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Quantum Regulators’ Forum: terms of reference

Published 26 June 2025

1. Context

The first ten years of the National Quantum Technologies Programme saw over £1.1 billion invested across research, innovation, infrastructure and skills. As a result, the UK has established a thriving quantum community that is home to the second largest number of quantum companies in the world and has attracted the second largest share of global private investment. This has enabled the UK to develop broad capabilities and expertise across all aspects of quantum technologies: computing, sensing, imaging, timing, and communications.

The next phase of the national programme will have commercialisation and adoption of quantum technologies at its heart, capitalising on the strong foundations built through the first phase. The government has opened the National Quantum Computing Centre, renewed the Quantum Technology Hubs programme, accelerating technology development out of the lab, and published 5 Quantum Missions that will galvanise the sector to achieve ambitious, outcome-focused goals over the next decade. Quantum technologies have an important place in the government’s Plan for Change, with game-changing applications across the healthcare and energy sectors, in supporting the Industrial Strategy, and in driving progress towards the government’s top priority – economic growth.

As quantum technologies mature towards market, there will be an important role for regulators to play in supporting and enabling the safe, timely deployment of products and applications across the economy. Recognising the need to prepare for this aspect of commercialisation, the Regulatory Horizons Council recommended that the government establish a Quantum Regulators’ Forum (QRF). In October 2024, the government accepted this recommendation and launched the Forum on 28 April 2025. This initiative, unique globally, is designed to convene regulators to discuss quantum technologies in a dedicated environment, embodying the UK’s pro-innovation regulatory approach to emerging technologies.

2. Purpose

The QRF aims to support coordination between regulators as they prepare for quantum technologies to impact their sectors, providing a vehicle for building knowledge, enabling collaboration, and facilitating the sharing of information and best practice. This will help build the foundations for informed, proportionate and proactive regulation of quantum technology applications in the future, supporting the delivery of the Quantum Missions, the National Quantum Strategy and contributing to the government’s national mission on economic growth. The Forum will complement and build on the work undertaken by individual regulators to prepare for the impact of quantum on their sectors.

The QRF is a voluntary forum that will facilitate engagement between regulators on quantum. It is not a statutory or incorporated entity and does not provide formal advice or direction to member regulators, who remain individually accountable for the delivery of their functions.

3. Objectives

The objectives of the QRF include:

• To enhance regulatory capability by pooling resources and knowledge, ensuring that regulators have access to the skills, expertise, and tools needed to respond to developments in the quantum sector.
• To promote innovation in regulatory approaches to quantum by sharing best practice and experience, with the view of creating tangible deliverables that will support growth, including engagement with international counterparts where appropriate.
• To enable regulators to collaborate and develop a coordinated, coherent approach to quantum regulation across government.
• To anticipate future developments, practical applications and regulatory implications of quantum technologies by sharing best practice and insights from horizon scanning.

4. Membership

4.1 Eligibility and founders

Founding regulatory members:

• Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
• Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
• Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
• Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)
• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
• Office of Communications (Ofcom)
• Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)
• Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) will also join the Forum as a non-regulatory executive agency.

The Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF, comprised of CMA, FCA, ICO and Ofcom) will be represented through its constituent member organisations, but representatives from the core DRCF team are welcome to participate in the Forum.

Membership is open to all regulators whose sector may be reasonably impacted by developments in quantum technologies. The membership may be expanded with prior agreement from constituent members.

4.2 Requirements

Members of the QRF are expected to:

• Contribute to advancing the objectives of the Forum.
• Attend quarterly meetings at working level and undertake appropriate preparation for meetings/workshops where relevant to their remit.
• Attend annual meetings at Director level to oversee progress and set strategic direction of the Forum.

5. Secretariat

The secretariat is responsible for the organisation of meetings, distributing and publishing documents (with consent of all members), and managing relationships with constituent members. The Office for Quantum in DSIT will provide secretariat support for the Forum.

For the first 12 months DSIT will chair the Forum. Following this initial set-up phase, the convening of the Forum will be reviewed and is expected to be handed over to regulators to support and lead the group on an ongoing basis.

6. Amendments

The Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually, although amendments may be suggested at any time. Amendments to the Terms of Reference will require the unanimous agreement of members.