Instrument navigator for policy makers

• The EuroHPC JU acquires and owns quantum computers and quantum simulators, ranging from pilots and experimental systems to operational systems, stand-alone or hybridised with HPC machines and accessible via the cloud. (Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 of 13 July 2021 on establishing the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (including its Statutes in the Annex), Article 12(1))
• The Digital Europe Programme part of the Union contribution to the JU was originally earmarked for capability building, including acquiring, upgrading and operating HPC, quantum computers and quantum simulators (this paragraph was later deleted by the 2026 amendment). (Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 of 13 July 2021 on establishing the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (including its Statutes in the Annex), Article 5(7); deleted by Regulation (EU) 2026/150 Article 1(4)(d))
• The first EuroHPC quantum computers are integrated into existing supercomputers and are meant primarily for research and development by European scientific, industrial and public-sector users. (Selection of six sites to host the first European quantum computers (4 October 2022), Press release of 4 October 2022)

• The Union contribution covers up to 50 % of acquisition costs plus up to 50 % of operating costs of quantum computers and simulators; the hosting Participating State(s) cover the remaining total cost of ownership. (Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 of 13 July 2021 on establishing the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (including its Statutes in the Annex), Article 12(2))
• EuroQCS-Poland was financed 50 % by the EuroHPC JU and 50 % by the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs. (Advancing European Quantum Computing: Signature of the Procurement Contract for EuroQCS-Poland (10 July 2024), Press release of 10 July 2024)
• The Dutch system EuroSSQ-HPC is funded 50 % by the JU through the Digital Europe Programme and 50 % by the EuroSSQ-HPC consortium of partners from Belgium, France and the Netherlands. (EuroHPC JU Launches Procurement For a Quantum Computer in the Netherlands (15 September 2025), Press release of 15 September 2025)
• MeluXina-Q is co-financed equally (50 %) by the JU with Digital Europe Programme funds and by the Luxembourg Government. (EuroHPC JU Launches Procurement for a Quantum Computer in Luxembourg (23 July 2026), Press release of 23 July 2026)

• For the first six systems selected in 2022 the planned total investment was more than EUR 100 million. (Selection of six sites to host the first European quantum computers (4 October 2022), Press release of 4 October 2022)
• The 2023 hosting call foresaw at least two quantum computers procured in 2024 with a total EU contribution of EUR 20 million. (Call to host new quantum computers (19 December 2023), Call page of 19 December 2023)
• EuroQCS-Poland had a total acquisition cost of EUR 12.28 million. (Advancing European Quantum Computing: Signature of the Procurement Contract for EuroQCS-Poland (10 July 2024), Press release of 10 July 2024)
• EuroSSQ-HPC (Netherlands) total acquisition budget: up to EUR 9.95 million. (EuroHPC JU Launches Procurement For a Quantum Computer in the Netherlands (15 September 2025), Press release of 15 September 2025)
• MeluXina-Q total acquisition budget: up to EUR 11.95 million. (EuroHPC JU Launches Procurement for a Quantum Computer in Luxembourg (23 July 2026), Press release of 23 July 2026)

• The JU owns the quantum computers it acquires; ownership may be transferred to the hosting entity, sold or decommissioned by Governing Board decision at the earliest four years after successful acceptance, with the hosting entity reimbursing the residual value on transfer and decommissioning costs shared equally. (Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 of 13 July 2021 on establishing the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (including its Statutes in the Annex), Article 12(1) and 12(7))
• The Union's share of access time to each quantum EuroHPC system is proportional to its contribution to total cost of ownership and cannot exceed 50 %; the hosting Participating State(s) receive the remaining access time. (Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 of 13 July 2021 on establishing the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (including its Statutes in the Annex), Article 17(1) and 17(4))
• EuroQCS-Poland is described as owned by the EuroHPC JU. (Advancing European Quantum Computing: Signature of the Procurement Contract for EuroQCS-Poland (10 July 2024), Press release of 10 July 2024)

• For EuroQCS-Poland the call for tender was launched in October 2023 and the JU announced the signed contract on 10 July 2024. (Advancing European Quantum Computing: Signature of the Procurement Contract for EuroQCS-Poland (10 July 2024), Press release of 10 July 2024)
• Sites selected in October 2024 (Netherlands, Luxembourg) signed hosting agreements in December 2024; the Dutch tender was launched in September 2025 with a deadline of 24 October 2025. (EuroHPC JU Launches Procurement For a Quantum Computer in the Netherlands (15 September 2025), Press release of 15 September 2025)
• The Luxembourg tender was launched on 23 July 2026 with a deadline of 1 September 2026; the hosting agreement had been signed in December 2024. (EuroHPC JU Launches Procurement for a Quantum Computer in Luxembourg (23 July 2026), Press release of 23 July 2026)

• Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 (EuroHPC JU), Articles 9 (hosting entity), 10 (hosting agreement), 12 (acquisition and ownership of quantum computers and quantum simulators) and 17 (allocation of Union access time), as amended by Regulations (EU) 2024/1732 and 2026/150. (Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 of 13 July 2021 on establishing the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (including its Statutes in the Annex), Articles 9, 10, 12, 17)
• Regulation (EU) 2026/150 raised the Union contribution to up to EUR 4 122 300 000 (Horizon Europe up to EUR 1 660 000 000, Digital Europe up to EUR 2 142 300 000, CEF up to EUR 320 000 000), conditional on at least matching Participating State contributions. (Council Regulation (EU) 2026/150 of 16 January 2026 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 on establishing the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, Article 1(4)(a), replacing Article 5(1))

• A hosting entity (with its Member State) answers a EuroHPC JU call for expression of interest; the JU then procures the machine.
• Agree the national co-funding and the hosting agreement early.

Funding instrument record: eurohpc-quantum-calls · Who can participate: eurohpc-quantum · Who can participate: eurohpc-access

• In an open procedure any interested economic operator may submit a tender; the contracting authority may use the open procedure for any purchase. (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Article 167(2) and 167(5)(a))
• For Member State buyers, any interested economic operator may tender in response to a call for competition, and Member States must make the open procedure available to contracting authorities. (Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement (as published in OJ L 94, 28.3.2014), Article 27(1); Article 26(2))

• The draft contract must state whether the transfer of intellectual property rights will be required. (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Annex I, point 16.4(f))
• The Commission guidance notes two basic options: the buyer requires transfer of new IPR, or the IPR remain with the contractor; it recommends considering leaving IPR with suppliers unless overriding public interests apply, while keeping royalty-free use and adaptation rights, a conditional right to license out and publication rights. (Commission Notice: Guidance on Innovation Procurement, C(2021) 4320 final, 18.6.2021, Section 4.1.7, pp. 48-49)

• EU open procedure: time limit for receipt of tenders no less than 37 days from the day after dispatch of the contract notice; reducible by five days if electronic submission is accepted; at least 15 days in duly substantiated urgency. (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Annex I, points 24.2, 24.7 and 26.1(a))
• Directive: minimum 35 days from dispatch of the contract notice; may be shortened to 15 days after a qualifying prior information notice or in substantiated urgency, and by five days for electronic submission. (Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement (as published in OJ L 94, 28.3.2014), Article 27(1)-(4))
• Above the thresholds the contract may not be signed before a standstill period of 10 days (electronic means) or 15 days (other means). (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Article 178(2)-(3))

• Procurement procedures are listed in Article 167(1) FR; detailed rules are in Annex I (Article 164). (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Articles 164 and 167(1)(a))
• Open procedure for Member State contracting authorities. (Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement (as published in OJ L 94, 28.3.2014), Article 27)

• Agree the need, the estimated value and the budget line with the authorising officer of your DG or body.
• Check the procedure and its conditions with the central procurement or legal service; the Financial Regulation Annex I sets them.
• Publish on TED and the Funding & Tenders Portal (eTendering) unless an exception applies.

• EU: requests to participate no less than 32 days from the day after dispatch of the contract notice; tenders no less than 30 days from dispatch of the invitation to tender; tenders reducible by five days for electronic submission; in urgency, tenders at least 10 days. (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Annex I, points 24.3, 24.4, 24.7 and 26.1(b))
• Directive: requests to participate at least 30 days; tenders at least 30 days (10 days after a qualifying PIN; by mutual agreement for sub-central authorities); urgency minima of 15 and 10 days. (Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement (as published in OJ L 94, 28.3.2014), Article 28(1)-(6))

• Agree the need, the estimated value and the budget line with the authorising officer of your DG or body.
• Check the procedure and its conditions with the central procurement or legal service; the Financial Regulation Annex I sets them.
• Publish on TED and the Funding & Tenders Portal (eTendering) unless an exception applies.

• The authority sets out needs, requirements, award criteria and an indicative timeframe, then holds a dialogue with selected candidates to identify the means best suited to its needs, before asking for final tenders. (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Annex I, points 10.1-10.3)
• The guidance describes it as suited where more upstream choices remain open, with confidential individual negotiations that need expertise and time. (Commission Notice: Guidance on Innovation Procurement, C(2021) 4320 final, 18.6.2021, Sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.1.2, p. 53)

• EU: requests to participate no less than 32 days from the day after dispatch of the contract notice. (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Annex I, point 24.3)
• Directive: requests to participate at least 30 days from dispatch of the contract notice. (Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement (as published in OJ L 94, 28.3.2014), Article 30(1))

• Agree the need, the estimated value and the budget line with the authorising officer of your DG or body.
• Check the procedure and its conditions with the central procurement or legal service; the Financial Regulation Annex I sets them.
• Publish on TED and the Funding & Tenders Portal (eTendering) unless an exception applies.

• Aims at developing an innovative product, service or works and then purchasing the result, provided it meets the performance levels and maximum costs agreed with the partners. (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Annex I, point 7.1; Article 167(5)(d))
• The guidance stresses that innovation happens during contract performance and that the procedure can only be used where no solution is available on the market. (Commission Notice: Guidance on Innovation Procurement, C(2021) 4320 final, 18.6.2021, Section 4.2.3.4, p. 59)

• Procurement documents must set the arrangements applicable to IPR; partners' solutions and confidential information may not be revealed to others without consent. (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Annex I, point 7.3)
• Same IPR and confidentiality requirement for Member State buyers. (Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement (as published in OJ L 94, 28.3.2014), Article 31(6))

• EU: requests to participate no less than 32 days from the day after dispatch of the contract notice. (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Annex I, point 24.3)
• Directive: requests to participate at least 30 days from dispatch of the contract notice. (Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement (as published in OJ L 94, 28.3.2014), Article 31(1))

• Agree the need, the estimated value and the budget line with the authorising officer of your DG or body.
• Check the procedure and its conditions with the central procurement or legal service; the Financial Regulation Annex I sets them.
• Publish on TED and the Funding & Tenders Portal (eTendering) unless an exception applies.

• PCP is an approach to procuring R&D services, other than exclusive development, that involves risk-benefit sharing at market conditions, competitive development in phases, and separation of R&D from commercial deployment. (Communication: Pre-commercial Procurement: Driving innovation to ensure sustainable high quality public services in Europe, COM(2007) 799 final, Sections 1 and 5)
• The guidance describes PCP as procuring R&D services at advantageous conditions from several operators, where the buyer shares the benefits with suppliers under market conditions; it applies the R&D services exemption of the directives. (Commission Notice: Guidance on Innovation Procurement, C(2021) 4320 final, 18.6.2021, Section 4.2.3.2, pp. 55-56)
• The State aid framework defines PCP as procurement of R&D services where the authority shares results and benefits with providers under market conditions, of limited duration, possibly including prototypes or a limited test series, excluding commercial volumes. (Framework for State aid for research and development and innovation (2022/C 414/01), Point 16(bb))

• Providers generating results own the IPR; procurers get at least royalty-free access rights for their own use, the right to grant or require non-exclusive licences to third parties on fair and reasonable terms, and a call-back right if results are not exploited or are used against the public interest. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex H, p. 41)
• The buyer leaves new IPR with suppliers but keeps the right to use the R&D results and to (require suppliers to) license to third parties on fair and reasonable market terms. (Commission Notice: Guidance on Innovation Procurement, C(2021) 4320 final, 18.6.2021, Section 4.2.3.2, p. 56)
• PCP contracts must include financial compensation at market conditions, compared with the exclusive development price, for leaving IPR with providers. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex H, p. 42)

• Directive 2014/24/EU applies to R&D service contracts only for listed CPV codes when benefits accrue exclusively to the authority and it pays fully; PCP uses the exemption where benefits are shared. (Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement (as published in OJ L 94, 28.3.2014), Article 14)
• Horizon Europe PCP rules cite the R&D exemption (Article 14 of Directive 2014/24/EU, Article 32 of Directive 2014/25/EU, Article 13(f)(j) of Directive 2009/81/EC), Treaty principles and section 2.3 of the R&D&I State aid framework. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex H, p. 39 and footnotes 50-52)
• For EU institutions, FR Annex I point 12.1(e) allows the competitive procedure with negotiation or competitive dialogue for R&D services outside the listed CPV codes unless benefits accrue exclusively to the authority or it pays in full; the FR text read contains no PCP-specific article. (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Annex I, point 12.1(e))

• Describe the unmet public need, not the solution, and run an open market consultation.
• Plan competing suppliers through the solution design, prototype and test phases; suppliers keep the IPR, the buyer gets use rights.
• Several public buyers can ask for EU co-funding through a Horizon Europe PCP action.

• PPI is procurement where contracting authorities act as launch customers (the first 20% of EU buyers) for innovative goods or services not yet available at large commercial scale; it may include conformity testing but not R&D. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex H, p. 42)
• The guidance covers buying the outcomes of innovation, with the buyer acting as early adopter of a product, service or process new to the market. (Commission Notice: Guidance on Innovation Procurement, C(2021) 4320 final, 18.6.2021, Section 1.1, p. 5)

• PPI uses ordinary procurement procedures under the directives that do not involve R&D; framework agreements with lots may be used. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex H, p. 43)
• Preliminary market consultations are allowed before a procurement, if they do not distort competition or breach non-discrimination and transparency. (Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement (as published in OJ L 94, 28.3.2014), Article 40)
• EU contracting authorities may hold a preliminary market consultation and must take measures if an advising operator later takes part. (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast Financial Regulation), Article 169(1); Annex I, point 15)

• Use when innovative solutions are nearly or newly on the market and the public buyer is an early adopter; run an open market consultation first.
• Several public buyers can ask for EU co-funding through a Horizon Europe PPI action.

• PCP is procurement of R&D services with risk-benefit sharing under market conditions and competitive development in phases, kept separate from deploying commercial volumes of end-products. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 2, point (7))
• PPI is procurement where contracting authorities act as launch customer for innovative goods or services not yet available at large commercial scale, and it may include conformity testing. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 2, point (8))
• PCP actions help a transnational buyers' group procure R&D, validation and possibly first deployment of new solutions in areas of public interest; PPI actions help such a group deploy innovative solutions early by pooling demand and sharing early-adopter risk. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex B, Eligible activities, p. 15)

• In PCP the contractor generating results owns at least the IPR; the contracting authorities get at least royalty-free access for their own use and the right to require non-exclusive licences to third parties on fair and reasonable terms, without sub-licensing. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 26(3))
• A call-back clause lets procurers require transfer of ownership if providers fail to exploit results commercially within a set period, or use them against the public interest including security interests. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex H, p. 41)

• The PCP call for tenders must stay open at least 60 days; the Commission must be told at least 5 days before the prior information notice for the open market consultation and 30 days before publication of the PCP contract notice. (Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 15: General Annexes, General Annex H, p. 40)
• The grant to the buyers' group follows the general Horizon Europe maxima of 5 months to inform and 8 months to sign. (Regulation (EU) 2021/695 establishing Horizon Europe, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, Article 31(1))

• Form a buyers group of public procurers from several countries with a shared need.
• Ask for a PCP or PPI topic in the next work programme; none is open in the current quantum topics.
• Run an open market consultation before the call for tenders.

Who can participate: horizon-europe