UK NQCC Advances Industrial Strategy with SparQ Access Rollout, ProQure Procurement, and 13 PoC Awards

Introduction

The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) has used its 2026 Annual Report to signal a decisive pivot in the United Kingdom’s quantum strategy. Moving beyond pure research, the centre is now emphasizing industrial procurement, performance benchmarking, and real‑world deployments. Two headline initiatives illustrate this shift: the launch of the SparQ Access Industry Channel, which gives commercial firms streamlined quantum‑processor access, and the award of 13 Proof‑of‑Concept (PoC) grants that fund end‑user R&D across sectors such as biotech, energy, and logistics.

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SparQ Access: Centralising Quantum Resources for Industry

The SparQ platform now brokers access to 22 quantum processing units (QPUs) across 76 organisations, reducing the integration burden for users. Its inaugural Industry Channel cohort comprises nine high‑profile companies—including AstraZeneca, Riverlane, and Powertica Commodities—selected to explore early‑stage use cases with subsidised QPU time. By aggregating cloud‑based and on‑premises resources, SparQ creates a single entry point for multi‑modality quantum hardware, allowing firms to focus on algorithm development rather than vendor negotiations.

Key metrics:

• 22 QPUs spanning trapped‑ion, superconducting, neutral‑atom, silicon‑spin, and photonic technologies.
• 76 participating organisations and 387 active users on the broader SparQ network.
• 9 industry partners in the first cohort, receiving dedicated support for feasibility studies and de‑risking activities.

The platform’s design aligns with the UK’s broader goal of delivering commercial quantum systems capable of 1 billion operations by 2031, a target under the £2 billion national programme.

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ProQure Procurement Framework: From Testbeds to Market‑Ready Machines

Alongside SparQ, the NQCC is transitioning its Quantum Computing Testbed Initiative (QCTI) into the ProQure procurement framework, co‑delivered with Innovate UK. The testbed hosts seven commercial QPUs across five modalities at Harwell, provided by partners such as Oxford Ionics (IonQ), Rigetti UK, QuEra UK, Quantum Motion, and ORCA Computing. Independent benchmarking—conducted with the University of Edinburgh’s Quantum Software Lab—will generate verification criteria that feed directly into the £1 billion Advanced Market Commitment. This sovereign procurement roadmap is intended to fund the acquisition of large‑scale quantum machines that meet the 1‑billion‑operation benchmark.

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Proof‑of‑Concept Awards: Accelerating End‑User Innovation

The 2026 SparQ PoC call attracted a 44 % increase in applications, resulting in 13 awards:

• 8 short‑term (three‑month) PoCs for rapid feasibility assessments.
• 5 extended (six‑month) PoC+ projects to test algorithmic scaling with real‑world data.

Awarded projects span diverse domains:

• Q‑CTRL – single‑atom catalysis.
• PsiQuantum – corrosion modelling for infrastructure.
• Qoro Quantum – resilience of energy grids.
• Curenetics – neoantigen vaccine design.
• IonQ – optimisation of standby flight crew schedules.

These grants provide both funding and technical co‑development support, linking industry partners with NQCC’s testbed resources and the ProQure evaluation pipeline.

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Practical Outlook for Stakeholders

For companies considering quantum adoption, the NQCC’s new ecosystem offers a clear pathway:

1. Access – Join the SparQ network to obtain low‑friction QPU time across multiple hardware families.
2. Benchmark – Leverage independent performance metrics from the ProQure framework to inform procurement decisions.
3. Scale – Apply for PoC or PoC+ funding to de‑risk projects before committing to larger‑scale deployments under the Advanced Market Commitment.

By consolidating hardware access, establishing transparent benchmarking, and providing targeted R&D funding, the NQCC is laying the groundwork for a commercially viable quantum industry in the UK.

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Conclusion

The 2026 NQCC report marks a strategic shift from exploratory research to concrete industrialisation. Through the SparQ Access Industry Channel, the ProQure procurement roadmap, and a robust PoC grant programme, the centre is equipping UK enterprises with the tools, data, and financial support needed to move quantum computing from the lab to the marketplace. Stakeholders that engage early with these programmes will be best positioned to capture the competitive advantages of quantum‑enhanced solutions as the technology matures toward the 2031 performance milestone.