DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) 2026: What Startups Need to Know
Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).
Quick Answer
DARPA's Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) 2026 Program Announcement, DARPA-PA-26-02, is not a standard solicitation you propose directly against. It is an umbrella announcement that opens the door for individual QBI Topic (QBIT) calls, which is where the actual proposal opportunities, funding details, and deadlines will live. The program's mission is to independently verify and validate whether any approach to quantum computing can reach utility scale by 2033. DARPA is looking for revolutionary, high risk, high reward paths to a utility scale quantum computer (USQC), not incremental improvements to existing systems. The overarching PA closes December 30, 2026, following a July 29, 2026 amendment that also moved oversight from the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) to the newly formed Multi X Office (MXO) and named a new Program Manager, Dr. Micah Stoutimore.
What Is QBI, in Plain Terms
QBI exists because nobody actually knows if or when a fault tolerant, utility scale quantum computer can be built. DARPA defines "utility scale" as a machine whose computational value exceeds its cost. Rather than betting on one architecture, DARPA created QBI as a rigorous, third party verification and validation program. If a company claims it has a credible path to utility scale quantum computing, QBI is how DARPA tests that claim, helps the company identify and burn down real risks, and then communicates validated results to other government stakeholders who might want to acquire or use the technology.
QBI 2026 is the newest on-ramp into that program. It builds on the original Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing program (US2QC, DARPA-PS-22-04) and the first QBI solicitation from August 2024 (DARPA-PS-24-26). The 2026 PA exists specifically to bring in new entrants that DARPA has not yet evaluated. If your company was already selected under a prior QBI or US2QC award, DARPA does not expect you to apply again under this PA, though you are not barred from doing so if your approach is genuinely new or distinct.
What DARPA Is Actually Looking For
DARPA is explicit that this program excludes evolutionary improvements to the current state of the art in quantum computing. They want proposals that describe a credible, near term path to a USQC, not incremental qubit count increases or modest error rate improvements on familiar architectures.
Every QBIT will fall somewhere within three verification and validation stages:
Stage A asks a company to describe a USQC concept with a plausible path to realization in the near term.
Stage B asks a company to lay out the research and development plan for realizing that USQC, including the technical risks involved, how those risks will be mitigated, and what prototypes are needed to prove the concept works.
Stage C is where DARPA and the performer work together to actually verify and validate that the USQC can be built as designed and will operate as intended.
Beyond describing a hardware concept, DARPA is also interested in companies that can build the verification tools themselves, meaning testing and evaluation methods or concepts that strengthen DARPA's own Independent Verification and Validation team.
How the Program Is Structured
This is the part that trips people up. DARPA-PA-26-02 is not something you submit a proposal against directly. It is a standing program announcement under which DARPA will issue individual QBIT calls over time. Each QBIT will define its own:
Technical focus area within the broader QBI mission
Proposal process, which may include an abstract phase, a written proposal, an oral presentation, or some combination
Submission instructions and deadlines
Evaluation criteria
Eligibility requirements
Funding amount and award instrument details
Proposals submitted directly to the PA itself, rather than to a specific QBIT, will be disregarded. If you are interested in QBI, the move is to monitor for QBIT announcements at darpa.mil/work-with-us/opportunities rather than trying to respond to the PA itself.
Funding and Award Structure
The PA specifies the funding category as 6.2, which is applied research funding under the DoD's research classification system. Multiple awards are anticipated across the program.
Awards will be made using Other Transaction (OT) authority, either an OT for Research agreement or an OT for Prototype agreement, with the exact instrument specified in each QBIT. OTs matter here because they let DARPA and the performer negotiate terms outside the standard Federal Acquisition Regulation process. In practice, that means fewer compliance burdens, milestone based payments instead of rigid cost reporting, and more flexibility to structure the deal around commercial transition goals.
The PA itself does not publish a dollar ceiling, per award funding range, or period of performance. Those figures are set at the individual QBIT level. Any company evaluating fit should treat the PA as a signal of direction and intent, and wait for a specific QBIT before building a budget.
Timeline
Original posting date: November 14, 2025
Original closing date: November 14, 2026
Amendment 01 posted: July 29, 2026
Current closing date, as amended: December 30, 2026
Amendment 01 also changed the responsible office from the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) to the Multi X Office (MXO), and replaced the Program Manager, moving from Dr. Joseph Altepeter to Dr. Micah Stoutimore. Individual QBIT due dates will be specified within each topic call and have not yet been published as part of the base PA.
Eligibility
Eligibility is not defined at the PA level. Each QBIT will specify its own eligibility criteria. What is defined at the PA level are the baseline requirements every awardee must meet regardless of QBIT:
Active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) at the time of proposal submission, maintained through the life of any award
Registration in Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF) for electronic invoicing prior to award
A finding of responsibility from the DARPA Agreements Officer, and no suspension, debarment, or legal prohibition from receiving a federal award
DARPA also enforces an organizational conflict of interest policy. A company cannot simultaneously provide Scientific Engineering Technical Assistance (SETA) or Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS) support to the government and act as a technical performer on the same effort.
Security and Data Handling
DARPA expects most QBI submissions to be unclassified but potentially Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). All CUI must be handled in accordance with DoD Instruction 5200.48 and NIST Special Publication 800-171. A signed CUI Guide is attached to the PA as Attachment A. If a company believes its submission involves classified information, it must notify the MXO Program Security Officer by unclassified email before submitting anything classified.
Why This Matters for Startups
QBI is one of the few DoD funding mechanisms built specifically around unproven, high risk quantum computing architectures rather than incremental hardware improvement. If your company has a genuinely novel path to utility scale quantum computing, whether that is an unconventional qubit modality, a new error correction approach, or a fundamentally different system architecture, QBI is designed to fund exactly that kind of bet. It is also relevant if your core capability is testing, verification, or benchmarking methodology rather than building the quantum computer itself.
Because the PA has no fixed dollar amount, no single deadline for proposals, and no single eligibility standard, companies should treat this announcement as a heads up rather than an action item. The real opportunity, and the real deadline pressure, will show up when a specific QBIT drops.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DARPA-PA-26-02? It is the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) 2026 Program Announcement, an umbrella solicitation from DARPA that governs future QBI Topic (QBIT) calls focused on verifying whether any quantum computing approach can reach utility scale by 2033.
Can I submit a proposal directly to this PA? No. Proposals may only be submitted in response to a specific QBIT. Any proposal submitted directly against the PA will be disregarded.
When does DARPA-PA-26-02 close? The amended closing date is December 30, 2026. The original closing date was November 14, 2026 before Amendment 01 extended it.
Who runs the QBI program now? The Multi X Office (MXO), following Amendment 01's transfer of the program from the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO). The Program Manager is Dr. Micah Stoutimore.
How much funding is available? The PA does not specify a dollar amount. Funding levels, award sizes, and periods of performance are defined separately within each individual QBIT.
What type of award will this be? Other Transaction (OT) agreements, either for Research or for Prototype work, with the specific type determined by each QBIT.
Is this a competition between companies? Not in the traditional sense. While each QBIT call is competitive, DARPA has stated it wants to fund all viable approaches for which funding is available, rather than picking a single winner across the program.
Can companies already in QBI or US2QC apply again? DARPA does not intend this PA to solicit proposals from performers already selected under prior QBI or US2QC awards, but it does not prohibit them from applying if their new approach is genuinely distinct.
What kind of quantum computing approaches is DARPA interested in? Revolutionary, high risk, high reward approaches with a plausible near term path to utility scale operation. Evolutionary or incremental improvements to existing quantum computing approaches are explicitly excluded.
Does my company need to be registered anywhere before applying? Yes. Active SAM.gov registration is required at the time of proposal submission, and WAWF registration is required before any award can be made.
What if my technology involves classified information? You must notify the MXO Program Security Officer by unclassified email before submitting classified material. Security classification guidance will be issued by DARPA only if the award is determined to require it.
Where do I find the actual proposal opportunities? Monitor darpa.mil/work-with-us/opportunities for individual QBIT announcements, which will each carry their own deadlines, templates, and submission instructions.
