New funding across UK Quantum Technology Research Hubs drives research and innovation development opportunities
- EPSRC invests £13.8m across UK Quantum Technology Research Hubs following government pledge to drive national quantum technology innovation
- QuSIT receives £1.2m as part of the award, titled Accelerating Capability Fund (ACF)
- QuSIT ACF activity includes an open call grant competition to help deliver the National Quantum Strategy Missions
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has awarded the UK Quantum Technology Research Hub in Sensing, Imaging and Timing (QuSIT) £1.2m as part of a wider £13.8m investment across the five UK Quantum Technology Research Hubs.
The Quantum Technologies Hubs Accelerating Capability Fund (ACF) is a new funding mechanism designed to accelerate partnerships that can support the delivery of the National Quantum Strategy Missions.
This initiative forms part of a broader £2bn government commitment to advance quantum technology innovation in the UK – announced in March 2026.
QuSIT is driven by key end-user problems that have the potential to foster economic growth and contribute to a safer, healthier, and more productive society.
The Hub’s ACF proposal is designed to bring in new industrial and academic partners, while developing existing partnerships and connecting the community – strengthening QuSIT’s capability to address the Mission goals and deliver real-world impact.
Upcoming activies
Open call grant competition
£765k of the £1.2m support package has been allocated to an open call grant funding scheme to drive industry, academic and wider partnerships.
This first call invites proposals for two key focus strands: building upon findings from prior out-of-laboratory trials or accelerating new academic partnerships pursuing research critical to technology development directed towards Mission outcomes.
Full details and the application process can be found here.
Engagement opportunities
This ACF funding will also drive a range of upcoming community and stakeholder engagement initiatives such as mission-focused workshops, training and career events, secondments, sector-specific meetings, as well as the development of international landscape and translation pathway reports.
Together, these initiatives are designed to strengthen QuSIT’s research, market knowledge and user engagement.
QuSIT is already an engine for the creation and growth of spin-out companies, 14 so far, alongside translation to established enterprises.
The Hub’s technologies are central to the NQS Missions, including wearable scanners that give new insights into brain health, imaging systems that can pinpoint greenhouse gas leaks and quantum sensors to see what is hidden below the ground.
By focusing on overcoming technical barriers to adoption at scale, addressing constrained business models which inhibit progress and upskilling the current research community, QuSIT strives to solidify the UK’s quantum profile on the global stage.
Professor Michael Holynski, Principal Investigator for QuSIT, said:
“We are delighted to open the QuSIT Accelerating Capability Fund, made possible by funding from EPSRC-UKRI as part of the recent UK Government investment in quantum technologies.
The fund aims to generate and accelerate partnerships that support delivery of the UK National Quantum Strategy Missions. Partnerships and the collective efforts of the community are central to our mission of enabling quantum technologies to drive societal benefits and foster economic growth.
We look forward to working closely with new and existing partners, the other QT Hubs, and the wider industry, academic and broader communities to accelerate quantum technologies delivering their best for society.”
QuSIT’s research is delivered by the University of Birmingham, University of Bristol, Durham University, University of Glasgow, Heriot-Watt University, Imperial College of Science, University of Nottingham, University of Southampton, University of Strathclyde, and UK Research and Innovation (represented by the British Geological Survey)
QuSIT is part of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council on behalf of UK Research and Innovation and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The delivery of QuSIT is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Department of Health and Social Care and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
