DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative
DARPA program assessing whether emerging quantum computers can achieve utility-scale operation faster than conventional projections. Quantinuum was selected to advance to the one-year Stage B R&D phase (up to $15M in funding); Phasecraft was separately named a technical expert on the program, alongside University of Maryland ARLIS, developing resource-requirement estimates for candidate quantum applications.
QBI, launched in 2024, is structured in three phases: a six-month Stage A concept-evaluation round that selected roughly 18 companies across diverse qubit architectures (superconducting, trapped-ion, neutral-atom, photonic, silicon spin); a yearlong Stage B (up to $15M per team) for detailed R&D plans, risk assessment, and risk-reduction prototypes; and a government-led Stage C independent verification and validation phase. DARPA advanced 11 of the 18 Stage A performers, including Quantinuum, to Stage B in November 2025 — the program's current phase — with a goal of determining whether any architecture can reach utility-scale operation by 2033.
Program detail
- Agency
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
- Acronym
- QBI
- Budget
- Phase
- Stage B (11 of 18 Stage A performers advanced, Nov 2025)
- Domain
- Quantum computing hardware benchmarking and utility-scale roadmap validation
Participants2
- CompanyQuantinuumIntegrated quantum computing company (trapped-ion hardware + software/middleware), formed by the 2021 merger of Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum Computing; IPO'd on Nasdaq in 2026.
- CompanyPhasecraftBristol-based quantum-algorithms company designing algorithms to run effectively on today's imperfect near-term (NISQ) quantum hardware.
Contracts0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- What is DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative?
- QBI, launched in 2024, is structured in three phases: a six-month Stage A concept-evaluation round that selected roughly 18 companies across diverse qubit architectures (superconducting, trapped-ion, neutral-atom, photonic, silicon spin); a yearlong Stage B (up to $15M per team) for detailed R&D plans, risk assessment, and risk-reduction prototypes; and a government-led Stage C independent verification and validation phase. DARPA advanced 11 of the 18 Stage A performers, including Quantinuum, to Stage B in November 2025 — the program's current phase — with a goal of determining whether any architecture can reach utility-scale operation by 2033.
- Which agency runs DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative?
- DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative is run by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and is also known as QBI.
Sources & citations3
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
Quantinuum selected by DARPA to advance to Stage B of the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative
Quantinuum: Quantinuum Selected by DARPA to Advance to Stage B of Quantum Benchmarking InitiativeVerified2026-08-02 - 2
Phasecraft named a technical expert on DARPA's Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, alongside University of Maryland ARLIS
UKTN: UK quantum group tapped to join DARPA projectReported2026-03-03 - 3
DARPA advanced 11 of 18 Stage A performers to the yearlong Stage B phase of the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative in November 2025, each eligible for up to $15M in R&D funding.
DARPA: Stage B SelectionVerified2025-11-06