Competition Terms
Quantum Data Centre of the Future Technology Access Programme (QTAP)
June 2023
1.1 The Programme
Quantum Data Centre of the Future Technology Access Programme aims to showcase the “art of the
possible” of Quantum technology by spreading awareness, educating end users, and engaging
industry partners to promote future adoption and commercialisation of Quantum technology. The
programme will be delivered by Digital Catapult in partnership with leading UK quantum suppliers
including ORCA Computing, Riverlane, BT, KETS and PQ Shield.
It’s a 5-month structured programme with 5-12 participants from industry end users who will receive
education and training on the fundamentals of quantum computing, and the tools to be used for
simulation of quantum systems. Participants will then carry out their own research to run simulations
of quantum algorithms relevant for their problems leaving the programme with clear use-cases for
Quantum Computing, leading to opportunities for future commercialisation and collaboration
(“Programme”).
This Programme will help to bridge that gap between a general lack of understanding of quantum
technology and its potential industry use cases. The programme will showcase the “art of the
possible” of quantum technology by spreading awareness, educating users, and engaging industry
partners to promote future adoption and commercialisation of quantum technology.
……………………………………………………………………………….
1.2 Digital Catapult
Digital Catapult is the UK authority on advanced digital technology. Through collaboration and
innovation, we accelerate industry adoption to drive growth and opportunity across the economy.
We bring together an expert and enterprising community of researchers, startups, scaleups and
industry leaders to discover new ways to solve the big challenges limiting the UK’s future
potential. Through our specialist programmes and experimental facilities, we make sure that
innovation thrives, and the right solutions make it to the real world.
Our goal is to accelerate new possibilities in everything we do and for every business we partner
with the journey – breaking down barriers, de-risking innovation, opening up markets and
responsibly shaping the products, services and experiences of the future.
Digital Catapult works with organisations on projects involving at least one of the technologies
from its “Advanced Digital Technology Stack”: Artificial Intelligence, Immersive, Internet of
Things, Distributed Ledger Technologies and 5G/Future Networks and Quantum.
1.3 The Programme Judges
During the application stage, the judges will be responsible for scoring the applications according
to the process and criteria set out in these Competition Terms. The judges will be chosen based
on their experience and expertise. The Programme Judges comprise:
Internal Judges: A number of judges from Digital Catapult will help judge the applications.
Programme Collaboration Partner Judges: A number of judges from the following companies:
● ORCA Computing Limited, a company registered in England under number 12285629
whose registered office is at 30 Eastbourne Terrace, Lower Ground Floor, London, United
Kingdom, W2 6LA (ORCA); and
● Riverlane Ltd, a company registered in England under number 10260255, whose
registered office is at 1st Floor, St. Andrews House, 59 St. Andrews Street, Cambridge,
Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, CB2 3BZ (Riverlane).
1.4 The Programme Partners
The following organisations are partnering with Digital Catapult to deliver the Programme:
Programme Industry Partners: During the Project, Programme industry partners may include
industry organisations that support the Project through delivery of relevant workshops, hosting
office hours, and/or through providing discounted services or products.
1.5 Applicants & Participants
You are considered an “Applicant” if you apply to this competition.
You are considered a “Participant” if you are successful with your application and complete all
pre-Project activities (e.g. signing the Programme Agreement).
Where you are applying on behalf of a consortium:
o Applicant shall mean each of the members of the applying consortium, for which the Lead
Applicant (the party submitting the application) is responsible for each “Applicant”.
o Participant shall mean each of the members of the successful consortium, for which the
Lead Participant (the party submitting the application) will be responsible for each
“Participant”.
2. PROGRAMME BENEFITS
Participants on the Programme will receive the following benefits:
● Regular interactions with the Digital Catapult team, industry experts, and corporate partners
to help you gain a better understanding of the applications of Quantum technologies, and
expand your network of peers.
● Education, training and workshops to develop and improve your Quantum understanding and
explore different application areas.
● Networking events, roundtables and introductions to Programme Industry Partners.
● A showcase event during which Participants will present to an invited audience of Programme Industry Partners and industry representatives.
● Access to Quantum software and hardware either provided by Riverlane or ORCA (depending
on your business use case).
● Upon successful completion of the Project, the opportunity to join the Digital Catapult Alumni
Network, which keeps them informed of opportunities and relevant updates from the Digital
Catapult, and which provides additional opportunities to engage with Digital Catapult and
other Alumni.
3. PROGRAMME OBLIGATIONS
Participants must be willing to commit to the following key obligations:
● Attend the kick-off event hosted by Digital Catapult in September 2023.
● Attend at least 4 hours of education, training and workshops, progress check-in meetings,
and masterclasses, per week, hosted by Digital Catapult and Programme Industry Partners
(greater weighting will be given to Applicants who can demonstrate that they will commit to
the full 8 hours per week of the Programme).
● Enter into a licensing agreement with relevant third-party Quantum software providers, such
as ORCA, to use their Software Development Kit (SDK), if required to do so.
● Attend, present and demonstrate at the Showcase event in Digital Catapult’s office.
● Participant shall complete the Digital Catapult’s EDI Survey (please note each question will
have a “prefer not to say” option).
● Participant agrees to be visibly (name and logo) associated with the Programme, whilst on the
Programme, and afterwards as a former participant and beneficiary. This includes marketing
collateral, such as website, print and digital materials.
● For a maximum period of five years following the Project end date, Participant shall use its
reasonable endeavours to answer specific questions from Digital Catapult relating to its
growth and progress to assist Catapult demonstrate the impact of its activities. This shall
include: (i) participation in an annual telephone conversation of one hour, and (ii) participation
in a two early survey issued by Digital Catapult.
4. APPLICANTS
4.1 Minimum Requirements
● Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they are capable of developing a viable quantum
use case for their business and will be able to show how they will benefit from the
Programme.
● Applicants must be able to demonstrate they have the technical capabilities to become a
Quantum end user and use Python.
● Applicants must be eligible to receive £15,000 in State Assistance (see section 8.2 below for
further details).
● Applicants must be a UK based registered company, or prove they are a company that has an
establishment in the UK, and undertake all activity in the UK.
4.2 What we’re looking for
The Programme aims to attract Participants who are looking to develop algorithms that can be run on
a Quantum computer or simulation, but who may lack knowledge about Quantum technology and its
market.
Participants will need to display a genuine interest in realising the business benefits of Quantum
computing in their own business, and have already started to explore the area.
We are open minded about the industry sector that Participants may come from, but Applicants
should be able to show in their Application that their industry is likely to benefit from quantum
computing in the future.
5. KEY DATES
● Open Call – Applications Open: 26 June 2023
● Open Call – Application Deadline: 11 August 2023
● Intended notification of all Applicants: 25 August 2023
● Intended public announcement of successful Participants: 8 September 2023
● Programme:
o Start Date: 18 September 2023
o End Date: 2 February 2024
6. THE APPLICATION
6.1 What information should my application contain?
Applicants must answer all required questions in the full online application form.
6.2 Who will see my Application?
The following people will see your application:
Catapult Representatives: Relevant Digital Catapult representatives will see your application in
order to assess the application, and otherwise in the administration of your application and, if
successful, participation on the Programme.
The Programme Judges will see your full application, except for your personal information fields
and company name.
Programme Participation
Programme Partners: Our Programme Industry Partners will not see your full application.
However, if you are successful, these parties will see your company name, key contact name and
key contact email address, and your business use case in order to provide bespoke support
during the Programme including 1:1 office hours, mentorship, workshops and/or webinars.
6.3 Key contact
Applicant will appoint a main contact for the Programme (“Key Contact”). This person will be
Digital Catapult’s main point of contact for the competition and, if successful, Applicant’s
Programme activities, including: workshop and event commitments, team members’ availability,
ongoing activities, and assessment of progress during and after the Programme.
Digital Catapult will use this personal information for the purpose of carrying out due diligence on Applicants prior to the point of selection onto the Programme and to notify successful and unsuccessful Applicants over their submissions. The personal data we collect may be shared with and processed by Programme Partners for the purpose of assessing the Applications and for the provision of benefits to the Participants on the Programme, as set out in these Competition Terms.
6.4 Submitting your application
You must submit your application via the Submittable form (“Submission Method”).
All applications must be submitted via the Submission Method by the Application Deadline.
Once your completed application has been received, Digital Catapult will send you a confirmation
receipt by email. If you do not get a receipt within twenty four (24) hours of the next working day,
please email us at [email protected] with the subject “Quantum Data Centre of the
Future Technology Access Programme (QTAP) Application Submission”.
6.5 Digital Catapult’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion Survey
In addition to your application, you will be required to complete Digital Catapult’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion Survey (‘Survey’). Whilst the completion of this Survey is mandatory, please note that your responses to this Survey will be kept separately from your application and will have no effect whatsoever on your application to the Programme. Digital Catapult (as the Data Controller) will collect and process your personal data, including the following special category data to help Digital Catapult improve its services in respect of equality, diversity and inclusion:
● Racial and/or ethnic origin
● Sexual orientation
● Health (including disability)
● Religious and/or philosophical beliefs
The data collected and processed may be shared with relevant third parties and/or published but
only in an aggregated form, which means you will not be personally identifiable.
Your personal data will be kept for 15 months from the time you respond to the Survey. Should you
apply to another of Digital Catapult’s opportunities within the 15 month period, we will provide you
with the option to allow us to re-use the data we already hold, to resubmit the Survey or to delete
your Survey data. If you choose to complete the Survey again, we will keep your updated data for
15 months from the time you resubmit the Survey.
Please note you are responsible for the accuracy of the data you share with Digital Catapult and
you agree to inform us if your data needs to be updated.
For more information on Digital Catapult’s collection, use and protection of your personal data and
your rights in regards to your personal data, please see Digital Catapult’s privacy policy
(https://www.digicatapult.org.uk/legal/privacy-policy/) or contact us at [email protected].
If you have specific queries on our use of your Survey data (including a request to delete your
Survey data), please contact us at [email protected].
7. SELECTION
7.1 Qualification
The Catapult will undertake an initial assessment of the Applicants against the Programme
Requirements.
7.2 Selection process
All qualifying applications will be reviewed and scored by the Programme Judges panel to create a
shortlist. Shortlisted Applicants may be invited to interviews to enable ranking of Shortlisted
Applicants based on the Applications and interviews, with the highest ranked Applicants being
accepted onto the Programme.
7.3 Application Scoring criteria and weighting
The scoring criteria will be assessed based on statements in the areas below. Each application will be
given a score out of 100. We set out the criteria and the relative weighting of each criterion below.
There are 3 criteria upon which applicants will be assessed:
1. End users of Quantum Computing technology (up to 40 points)
a) Applicants can clearly identify use cases relevant for Quantum computing.
OR
b) Belong to industry sector with relevant potential use cases.
Please note that Applications based on criterion 1b) can only score up to a
maximum of 30 points. Applications based on criterion 1a) can score up to 40
points.
2. Commitment (up to 30 points)
a) Able to commit to 8-10 hours a week for the programme.
3. Capability (up to 30 points, weighting equally divided between the three
criteria)
a) Demonstrate a basic knowledge of programming (e.g. Python)
b) Demonstrate a basic knowledge of maths (e.g. complex numbers) understanding
c) Technical Aptitude
Furthermore, Participants will be selected on a portfolio basis to ensure the Programme is able to
deliver consistent support and activities that provide value to all Participants.
7.4 Due diligence
We will carry out due diligence on applicants prior to the point of selection onto the Programme.
Applicants must be willing to submit further information or documentation upon request to qualify
as ‘successful’.
7.5 Successful applicants
Successful applicants will be notified and provided with a standard agreement for review and
execution (“Programme Agreement”).
The Programme Agreement is a standard agreement and not negotiable. We do try and ensure
these contracts are fair and reasonable.
In order to be accepted onto the Programme, successful applicants must sign the Programme
Agreement.
8. COMPETITON TERMS – SPECIFIC
8.1 Benefits
All the benefits provided under the Programme by third-party organisations (“Suppliers”) are
subject to the Supplier’s terms and conditions stated in the Programme T&Cs.
Any optional benefits provided by third party organisations whose terms and conditions are not
contained in the Programme T&Cs will be agreed between the Participant and the Supplier
directly.
Digital Catapult reserves the right to amend the list of benefits at its sole discretion.
8.2 State Assistance
Participants shall receive the grant as Minimal Financial Assistance (“MFA”), or to the extent
applicable under the Northern Ireland Protocol, the de minimis aid regulations (COMMISSION
REGULATION (EU) No 1407/2013), collectively referred to herein as “State Assistance.
The total State Assistance received or due to be received by an individual Participant (including
any associated companies e.g. subsidiaries), originating from a United Kingdom source, must not
exceed £315,000, or €200,000 (approximately £165,000) for Northern Ireland Companies (or any
other company subject to the Northern Ireland Protocol), each in aggregate across the
Participant’s current fiscal year (as at the Agreement Date) and the previous two fiscal years.
This Programme has been assessed as providing £15,000 / approximately equivalent to €
17,500.00.
Before signing the Programme Agreement, Applicants will therefore be asked to sign a declaration
confirming that you are eligible to receive the State Assistance.
8.3 Applicants
Digital Catapult reserves the right to accept any application which does not fulfil the minimum
requirements.
8.4 Key Dates
Digital Catapult reserves the right to change the Key Dates at its sole discretion. No extension to deadlines will usually be granted, with very limited exceptions where the Applicant requests an extension due to reasonable extenuating circumstances, beyond the Applicant’s control and unforeseen to them, subject to the Applicant providing evidence that proves the extenuating circumstance; and the Applicant informing Digital Catapult as soon as reasonably practicable following the extenuating circumstance becoming apparent. Digital Catapult reserves the right to consider the factors and decide whether such circumstances are extenuating and whether granting an extension is fair to other applicants. No extension granted will usually be for greater than two working days.
8.5 Applications
All information and documents requested must be submitted. Failure to submit all requested
information and documents may result in the application being rejected. Catapult will not use
outside information in respect of your application unless otherwise indicated, other than to
undertake due diligence. Digital Catapult reserves the right to not work with people or an
organisation which it believes could impact its reputation.
8.6 Previous Applications
Not used.
8.7 Personal Data
Digital Catapult is the Controller for the personal information submitted in the Application for the
purposes of the Data Protection Act 2018.
In submitting the Application, the Applicant confirms that it has made the Key Contact and any
other person whose personal data has been submitted, aware of, and has the lawful grounds to
enable each Controller (including its processors) to, process the personal information of the Key
Contact (and any other person named in the Application and open call process) as set out in
these Competition Terms and in accordance with the respective privacy policies: Digital Catapult
(https://www.digicatapult.org.uk/legal/privacy-policy/).
8.8 Programme Agreement
Digital Catapult reserves the right to make amendments to the Programme Agreement it issues up until the point of execution by both parties.
8.9 Participant Programmes
Digital Catapult reserves the right to offer Participants access to its Participant Programmes,
such as its Platinum Awards.
9. COMPETITION TERMS – GENERAL
9.1 Data Retention
Digital Catapult will store your application and the scoring it has received for the entire duration of
the Programme. If you are a successful Applicant, we shall also store your Application for a
period of up to five (5) years following the end of the Programme. For administration purposes,
contracts may be stored for up to seven (7) years, contracts providing State Assistance for up to
eleven (11) years, and deeds for up to thirteen (13) years from the end of the Programme.
9.2 Confidentiality
The information provided in your Application will be kept confidential and only used and
disclosed as reasonably necessary for the purpose of assessing Applications, and, if admitted
onto the Programme, for working with you on the Programme. This may include with our
Programme Partners as indicated above.
For practical reasons, NDAs will not be signed by Digital Catapult or the Programme Partners
as part of this Programme Competition. The activities we provide can only be achieved
through trust of the tech community. It is therefore not in our interest to release your sensitive
information. Confidentiality provisions are included in the Programme Agreement.
The scoring of your Application will be treated as sensitive information.
As your Application will be transmitted over the Internet, ultimately Digital Catapult cannot
guarantee its security.
9.3 Intellectual Property
We respect the intellectual property of others and we ask our Applicants to do the same.
In submitting the Application, you promise that you have and continue to have all necessary
rights, licenses, permissions and consent to provide the content in your application to us, and
for Catapult to use the Application as we have set out.
We will not remove from Applications any proprietary labels or copyright assertions.
9.4 Disclaimers
We accept no liability for any consequences, whether direct or indirect, that may arise from
your participation in the Programme Competition, your reliance on any statements we may
have made about the Programme, or its suspension or withdrawal.
In any case, to the extent permitted under law, Digital Catapult’s liability shall be limited to one
thousand (£1,000) pounds.
9.5 Jurisdiction
The Programme Competition is governed by English law and the Applicant agrees that any
dispute shall be exclusively resolved in the English courts.