UKRI NQS Mission 2 Coordination Network 2026

UK Research and Innovation is funding one coordination network for Mission 2 of the UK National Quantum Strategy. The opportunity status is open. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Science and Technology Facilities Council are the funders. The full economic cost can be up to £630,937, and that figure is also the total fund, so this call supports one network. EPSRC funds 80 percent of the full economic cost, which is £504,750.

The call was published on 16 September 2026 and opened on 29 September 2026 at 9:00am UK time. Applications close on 24 November 2026 at 4:00pm UK time. The project may last up to 33 months and must start by 31 May 2027.

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding. You may be the project lead on only one application. A researcher based in Norway cannot be an international project co lead. Other international collaborators join as project partners. UKRI will not accept an uninvited resubmission.

The network must be academic led and created together with end users. It should connect researchers, industry, policymakers, infrastructure providers, network operators, and end users, and it must work with the Mission 2 research projects. The page asks the network to share progress, find collaboration, and carry industry and user needs back into the research. Apply on the UKRI Funding Service from the opportunity page. You cannot use the older Je-S system. The project lead completes the form and sends it to their research office, which submits it to UKRI.

Quick answers

How much of the full economic cost does EPSRC pay?

EPSRC funds 80 percent of the full economic cost, which is £504,750.

How long can the network run?

No more than 33 months, with a latest start date of 31 May 2027.

Can a researcher based in Norway be a project co lead?

No. The UKRI and Research Council of Norway agreement does not apply to this call.