRQCs at National Laboratories. DOE envisions this competition as a first step toward scaling fault-tolerant quantum computers to scientific relevance alongside other ongoing and planned activities. DOE acknowledges that potential vendors may have timelines that do not coincide with this competition, even though they may have a viable path to future platforms of interest to the DOE. Failure to participate or complete the milestones does not disqualify an entity or vendor from future DOE collaborations or procurements.
Who has won Office of Science Financial Assistance Program grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (81.049) awarded $7.7 billion across 6,205 grant awards, an average of $1.2 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University Foundation | Michigan | 84 | $573 million |
| General Atomics | California | 30 | $495 million |
| University of Wisconsin System | Wisconsin | 101 | $275 million |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts | 118 | $238 million |
| University of Illinois | Illinois | 61 | $201 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, DE-FOA-0003673, which is open now.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is DE-FOA-0003657 still open?
No. It closed on October 19, 2026. A newer notice is open: DE-FOA-0003673, closes January 12, 2027 (66 days left).
Who can apply for The DOE Quantum Genesis Q Competition?
Office of Science accepted applications from small businesses and businesses.
What is the deadline for The DOE Quantum Genesis Q Competition?
Closed October 19, 2026. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $200 million each. About $215 million in total across about 10 awards.
Who has won Office of Science Financial Assistance Program grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Michigan State University Foundation, General Atomics, University of Wisconsin System. The program made 6,205 awards worth $7.7 billion in that time.