Grand Challenge on Quantum Sensors for Inertial Navigation
Open
Status as published by the data source.
Expected Outcome:
This topic is the first phase of a two-phase competitive structure supported by Horizon Europe, implemented via a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) in close collaboration with the European Investment Bank (EIB).
• Phase 1 (this topic): A CSA focused on readiness-analysis in terms of exploitation and investments, benchmarking the commercial viability of quantum enabled navigation systems. The aim is to deliver concrete outputs that improve the conditions for use of the supported projects through credible technical, industrialisation and financial roadmaps, validated against investor requirements (e.g. EIB, InvestEU). Activities also include analyses of investor-readiness and supply-chain sovereignty.
• Phase 2: For further information, see the indirectly managed action “HORIZON-CL4 Quantum Top-Up to InvestEU: Grand Challenge Phase 2” in the Cluster 4 part of the Horizon Europe 2026/2027 Work Programme. This CSA is designed to allow the best possible application in Phase 2 and the current CSA results may therefore inform applications by beneficiaries to investment support managed by the EIB under InvestEU (separate procedures). Under Phase 1 projects are expected to establish a comprehensive technical and financial roadmap that demonstrates the potential of the proposed Q-INS solutions, and at least deliver evidence-based design and benchmarking packages for reduced-scale systems ( such as documentation, test/benchmark reports and evidence of pre-existing or externally financed prototypes) in one of the following two categories:
• Category 1 (cold-atoms Q-INS): Q-INS based on cold-atom interferometry (or other technology of at least equivalent performance) featuring long-term navigation accuracy (<10 m/hour) due to reduced drift with respect to commercial Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). End-user requirements together with documented benchmark evidence from existing or externally financed prototypes will be collected for demonstrations in maritime or aviation applications.
• Category 2 (Chip-scale Q-INS): Low C-SWAP Q-INS measuring acceleration, rotation rate, and/or magnetic field, aimed at the implementation of chip-scale sensors based on defect centres and vacancies in crystals or on warm atomic vapours (including nuclear magnetic resonance), for applications e.g. in small satellites, UAVs, and autonomous transport. Proposals should target systems that are already sufficiently mature to enable credible benchmarking and industrial road-mapping. Specific expected outcomes include:
• A detailed technical roadmap, including system architecture, integration strategy, performance milestones, risk assessments and industrialisation plan for scalable production
• The industrialisation plan should be validated in conjunction with the EIB requirements, including commercialization timelines, and should include at least the following:
• Detailed Q-INS architecture based on quantum sensing techniques hybridised with classical IMUs,
• Compliance assessment for SWaP-C requirements, environmental resilience, and real-world integration,
• An assessment of dependencies on non-EU suppliers of critical components and proposal of effective mitigation measures in view of a sovereign supply chain,
• Potential list of end-users to capture system requirements and use-case constraints
• A comprehensive financial roadmap and viability assessment covering business models, market analyses, commercialization pathways, revenue projections and investment criteria
• Documented lab-validation/benchmarking of an existing or externally financed prototype (no EU funding of R&I or prototype development in this CSA), with preliminary benchmark results.
• An application strategy identifying target sectors (maritime, aviation, space, autonomous systems) and quantifiable advantages over classical IMUs. Scope:
The Grand Challenge on Quantum Sensors for Inertial Navigation aims to advance the development of quantum-enabled navigation systems for use in GNSS-denied or contested environments. Q-INS combines quantum sensors with classical inertial measurement subsystems to deliver reliable, resilient, and sovereign positioning capabilities. The topic supports the EU’s ambition to strengthen technological sovereignty in strategic navigation infrastructures, aligned with the objectives of the STEP and the Digital Decade.
Under this topic (Phase 1), projects are expected to deliver a comprehensive technical, industrialisation, and financial roadmap, including criteria for investment readiness, bankability, risk assessment, and scalability, thereby laying the groundwork for future investments via EU financial instruments under InvestEU, which benefits from a dedicated top-up from Horizon Europe for this purpose[1].
Under Phase 1, Expressions of Interest from potential end-user partners are strongly encouraged. Tailored advisory services from EIB Advisory may support financial structuring to prepare for Phase 2.
Projects funded under this action are expected to span approximately six months, with an EU contribution up to EUR 0.5 million.
[1] HORIZON-CL4 Indirectly managed action “Quantum Top-Up to InvestEU: Grand Challenge Phase 2”
- Status
- Open
- Deadline
- (time not stated)
- Opens
- Published
- Total budget
- €2,000,000
- Grant range
- €400,000 – €500,000
- Country
- European Union (EU-wide)
- Programme
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- Official page
- Open at the source portal
Other calls under Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- PV based electrification of the economy: Designing & optimising PV systems supporting industrial electrification and promoting participation in electricity markets (EUPI-PV Partnership)
- Advanced TSO control rooms to enhance grid observability, stability and resilience
- Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADSM) for more efficient and flexible distribution grids
- Community of practice - Data-Driven Decision-Making in Energy
- Industrial processes and equipment for innovative, reliable and scalable tandem technologies (EUPI-PV Partnership)
- Integrated Approaches for Retrofitting Infrastructures with Innovative Energy Storage Technologies
- Demonstration of hydropower technologies for efficient and forward-looking refurbishment of existing hydropower plants
- Delivery of industrial CCUS clusters – Societal Readiness pilot
All calls under this programme
Similar opportunities
- Horizon scanning and foresight in future enabling digital technologies (CSA)
- Standards for Quantum Technologies
- Create a thriving and competitive Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0 ecosystem (CSA) (Virtual Worlds Partnership)
- Facilitate the engagement of European stakeholders in international digital standardisation (CSA)
- Pilot access schemes to Technology Infrastructures for European startups, scaleups and innovative SMEs (CSA)
- Platform Building, standardisation and Up-scaling of the ‘Cloud-Edge-IoT’ Solutions (Horizontal Activities - CSA)
Where this came from
- Source document
- https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/data/topicDetails/horizon-ju-eurohpc-2026-ngc-04-01.json
- Document fingerprint
ccbc2937e7b5865b(SHA-256, first 16 hex characters)- Retrieved
- First recorded here
What has changed
- url first recorded as https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-ju-eurohpc-2026-ngc-04-01 on
- currency first recorded as EUR on
- amount_max first recorded as 500000.00 on
- amount_min first recorded as 400000.00 on
- budget_total first recorded as 2000000.00 on
- deadline first recorded as 2026-09-30 on
- opens_on first recorded as 2026-06-02 on
- published_on first recorded as 2026-06-02 on
- status_basis first recorded as source_status on
- status first recorded as open on
- title first recorded as Grand Challenge on Quantum Sensors for Inertial Navigation on
Data source
© European Union, 2026. Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU — CC BY 4.0.
Retrieved from the source on .
The source last updated this document on Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:58:10 GMT.
Personal data of natural persons has been dissociated by quiescence.eu.
This service is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by the data publishers.