# DARPA Announces Quantum Benchmarking Agreements

Disclosed U.S. defense funding for quantum computing reached an estimated $157 million to $188 million through October 11, 2026—roughly two to three times the 2023–2025 average. The increase is driven by company-announced agreements associated with DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, even as recorded obligations declined. Announced amounts include a reported $125 million PsiQuantum agreement and a $51 million initial tranche for Diraq; figures of up to $300 million per final-stage firm are ceilings, not committed awards. The initiative signals demand for quantum verification, research hardware, and components, but the information identifies no open solicitation or procurement contact.

- Companies should distinguish announced agreement amounts and funding ceilings from recorded obligations and committed payments when assessing market size.
- The named agreements indicate potential demand for verification capabilities, research hardware, and components tied to quantum benchmarking.
- Contractors can use the announced activity to assess relevant capabilities and teaming opportunities, but should not treat the reported funding or maximum ceilings as an open procurement opportunity.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Information Technology
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** October 25, 2026

### Government Entities
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
- U.S. Department of the Air Force (USAF)

### Vendors
- PsiQuantum (DARPA agreement awardee)
- Diraq (DARPA agreement awardee)
- IonQ (DARPA final-stage awardee)
- Atom Computing (DARPA final-stage awardee)
- IBM (DARPA final-stage awardee)

### Sources
- [Disclosed Defence Quantum Computing Money Doubled To Tripled](https://quantumzeitgeist.com/defence-flows-into-quantum-computing) - Quantum Zeitgeist