Next-Generation QKD Systems
This action will strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy in quantum-secure communications by advancing core QKD technologies and integration capabilities. Expected results include: Development and demonstration of next-generation QKD systems, with a focus on cost-effectiveness and integration, with specific measurable improvements in one of the following parameters or features: (i) key rate (>1 Mbps over metropolitan…
Funding and competition
- 1grant expected (official)
- €21M–€24MEU contribution per project
- €4.6Mmedian EU grant of the most similar funded projects
Very few grants: expect strong competition. Only proposals well above threshold are funded, so a clearly differentiated idea and a complete consortium are essential.
Success rates vary widely between topics (often from below 5% to above 30%). Ask us for the success-rate history of this topic before you commit to a proposal.
Organisations with a track record in this topic
Organisations that took part in the EU-funded projects most similar to this call (Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020), ranked by how close those projects are to the call, how recent they are and whether the organisation coordinated them. Being listed does not mean an organisation is looking for partners: use the list to target your outreach.
Spanish organisations with experience in this field
The Spanish organisations that appear most often in the closest funded projects.
| Organisation | Country | Type | Similar EU projects | As coordinator | Examples (CORDIS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fundacio Institut De Ciencies Fotoniques Castelldefels | Spain | Research organisation | 12 | 3 | CiViQ, QUDICE, OPENQKD |
| Universidad Politecnica De Madrid Madrid | Spain | University | 9 | 0 | CiViQ, OPENQKD, QSNP |
| Telefonica Innovacion Digital Sl Madrid | Spain | Company | 9 | 0 | OPENQKD, QSNP, PQ-REACT |
| Universidad De Vigo Vigo Pontevedra | Spain | University | 5 | 1 | QSNP, QSI, QuTechSpace |
| Barcelona Supercomputing Center Centro Nacional De Supercomputacion Barcelona | Spain | Research organisation | 6 | 1 | QEC4QEA, GANANA, SEANERGYS |
| Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas Madrid | Spain | Research organisation | 5 | 0 | Q-FENCE, QUBIP, QEC4QEA |
| Quside Technologies Sl Castelldefels | Spain | Company · SME | 4 | 0 | CiViQ, QUDICE, QSNP |
| Universidad Carlos Iii De Madrid Getafe (Madrid) | Spain | University | 4 | 0 | QSNP, PQ-REACT, QUBIP |
What a typical winning consortium looks like
- 14partners (median)
- 6countries (median)
- 20%of partners are SMEs
Based on the 25 funded projects closest to this call. Use it as a benchmark, not a rule: always check the call conditions for the minimum consortium.
Most similar funded projects
Read their CORDIS pages to see the full consortium, results and deliverables.
- LaiQa – Leap in Advancing of crItical Quantum key distribution-spAce components (HORIZON · 2024 · HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-62)
- CiViQ – Continuous Variable Quantum Communications (H2020 · 2018 · FETFLAG-03-2018)
- QUDICE – QUantum DevIces and subsystems for Communications in spacE (HORIZON · 2023 · HORIZON-CL4-2021-SPACE-01-11)
- OPENQKD – Open European Quantum Key Distribution Testbed (H2020 · 2019 · SU-ICT-04-2019)
- QUANGO – cubesat for QUANtum and 5G cOmmunication (H2020 · 2021 · SPACE-29-TEC-2020)
- QuNEST – Doctoral Training Network for Quantum Enhanced Optical Communication Network Security (HORIZON · 2023 · HORIZON-MSCA-2022-DN-01-01)
Live partner requests
Organisations actively looking for partners publish their requests on these official platforms.
Partner search on this topic
On the official topic page, open “Partner search announcements” to see organisations that have declared interest in this exact topic, or publish your own (EU Login required).
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Browse requests ↗Upcoming info days and brokerage events
Brokerage events are where most consortia are built.
- 10 Nov 2026 · European Research and Innovation Days 2026 (Brussels and online)
- 1 Dec 2026 · Interdisciplinary Pathways towards Green and Resilient Societies (Online)
Publish what you are looking for or what you can offer on the Ullswater partner board. We review each request, publish it on this page and introduce you to suitable partners.
Track-record data: CORDIS open data (European Commission), organisation level only, refreshed weekly. Rankings are calculated automatically by Ullswater Investments from text similarity between the call and funded projects; they are indicative.