1. Introduction
Nordic Innovation is looking for a Supplier to: map the Nordic-Baltic quantum ecosystem – country by country with focus on an aggregated Nordic-Baltic level analysis and produce Nordic and Baltic use cases in quantum technology to illustrate the application of the technology in Nordic and Baltic businesses
This could be collected into one report or two.
Deadline for tender proposals: 22 January 2025 at 15.00 CET
Budget: up to NOK 1.000.000 excl. VAT
Timeframe: February 2025 – May 2025
Main beneficiaries of the mapping: Nordic-Baltic business sector and Nordic as well as Baltic public agencies working with the topic.
The Buyer
Nordic Innovation is an organisation under the Nordic Council of Ministers working to promote cross-border trade and innovation, located in Oslo. The Nordic Council of Ministers is the official inter-governmental body for cooperation in the Nordic region. With 27 million inhabitants in the Nordic region, Nordic Co-operation is one of the most comprehensive regional partnerships anywhere in the world. Nordic Innovation is implementing the Nordic Prime Ministers’ 2030 vision for the Nordic cooperation. Its mandate is to contribute to making the Nordics a leading region for sustainable growth and to increase entrepreneurship, innovation and competitiveness in the Nordic region. Nordic Innovation supports projects and programs to stimulate innovation and works to improve the framework conditions for Nordic markets and exports. Nordic Innovation has an annual budget of approximately NOK 100 million. For further information, please refer to the following webpage: Nordic Innovation: Promoting cross-border trade and innovation.
The assignment is supported financially by the Ministerial Council for Digitalization, which encompasses cooperation between the Nordic countries and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.Read more the Ministerial Council for Digitalization.
Read more the Ministerial Council for Digitalization
Nordic Innovation will during the assignment work closely with its sister organization NordForsk to ensure synergies and complementarity. NordForsk is an organisation under the Nordic Council of Ministers that provides funding for and facilitates Nordic cooperation on research and research infrastructure. NordForsk will undertake a mapping of the research collaborations and ecosystem within quantum technology in the Nordics. The mapping from NordForsk is tentatively planned to be ready in October 2025.
Read more about NordForsk | Funds and facilitates Nordic research co-operation
Background
The Nordics have a long-standing tradition of world-class research in the field of quantum technology.
About quantum technology
Quantum technology holds transformative potential to unlock groundbreaking opportunities in various fields. For instance, quantum computers could solve problems that are intractable for classical computers, such as complex simulations in drug discovery, materials science and optimization problems.
Additionally, quantum sensors could provide superior precision in measurements leading to advancements in numerous scientific fields and industries, such as navigation and medical imaging. Quantum technology can also play a key role in enhancing security and privacy through new forms of encryption and secure communication methods that could revolutionize secure communications of governments, corporations and individuals.
Nordics are home to cutting-edge research institutions and have a thriving ecosystem of startups and currently (end of 2024) approximately 60 businesses pushing the frontiers of quantum technology applications.
The Nordic collaboration is governed by vision 2030 which aims for the region to be the most integrated and sustainable in the world. Through this initiative, Nordic Innovation sets out to promote sustainable growth, innovation, global competitiveness and resilience of Nordic companies and society. Quantum technology is important for advancing national security, medical research, material science, energy storage, climate modeling and many more areas.
As concrete examples of latest developments, NATO’s DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) programme expanded to Denmark (2023) and Finland (2024), while quantum technology is a key technology theme in these accelerators. While the importance of development of quantum technology is recognized in the Nordics and there are various activities on the national levels, there is lack of holistic overview on the Nordic ecosystem and stakeholders, including strengths, weaknesses and best practices of Nordic countries, to accelerate collaboration, growth and innovation.
Please note that there are thorough national level mappings done in some of the Nordic countries to draw upon – for example, the digital “Danish Quantum Ecosystem Map” developed by the Danish Business Authority in collaboration with the Danish Quantum Community, scheduled to launch in early 2025 – and previous Danish mappings, which upon this task draws inspiration from. Also the Swedish innovation agency VINNOVA has done a mapping in Q2 2023: En svensk kvantagenda | Vinnova just to mention a few examples. The task is to complement these and add the Nordic dimension as well as the Baltic.
This initiative is dedicated to mapping the Nordic quantum technology ecosystem and to highlight collective Nordic strengths, individual country contributions and potential synergies for Nordic further collaboration. This initiative is connected to and prompted by Nordic Innovation Quantum Collaboration (NICQ), a forum of 7 Nordic innovation organizations and public entities initiated by Nordic Innovation to explore avenues for collaboration in quantum technology in the Nordics. These include Business Finland, VINNOVA, Innovation Norway as well as Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Tech Office and Innovation Centre Denmark), Danish Business Authorities and Danish Ministry for Higher Education and Research.
First, this mapping would provide an overview of the current state of the Nordic quantum ecosystem as a whole, including the most relevant national initiatives, programs and support measures and the main actors in the five Nordic countries. Further, the mapping would explore synergies between the Nordic countries and avenues for collaboration in quantum technology development, leveraging Nordic strengths to grow and to address global challenges.
By mapping these dynamics, the project aims to pinpoint strategic areas for investment and development, fostering a collaborative network that could set a benchmark for global quantum technology advancements in the Nordics and globally. This initiative, prompted by the innovation agencies of the region and supported by Nordic Innovation, is a strategic move to position the Nordics at the forefront of the next technological era.
The relevance of quantum technology on AI & Data program stems for example from high interconnection between quantum and AI, with their potential to enhance the development of each. As an example, quantum computing can provide powerful processing capabilities for AI, speeding up complex computations and improving data analysis. Conversely, AI can help to manage and optimize quantum systems, enhance error correction, and aid in designing quantum experiments. Together, they promise breakthroughs that could revolutionize various fields and create new technological possibilities.
2. The Procurement purpose and scope
The purpose
The purpose of this procurement is to map the Nordic quantum ecosystem and to identify Nordic strongholds in the field of quantum, with focus on opportunities for Nordic businesses' growth, innovation and commercialization.
The mapping shall provide an overview of the current state of the Nordic quantum ecosystem as a whole. In addition, the mapping shall describe the most relevant national initiatives, programs and support measures and the main actors in the five Nordic countries.
This should also include identification of national level best practices in the five Nordic countries as well as in the three Baltic countries.
A short comparison with relevant global and EU level activities shall also be included if it brings value for the identification of areas where the Nordics could take the lead together.
On the basis of mapping national actors, initiatives and best practices in the five Nordic and three Baltic countries, the Supplier shall identify Nordic-Baltic strongholds which should bring most synergies and opportunities for collaboration at the Nordic-Baltic level. For the purposes of this assignment, a Nordic stronghold is defined as an area where the Nordic countries complement each other and together possess the necessary prerequisites for the Nordic region to become a frontrunner in the field quantum-leveraged innovation.
Based on the ecosystem mapping and identification of Nordic and Baltic barriers and strongholds and evidence from the quantum ecosystem, the Supplier shall deliver recommendations for targeted Nordic and Baltic level measures and instruments which should provide most potential for Nordic added value with Nordic Innovation as actor in mind and limitations to budget and personnel. The suggested measures should benefit the Nordic business sector. The measures should ideally be built on top of national (or bilateral) seed-level initiatives or best practices helping them to grow more. As a result, measures can be implemented more efficiently at the Nordic level and/or they create more impact.
Methodology
It will be up to the consultant to suggest how to conduct the study. However, Nordic Innovation recommends a mix of methods and data sources including for example:
- Desk research and literature study
- Interviews, survey and/or a workshop with for instance private businesses and main actors in the Nordic and Baltic quantum ecosystem.
Focusing on conducting several interviews is of importance to understanding the Nordic-Baltic ecosystem. Nordic Innovation has a good initial overview of the existing ecosystem as well as existing material and will in initial and ongoing development help to guide the project leader to these sources.
Deliverables
The Suppler shall work closely and effectively with relevant stakeholders and is expected to share draft reports with the Buyer during the process. It is beneficial if some of the suggested measures/recommendations and/or pilot projects could be launched already during the mapping process.
The mapping shall include:
1) Mapping of the current state of the Nordic-Baltic quantum technology ecosystem as a whole. The map provides an overview and better understanding of the ecosystem’s activities, challenges, and opportunities.
2) Mapping of the most relevant national actors, initiatives and best practices in the five Nordic as well as the three Baltic countries. Include mapping of companies (approximately 60 in 2024, field, location, name, founded and possibly a description approved by company).
3) Identification of Nordic-Baltic strongholds with most potential for Nordic Added Value.
4) A short comparison with relevant global (e.g. US, NATO) and EU level activities.
5) Recommendations for Nordic level measures and specific instruments.
Participation in a physical kick-off meeting and a planning workshop shall be part of the offer. Cooperation with Nordic Innovation will be agreed on in more detail in the beginning of the contract period.
The deliverables shall include at least (but not restricted to) the following in a ‘ready-to-use’ format:
⎯ Updated and detailed project plan, with a detailed methodological proposal for the study, including the proposed timetable (based on kick-off workshop and initial work)
⎯ A final report in English, including conclusions and an executive summary where the most relevant findings are summarized. The exact format shall be decided in agreement with the Buyer. The report shall follow the requirements of the Nordic Design Manual and be in printable format.
- A visualization of the Nordic and Baltic quantum ecosystem and Nordic strongholds that can easily be shown as a picture to stakeholders. Examples can be provided by Nordic Innovation.
⎯ A launch event of the final report at suitable arena in time (Oslo Innovation Week, Tech BBQ and SLUSH are examples). The project leader plans and executes the event and contract value includes travel for the project leader. NI may stand for venue cost and should be involved in the planning process of the event.
⎯ At least two oral presentations of the final report.
The Tender Documents
Tenders shall be structured in the following way:
⎯ A tender document up to 10 pages (excl. details about supplier, potential CVs and references). The tender document should be in English and structured to address the award criteria. The Tender Document should be in pdf-format and signed by a person authorized to sign on behalf of the Supplier.
Team profile
Nordic Innovation is looking for a consultant(s) with previous experience in conducting analysis in the field of advanced analytics, data, AI, deeptech and/or quantum technology. The Supplier can be a single entity, or a consortium represented by a lead partner.
The project manager will be responsible for the planning and execution of the project activities.
Evaluation Criteria
The awarding criteria are given in the following order of weight:
| Award criteria | Documentation | Weight |
| Expected quality of the delivery | The Supplier’s understanding of the task and subject matter, including proposed approach, hereunder: The project plan (max. 10 pages) including suggested methodology and ease of communication/ understandability. How it is ensured that the whole Nordic and Baltic region will be covered. Weight is put on the Nordic region. Please also describe the way the work will be organized (distribution of roles). To be included in the Tender: A plan of how the Supplier intends to solve the assignment, including approach/model of the analysis and method of gathering data and information. Proposed time and activity schedule. | 40% |
| The competence of the designated person/team (in innovation, business development, deep tech/quantum technology) and experience of conducting similar type of assignments. | The Supplier’s experience, the relevance of that experience and track record with similar assignments. To be included in the tender: A short description of relevant references and track record of similar assignments (max 2 pages). Description of responsibilities and complementing competences of each team member (a short description of CVs of max. 0,5 page per person may be attached). Relevant experience in a Nordic and/or international context. Specification for hours planned per each individual team member. | 40% |
| Value for money | Total cost and value for money Financial proposal itemizing estimated costs for services rendered (daily consultancy fees), travel costs and any other costs related to supplies or services required for the assignment. To be included in the tender: Contract value. Total price must be lower than NOK 1 000 000 (excl. VAT). That includes all working hours, travel, meetings, potential workshop(s) and all related expenses as well as potential external services/subcontracting. | 20% |
The tender and application deadline
- Application deadline and important dates
Deadline: the application deadline is 22 of January at 15.00 CET. The tender deadline is absolute. Tender received after the Tender deadline will be rejected. The Supplier carries the risk of errors or delays in the submission/sending of the Tender.
The tender must be submitted electronically to Nordic Innovation at: olivia.rekman@nordicinnovation.org and ville.makinen@nordicinnovation.org and labelled “Tender – Mapping of Nordic Quantum Ecosystem”.
Timeline
A list of important dates is as follows:
| Activity | Date |
| Publishing of tender | 12 December 2024 |
| Deadline for asking questions | 6 January 2025 |
| Publishing of FAQ | 13 January 2025 |
| Deadline for invitation to tender | 22 January 2025 |
| Deadline for validity of tender | 90 days from submission date |
| Deadline for completion of the procurement process | 7 February 2025 |
Please note that the dates can be subject to change. The Bidders may be invited to present their tenders and/or to provide answers to potential questions from Nordic Innovation.
Tender requirements
The supplier shall be an entity registered in the EEA, the EU, Greenland or the Faroe Islands. The registration shall be documented in the tender. The tender must be valid for minimum of 90 days from the Tender deadline. The tender shall be in English and submitted in a single PDF-file. All written and oral communication with regards to this competition shall also be in English. The Supplier should use the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Design Manual in all communication and deliverables: http://design.norden.org/.
Nordic Innovation’s logo and more: Press and Media | Nordic Innovation
5. Administrative requirements
A prospective supplier requiring any clarification of the tender should submit their questions in writing to olivia.rekman@nordicinnovation.org and ville.makinen@nordicinnovation.org and labeled with “Questions about tender – Mapping of Nordic Quantum Ecosystem” no later than 6 January 2025 at 15.00 CET.
All questions and answers will be published on our website www.nordicinnovation.org no later than 13 January 2025.
The supplier is responsible for ensuring that all questions, requirements and clarification points are answered / highlighted and documented in the tender. Nordic Innovation may refuse all tenders if the result of the tender procedure gives a reasonable ground for doing so. If all the tenders are refused, Nordic Innovation will notify those who have submitted tenders of the refusal.
The decision about to whom the contract is awarded will be published on Nordic Innovation’s website. Please note that Nordic Innovation’s General Conditions for Purchase of Services (see Appendix B) will be a part of the contract with the selected Supplier. By delivering a tender, it is assumed that the General Conditions for Purchase of Service are accepted. By delivering a tender proposal, you confirm that you operate according to good corporate governance and that you are registered in a country’s tax registry. The selected supplier shall be able to deliver/provide Nordic Innovation with a tax certificate from the country of registration.
Questions & Answers
You write that there should be close coordination with NordForsk to ensure synergies and complementarity and their mapping on research and research infrastructure is ready by October 2025.
How do you foresee to ensure synergies?
The Supplier, with the help of Nordic Innovation, is expected to co-ordinate closely during the project with NordForsk to capture synergies (e.g. in interviewing organizations) and to clarify and resolve any potential overlaps in scope. There is already an established relationship between Nordic Innovation and Nordforsk. For example, NordForsk will be invited to participate in project meetings to simplify this coordination process.
Interviews. You write that “Nordic Innovation has a good initial overview of the existing ecosystem as well as existing material and will in initial and ongoing development help to guide the project leader to these sources.” Can you share already now the contact information you have to existing ecosystem actors and at least an estimation of how many actors that should be interview?
It is up to the Supplier to propose the methodology, including how many actors should be interviewed. More detailed overview of Nordic Innovation’s contact information to the ecosystem will be discussed and shared later with the Supplier, but it is to be noted that the Nordic Innovation has for instance contacts to the 7 Nordic innovation organizations and public entities through Nordic Innovation Quantum Collaboration (NICQ), including Business Finland, VINNOVA, Innovation Norway as well as Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Tech Office and Innovation Centre Denmark), Danish Business Authorities and Danish Ministry for Higher Education and Research.
As stated in the invitation to tender document, it is also to be noted that there are thorough national level mappings done in some of the Nordic countries to draw upon.
There might be travel-costs to meetings with buyer, for workshops, for the event (fx Tech BBQ) and for two presentations.
to what extend can online meetings and webinars substitute the need fortravel and face-to-face meetings?
Online meetings are naturally an effective way to conclude major parts of this kind of work that spans across several countries. However, communicating the results is an integral part of the deliverables, and thus it is a minimum requirement that the launch event of the final report takes place physically. As stated, Nordic Innovation may stand for venue cost and should be involved in the planning process of the event. Additionally, a kick-off meeting and / or a planning workshop are required to take place physically. It is up to Supplier to propose how other meetings and communication activities are conducted.
Project manager or team?
In the tender documentation, the project manager is mentioned at the beginning: "We are seeking to contract a project manager to do a mapping of the Nordic-Baltic quantum ecosystem including producing Nordic and Baltic use cases to illustrate the applicability of the technology for Nordic and Baltic businesses." Later, the focus shifts to the team profile: "Nordic Innovation is looking for a consultant(s) with previous experience in conducting analysis in the field of advanced analytics, data, AI, deeptech and/or quantum technology. The Supplier can be a single entity, or a consortium represented by a lead partner."
Question:
Could you provide further clarification on the expectations for the project manager's skill profile? For example, how do you prioritise expertise in quantum technologies versus experience in ecosystem mapping? Additionally, could you elaborate on the anticipated team composition and division of roles? Are you looking for a single lead contributor supported by complementary roles, or, for instance, a senior-junior pairing to balance expertise and implementation?
Answer:
With regard to the competence of the project team, we emphasize qualities that are stated in the Evaluation Criteria (references, track record, completing competences, e.g.). We do a holistic evaluation of these but where ability to clearly communicate to a person without professional or specialized knowledge in quantum technology is more important than in-depth knowledge of quantum technology per se. The composition of the proposed project team should also reflect the capability of successfully delivering the proposed project plan. The Supplier is to propose the optimal person / team composition that aligns with their project plan, including hours planned per each individual team member.
Question:
Could you clarify the expected implementation approach? For example, does the Nordisk Innovation have any internal resources allocated to support the project delivery, or is the selected supplier expected to be entirely self-sufficient in managing and executing the work?
Answer:
Nordic Innovation will have a steering type of role in this project and the Supplier is expected to work in close co-ordination with Nordic Innovation. Nordic Innovation will assist with knowledge about the existing ecosystem and existing documents that are relevant as well with contacts if relevant. For example, weekly or bi-weekly check-in meetings to align on directions are a preferred working way for Nordic Innovation.
Business ecosystem or the whole quantum ecosystem?
ince quantum technologies are primarily still emerging, most initiatives focus on research. The tender mentions "Mapping of the current state of the Nordic-Baltic quantum technology ecosystem as a whole. The map provides an overview and better understanding of the ecosystem’s activities, challenges, and opportunities."
And
"NordForsk will undertake a mapping of the research collaborations and ecosystem within quantum technology in the Nordics. The mapping from NordForsk is tentatively planned to be ready in October 2025. "
Question:
Does this study primarily target the business ecosystem, with the research ecosystem being studied separately by NordForsk, or does it aim to encompass both the innovation and business ecosystems?
Answer:
Correct. This study will mainly focus on the innovation and business ecosystems and thus the commercialization phases of quantum technology. However, with that being said it, is very difficult to separate the research ecosystem from this deep-tech technology. Therefore, NordForsk will be invited to e.g. project meetings to closely coordinate that such overlap is avoided.
Question:
If the mapping is to encompass the ecosystem as a whole, how much data on the research ecosystem can reasonably be expected to be collected during the spring, given that the parallel project focusing on the research ecosystem is scheduled to conclude in late autumn?
Answer:
There is a division of the two as per previous answer. There are also excellent resources such as the Nordita’s White Paper of the Nordic Quantum Research Ecosystem as well as Danish Business Authorities’ categorization of actors to use as a benchmark, whereof the latter we can share with the winning project team at the start of the project.
Role of use cases?
The Introduction section mentions use cases for quantum technology. "Nordic Innovation is looking for a Supplier to: map the Nordic-Baltic quantum ecosystem – country by country with focus on an aggregated Nordic-Baltic level analysis and produce Nordic and Baltic use cases in quantum technology to illustrate the application of the technology in Nordic and Baltic businesses " However, in Section 2, 'Purpose and Scope of Procurement,' the use cases are no longer mentioned.
Question:
What is the role and significance of the descriptions of these use cases in the overall context? Are there any guidelines regarding how the use cases should be described or the level of detail required? Is the focus specifically on early-stage experimentation or more on future opportunities as we move from the NISQ era closer to the fault-tolerant era?
Answer:
The use cases have faulty been omitted from the section ‘Purpose and Scope of procurement’ – thank you for bringing this to our attention. How the Supplier chooses to address the use cases in the project proposal is very open. The use cases do not have to be decided upon or suggested in the project proposal for us to regard it as a strong proposal. This is something we believe can be defined early on in the actual project process, for example after desk research and interviews with key stakeholders. Use cases can be focused on both early-stage experimentation or future opportunities, where a mix might be preferred. The importance will be to illustrate and demonstrate the potential of the technology in business value, and solving real-life problems. The purpose is to communicate the potential of a technology that is often regarded as abstract and far into the future to the general public and policy makers as well as interested Nordic businesses.
Business ecosystem or the whole quantum ecosystem?
Since quantum technologies are primarily still emerging, most initiatives focus on research. The tender mentions "Mapping of the current state of the Nordic-Baltic quantum technology ecosystem as a whole. The map provides an overview and better understanding of the ecosystem’s activities, challenges, and opportunities."
And
"NordForsk will undertake a mapping of the research collaborations and ecosystem within quantum technology in the Nordics. The mapping from NordForsk is tentatively planned to be ready in October 2025. "
Question:
Does this study primarily target the business ecosystem, with the research ecosystem being studied separately by NordForsk, or does it aim to encompass both the innovation and business ecosystems?
Answer:
Correct. This study will mainly focus on the innovation and business ecosystems and thus the commercialization phases of quantum technology. However, with that being said it, is very difficult to separate the research ecosystem from this deep-tech technology. Therefore, NordForsk will be invited to e.g. project meetings to closely coordinate that such overlap is avoided.
Question:
If the mapping is to encompass the ecosystem as a whole, how much data on the research ecosystem can reasonably be expected to be collected during the spring, given that the parallel project focusing on the research ecosystem is scheduled to conclude in late autumn?
Answer:
There is a division of the two as per previous answer. There are also excellent resources such as the Nordita’s White Paper of the Nordic Quantum Research Ecosystem as well as Danish Business Authorities’ categorization of actors to use as a benchmark, whereof the latter we can share with the winning project team at the start of the project.
Format of final report?
"The report shall follow the requirements of the Nordic Design Manual and be in printable format. "
Question:
Does this mean the project budget should allocate resources for professionally formatting the final report, or is it sufficient to create a PDF directly from Word?
Answer:
Yes. The project manager needs to ensure that the deliverables follow the Brand manual and that the final report is professionally formatted accordingly.
Since we already have two active projects with Nordic Innovation, do you think this might affect our eligibility for this tender?
We evaluate the tenders according to the set evaluation criteria in the invitation to tender, and your participation on other activities at NI does not hinder you from bidding on this one either.
We were wondering if there was a specific template document we should use for the application or are we free to formulate our own following the guidelines laid out in the tender requirements?
We do not have a specific template for the project proposal, you are free to structure this as you please. The project proposals will be evaluated according to the evaluation criteria listed in the tender document.
Also, is it correct that that the maximum page limit is 13 pages (10 pages Supplier’s understanding of the task / 2 pages Supplier’s experience / 1 page Total cost and value for money) including references? And would you prefer to get the application in one pdf document?
The project proposal has a maximum of 10 pages, incl. budget. In addition to the 10 pages, you can submit up to 2 pages of previous related experiences and unlimited number of CV pages (depending on how many you are in the team) but a max of 0.5 pages per person. We prefer one PDF document.
How specific do we need to be in the budgeting and can we propose it in SEK (and keep it under 1MNOK excl. VAT)?
In regard to specificity of the budget, we require specification per hour per specific team member as well as specification for all working hours, travel, meetings, potential workshop(s) and all related expenses as well as potential external services/subcontracting. We prefer to have the proposal submitted in NOK as we do not take the currency risk upon us in contract signing.
The project timeframe is scheduled from February to May 2025. I’m assuming this means that the contractor should start the Project immediately after the completion of the tender process and latest on Feb 10?
That is correct. We have not set an ultimate date for the latest start but to save time we would encourage the Supplier to start as soon as possible as the project timeframe is very short.
In any case, I’m assuming the end date of the project shall be latest the 31st of May, 2025?
Yes, correct.
The invitation to tender document says the results can be collected into 1-2 reports. Would you like the tender to specify the planned way of publishing the results or is this something that will be decided at a later stage?
Both options are fine - you can state it in the proposal but we are also open to discuss this in the kick-off meeting.
The tender requirements specify that “The Supplier should use the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Design Manual in all communication and deliverables”. Does this apply also to the tender document or just the external communications and deliverables prepared during the project?
No it does not apply to the tender document, just the external communications and deliverables during the project.
