SEED FUNDING

Seed funding is available to support projects which align with the Quantum ARC. The scope of these projects is flexible, but they should contribute to one or more of the aims of the Alliance: 

  • Leveraging new funding opportunities into the Scottish quantum technologies community
  • Creating new interdisciplinary projects in the quantum technologies sector including collaborations within academia, or between academia and industry
  • Generating effective collaborations relating to quantum technologies with those working in areas which have been traditionally less involved in the sector 
  • Supporting the training/development of Early Career Researchers
  • Effectively engaging and interacting with the public around quantum technologies

Round 7: OPEN

For this round of the Quantum ARC Seed Funding, we have up to £10,000 available per project.  

Applications are welcome to any organisation and career stage. This is an open call (with no focus theme), and we will prioritise project applications which include a realistic and well laid-out path to obtaining further funding. 

View the guidance document for more information on this funding round

Download the application form

Closing date is Friday 30 October 2026, 5pm

PREVIOUS ROUNDS

Round 5

Funded projects:

  • Translating Quantum Food Futures (TQ-FOODS): Responsible Innovation and Cross-cultural Public Understanding of Quantum Technologies in Food Systems
  • Exploring quantum sensing and imaging for food production systems-consortium building and proof of concept
  • Quantum sensors for trace detection nutrients and agrochemicals
  • Mapping Responsible and Sustainable Supply Chains for Quantum Technologies
  • Theory of dye-functionalization of bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers for solar light harvesting
Round 4

Funded projects:

  • Transforming Quantum Computing Education through XR: A Multi-Modal Pupillary Study of Cognitive Load in Real and VR World
  • Quantum Art Workshop
  • Entangling Music and Quantum Science
  • Best Photon Forward: Quantum Optical Discovery kits for Secondary Education
  • Creation of a quantum game for outreach and teaching
  • From Quantum Sensing to Cognitive Safety: Detecting Driver Fatigue with SPAD-Based Brain Flow Monitoring
Round 3

Round 3 was for projects of up to £10k that align with Quantum ARC. Additionally, following the Quantum Healthcare Summit 2024, the Quantum ARC teamed up with the Brain Health ARC to provide up to £15k per project for applications that centre on interventions that could be implemented within the NHS. Total funding between the two Alliances was £100k.

Funded healthcare projects:

  • Scotland–England Collaboration on Developing Human Resource in Quantum Technologies in Healthcare and Promoting Public Trust in Digital Health
  • Quantum Healthcare Connect
  • Catalysing Scotland-Middle East collaboration on quantum bioinformatics approaches to MERS
  • When Worlds Collide: Building the Base for Quantum Sensing Technologies in the Challenging Context of the North of Scotland Health and Care Sector
  • Diffuse optical tomography and quantum light for multi-resolution brain imaging (DOT-Q)
  • OMEGAS – A consortium for bringing optically-pumped magnetoencephalography to Scotland
  • Advancing Healthcare through Quantum Technologies: Collaborative Research Visits Promoting Interdisciplinary Work
  • Quantum Sensors for Paediatric Sleep Apnoea Diagnostics

Funded Quantum ARC projects:

  • Sandbox: A Curatorial Enquiry into Art and Quantum

Round 2

The second seed-funding round saw a significant increase in applications, with the application standard being very high right across the board. Four projects were funded this time, lead by academics, an industry body, and an independent artist. Following our Quantum Arts Incubator last summer, a fantastic array of applications came from collaborations born at the event, hopefully creating lasting connections throughout the arts and quantum sectors.

Funded projects:

  • Assessing Scotland’s Quantum Technologies Ecosystem: Skills, Training Needs, and Interdisciplinary Opportunities
  • Interactive Quantum Arts Exhibition
  • Superposition – Quantum Art Installation
  • Scotland-Korea Collaboration on quantum simulation in asset pricing based on the quantum harmonic oscillator
Round 1

The first round of seed funding saw five excellent projects funded. These included academic collaborations with researchers across the globe, an outreach event helping school pupils to understand quantum science and technology, a collaboration between quantum researchers and artists, and an exploration of the opportunities for collaboration between Scotland’s quantum technology and financial sectors. 

Other projects that just missed out on being selected included writing retreats, artistic collaborations, and standard proposals for research equipment/resources. 

Funded projects: 

  • Scotland-Australia collaboration on disruptive theory for quantum technologies  
  • Quantum Technology School for S5 and S6 students
  • Quantum Palette: EPCC researchers and Semiconductor artists cross-disciplinary collaboration 
  • Exchange Knowledge with Intel and Technical University of Munich on the design of readout/control circuitry for quantum computing 
  • Exploring and Catalysing Collaborations Between Scotland’s Quantum Technology and Financial Ecosystems 

Funded Projects

Read more about the successful projects from our previous seed funding rounds below.