If you research and develop new, innovative materials and processes for quantum systems, you can receive a grant under certain conditions.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports your high-risk, pre-competitive research and development work in the field of new, innovative materials and processes for quantum systems.

Funding is provided for collaborative projects on the following topics, for example:

• Improvement of material synthesis (low defects, isotope purity, targeted introduction of color centers),
• innovative Strukturierungsmethoden,
• Scaling of existing processes to wafer scale,
• Improvement of process steps for the production of substrates or layer systems,
• new integration techniques including photonic solutions,
• Research into the photonic properties of functional oxides,
• novel material concepts for superconducting qubits.

The projects are funded in the 2 modules A and B:

• Module A: Improving the synthesis, structuring, processability and scaling of established material platforms for applications in quantum technologies and photonics.
• Module B: Research into novel materials that are used in quantum technologies due to their properties.

You will receive the funding as a grant for a period of up to 3 years.

• As a commercial company and as a research institution with an economic project, you will normally receive 50 percent of your eligible costs.
• As a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), you can receive a bonus under certain conditions. To do this, you must meet the EU's criteria for SMEs.
• As a university or non-university institution, you can receive up to 100 percent of the eligible expenses.
• If you are planning a non-economic research project as a university or university hospital, you can receive a project lump sum of 20 percent in addition to your eligible expenses.
• Module B: maximum EUR 2 million including bonuses and project lump sums.

The application process is two-stage. In the 1st stage, please submit your project outline to the project management agency VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH.

In the 2nd stage of the procedure, you will be asked to submit a formal application for funding for your positively evaluated project outline. For the preparation of your project outline and your application, please use the electronic application system easy-Online.