NRC Quantum Internetworking Challenge (QUIN)
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
A multi-year collaborative R&D challenge program running 2026–2033 under NRC's $161M quantum commitment that connects NRC research expertise with industry and academic partners to advance quantum networking technologies toward commercialization. QUIN focuses on the physical and systems layers of quantum internetworking: advanced photonic, semiconductor, and superconducting materials; quantum components and devices (sources, repeaters, memories, detectors); interfaces and transducers for converting quantum information; and integrated quantum network demonstrations. The program's 2026 call for collaboration opened February 2, 2026 and is now closed, with no successor call announced as of September 2026. Contact with the program team is always welcome — a project team must include at least one NRC researcher — but formal applications are only accepted during a dated call.
Eligibility Requirements
- Academic institutions with relevant quantum networking research capabilities
- Canadian industry partners with complementary expertise in photonics, semiconductors, superconducting systems, or quantum devices
- Not-for-profit research organizations and research institutions (the QUIN call's funding-eligible list is academic institutions, research institutions, not-for-profit research organizations and Canadian SMEs — it does not include other government agencies as funding recipients, though the program page invites contact from them for non-funded collaboration)
- Organizations able to contribute complementary expertise and resources to the collaboration
- Partners must be able to actively contribute to and benefit from the quantum internetworking research agenda
- Canadian companies must be small or medium-sized — fewer than 500 employees. Companies with 500 or more staff are generally not eligible for the funding, though they may still collaborate with the NRC under other programs.
- Every project team must include at least one NRC researcher delivering on the collaborative initiative. Applicants without an NRC contact are not disqualified — NRC will try to match one for projects aligned with the call.
- Projects must be completed within 3 years. Eligible applicants can also propose to engage third-party collaborators and subcontractors from across the technology ecosystem, subject to NRC approval.
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- The 2026 call offered up to $500,000 per recipient in non-repayable grants and contributions over 3 years, from a $5,000,000 call envelope. NRC's record of Quantum Internetworking agreements signed in FY2025-26 (14 agreements, predating this call) runs $110,138 to $605,000 per recipient, median $340,965.
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Deadline
- Ongoing — first call launched early 2026; program runs 2026–2033
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipQUIN is one of three parallel NRC quantum challenge programs (alongside IoT Quantum Sensors and Applied Quantum Computing) and they deliberately cover different technical domains.
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
Everything you need to win QUIN
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 7-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 5
Eligible Expenses 8
Ineligible Expenses 8
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow QUIN Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRC Quantum Internetworking Challenge... | up to $500,000 | Hard | Milestone-Based | Ongoing — first call... |
| NSERC Alliance Quantum Grants — SME P... | $100K–$650K | Hard | Milestone-Based | Between intakes for new... |
| NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program | $100,000–$500,000 | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Minimum $10 million contribution | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Between intakes — the... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about QUIN