NOFO DE-FOA-0003339 Part 1 Amendment 3 - Final.pdf

CUI//SP-PROCURE

Controlled by: The U.S. Department of Energy, DOECUI@hq.doe.gov

Financial Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity

Part 1

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy U.S. Advanced Nuclear Energy Licensing Cost-Share Grant Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0003339

Application due: April 8, 2025 5pm ET

Modifications

All modifications to the NOFO are HIGHLIGHTED in the body of the NOFO.

Modifications to this NOFO will be posted on Grants.gov. Grants.gov will automatically notify applicants when a NOFO modification is processed. Applicants must be registered to this NOFO in Grants.gov to receive email notifications. See Registration Requirements in Part 2 of this NOFO.

Mod.

No.

Date Description of Modification

3 2/14/2025 Remove extraneous document requests and update submission instructions.

Table of Contents

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Navigating the Notice of Funding Opportunity

I. BASIC INFORMATION

A. Key Facts

1. Funding Details

2. Period of Performance

B. Executive Summary C. Agency Contact Information

II. ELIGIBILITY

A. Eligible Applicants

1. Domestic Entities

2. Foreign Entity Participation

B. Limitation on Number of Applications Eligible for Review C. Cost Sharing

1. Cost Share Requirements

2. Unallowable Cost Share Sources, NOFO Specific

III. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. Background and Context B. Program Purpose C. Program Goals and Objectives D. Expected Performance Goals E. Topic Areas F. Applications Specifically Not of Interest G. Statutory Authority

IV. APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORM

A. Summary B. Application Content Requirements

1. Covered Individual Definition, Designation, and Responsibility

2. Summary of Application Requirements

3. Technical Volume

C. Funding Restrictions

V. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

A. Required Registrations

1. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

B. Application Package C. Submission Date and Times D. Intergovernmental Review

VI. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Standards for Application Evaluation B. Responsiveness Review C. Review Criteria

1. Compliance Criteria

2. Merit Review Criteria

D. Other Selection Factors

VII. SELECTION AND AWARD NOTICES

VIII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

2. Cost Share Payment

B. Questions and Support

1. Questions

2. Support

IX. OTHER INFORMATION

Notice of Funding Opportunity Part 1 Before You Begin

Before You Begin

Navigating the Notice of Funding Opportunity The OMB Memorandum M-24-11 directs federal agencies to reduce the burden on applicants in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process and limit the length of the NOFO information requests.

With Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 NOFOs, DOE has separated the NOFO into two parts.

The NOFO Part 1 describes the specific DOE programmatic goals and evaluation criteria, eligibility, and other components that are specific to each funding opportunity. The NOFO Part 2 includes the fixed DOE requirements that generally do not change from NOFO to NOFO, including standard information for the application phase, expectations for award negotiations, and post-award requirements. Applicants must review both the NOFO Part 1 and the NOFO Part 2 prior to applying. To facilitate navigation, you will find links throughout this document to additional information found in Part 2.

There are several required one-time actions applicants must take before applying to this NOFO. Some of these actions may take several weeks, so it is vital applicants build in enough time to complete them.

Failure to complete these actions could interfere with application or negotiation deadlines or the ability to receive an award if selected. If you have previously completed the necessary registrations, make sure your registration is active and up to date. All registrations are free. Please refer to NOFO Part 2, Get Registered, for additional information.

This announcement is published in conjunction with NOFO Part 2 Version 1.

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Section I: Basic Information

I. Basic Information

A. Key Facts

Issuing Agency

Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy

Funding Opportunity Title

Advanced Nuclear Energy Licensing Cost-Share Grant Program

Announcement Type

Amendment

Funding Opportunity Number

DE-FOA-0003339 Amendment 3

Instrument

Grants

Assistance Listing Number

81.121

Opportunity Description

This NOFO will provide direct assistance for advanced reactor and supporting facilities’ regulatory review activities by supporting cost-shared grants to fund a portion of Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) fees for pre-application and application review activities. Cost-shared grants will be awarded to selected applicants seeking funds in support of work with the NRC to increase regulatory certainty, review topical reports or white papers, and other efforts focused on obtaining certification and licensing approvals.

Program Goals & Objective(s)

The objective of this NOFO is to support cost-shared grants to fund a portion of NRC fees for pre-application review activities and application review activities for advanced nuclear reactors and supporting facilities.

Topic Areas

• Topic Area 1: Pre-application review activities: Review activities that occur prior to a formal license application being submitted to the NRC.

• Topic Area 2: Application review activities: Review activities that occur after a formal license application is submitted to the NRC for review.

KEY DATES

Notice of Funding Opportunity Issue Date:

January 8, 2025

Application Deadline for Current Review Cycle:

April 8, 2025

Anticipated Selection Notification Date for Current Review Cycle:

July 8, 2025

Anticipated Award Date for Current Review Cycle:

October 8, 2025

Estimated Period of Performance for Current Review Cycle:

Varies

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants will consist of a lead applicant entity who will engage with the NRC on pre-application or application review activities. Eligible applicants could include:

• Domestic for-profit entities such as U.S. commercial electricity utility, U.S. end-user/off-taker, U.S. advanced reactor developer/vendor or an incorporated consortium;

• Non-profit organizations;

• U.S. institutions of higher education;

• State and local government entities; and

• Tribal entities

Submission Site Applications must be submitted as a response to this NOFO through the FedConnect portal at www.Fedconnect.gov.

1. Funding Details

The total expected funding for all awards over the five-year period is $50 million, contingent upon congressional appropriations. Approximate total of currently available funding including all topic areas:

$13,000,000 in FY 2025

• Topic Area 1: Pre-application Review Activities Approximate total available funding: Dependent on number and type of applications received Approximate number of awards: 1-20 Approximate dollar amount of individual awards: $5,000-$200,000 Minimum cost share required: 20% of the total project costs Approximate award project period: up to 24 months Anticipated length of budget periods: 12 months

• Topic Area 2: Application Review Activities Approximate total available funding: Dependent on number and type of applications received Approximate number of awards: 0-5 Approximate dollar amount of individual awards: $100,000 to $8,000,000 Minimum cost share required: 50% of the total project costs Approximate award project period: up to 48 months Anticipated length of budget periods: 12 months

2. Period of Performance

DOE anticipates making awards, comprised of multiple budget periods. For Topic Area 2, project continuation will be contingent upon DOE’s Go/No-Go decision. For more information on the Go/No-Go review, see the NOFO Part 2, Award Administration Information. Funding for all budget periods, including the initial budget period, is not guaranteed. DOE anticipates a maximum period of http://www.fedconnect.gov/ performance of two years for pre-application review activities (Topic Area 1) and four years for application review activities (Topic Area 2). A continuation application is required for any project exceeding a 12-month period of performance.

B. Executive Summary Load growth projections in the United States estimate electricity demand could more than double by 2050 given the pace of change in data center development and end-use electrification. To help meet this demand, energy system modeling shows that nuclear could provide at least 200 GW of new capacity by 2050 through wide scale deployment of both Gen III+ and Gen IV advanced reactor designs.

The existing fleet of nuclear reactors currently provides 48 percent of America’s carbon-free electricity, the nation’s largest source of carbon-free power. Nuclear reactors offer a high baseline of energy resilience and security because they are designed to maintain safe operations under a broad set of natural and human-influenced conditions. The resilience value from nuclear reactors stem from their capacity to: (1) maintain grid stability when intermittent energy sources are added to the mix, (2) replace high-carbon energy sources, (3) secure energy supplies during severe weather events, and (4) support emergency recovery efforts after disruptions due to natural or human-caused events.

Additionally, the U.S. nuclear industry directly employs nearly 100,000 people in high-quality, good-paying, long-term jobs. Existing nuclear power plants provide wages that are typically 30% higher than the local average and tax revenue that can be used to improve local schools, roads, and bridges — making the case for nuclear even stronger in these areas.

Advanced nuclear reactors, specifically, offer many potential additional advantages such as improved efficiency and economics, enhanced safety, relatively small physical footprints that can be sited in locations not possible for larger plants, reduced capital investment, and provisions for incremental power. They also offer distinct safeguard, security, and nonproliferation advantages, as well as integration into clean energy systems by providing firm and flexible electricity and non-electric products in coordination with renewable energy sources. Further, the next generation of nuclear reactors have the potential to create substantial numbers of new, skilled, good-paying domestic jobs. For example, in the early stages of design, development, and licensing, the reactor vendors are adding many technical and professional employees to address design, engineering, testing, procurement, and licensing requirements. The construction phase of each reactor is expected to result in hundreds of short-term construction jobs. The eventual operation of these reactors will require the creation of additional long-term operations, maintenance, and security positions. Overall, the deployment and operation of these reactors are expected to yield significant positive, long-term, economic impacts for the communities in which they operate.

A critical step to enable widespread demonstration and deployment of advanced reactors is certainty in completing the regulatory process for these innovative designs. Supporting infrastructure, such as fuel fabrication facilities and spent nuclear fuel recycling facilities, also needs to be established. To facilitate the deployment of advanced reactors, Congress authorized the Advanced Nuclear Energy Licensing Cost- Share Grant Program (42 U.S.C. § 16280) in the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-248).

This NOFO will provide direct assistance for advanced reactor and supporting facilities regulatory review activities to enable advanced nuclear reactors to be demonstrated and deployed in support of the critical energy needs of the future. Advanced nuclear reactors will further the state of the U.S.

commercial nuclear capability by improving the competitiveness of nuclear power and promoting its continued contribution to meeting our Nation’s economic and energy security needs and overcoming environmental challenges. Projects awarded through this NOFO will support the revitalization and expansion of the U.S. nuclear industry by encouraging growth of a pipeline for advanced reactors and supporting infrastructure through the reduction of regulatory uncertainties.

Through this NOFO, DOE will pay a portion of NRC fees for two topic areas:

Topic Area 1 – Pre-application Review Activities Topic Area 2 – Application Review Activities

C. Agency Contact Information Office of Nuclear Energy U.S. Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave SW Washington, D.C. 20585

For questions relating to this specific NOFO, please send emails to ARLicensingGrantNOFO@id.doe.gov.

DISCLAIMER: Applicants are discouraged from submitting information considered proprietary unless it is deemed essential for proper evaluation of the application. If the application contains information that the applicant organization considers to be trade secrets, information that is commercial or financial, or information that is privileged or confidential, the pages containing that information must be identified as specified in the application instructions. When such information is included in the application, it will be withheld from public disclosure to the extent permitted by law, including the Freedom of Information Act, with the understanding that the information will be used or disclosed only for evaluation of the application. The information contained in the application will be protected by DOE from unauthorized disclosure, consistent with the need for merit review of applications of financial assistance awards to assure the integrity of the competitive process and the accuracy and completeness of the information. If a federal financial assistance award is made as a result of or in connection with an application, the federal government has the right to use or disclose the information to the extent authorized by law. This restriction does not limit the federal government’s right to use the information if it is obtained without restriction from another source.

Section II: Eligibility

II. Eligibility

To be considered for substantive evaluation, an applicant’s submission must meet the criteria set forth below. If the application does not meet these eligibility requirements, it will be considered ineligible and removed from further evaluation and ineligible for any award. DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this NOFO must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this NOFO lies solely with the applicant. The information included here is specific to eligibility requirements for this NOFO. For eligibility requirements applicable to all NOFOs, please consult the NOFO Part 2, Eligibility.

A. Eligible Applicants To be considered for substantive evaluation, an applicant’s submission must meet the criteria set forth below. If the application does not meet these eligibility requirements, it will be considered ineligible and removed from further evaluation.

1. Domestic Entities Domestic entities are eligible to apply as recipients or subrecipients. The following types of domestic entities are eligible to participate as a recipient or subrecipient of this NOFO:

• Institutions of higher education;

• For-profit organizations;

• Non-profit organizations;

• State and local governmental entities; and

• Indian Tribes, as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance

Act, 25 U.S.C. § 53041

To qualify as a domestic entity, the entity must be organized, chartered, or incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular state or territory of the United States or under the laws of the United States; have majority domestic ownership and control; and have a physical place of business in the United States.

2. Foreign Entity Participation In general, foreign entities are not eligible to apply as either a recipient or subrecipient. In limited circumstances, DOE may approve a waiver to allow a foreign entity to participate as a recipient or subrecipient.

1 “Indian Tribe,” for the purposes of this NOFO and as defined in in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. § 5304), means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C. § 1601, et seq.], which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. Federally Recognized Indian Tribes are also considered disadvantaged communities for the purposes of Justice40 requirements in this NOFO per https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/M-23-09_Signed_CEQ_CPO.pdf.

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A foreign entity may submit an application to this NOFO, but the application must be accompanied by an explicit written waiver request. Likewise, if the applicant seeks to include a foreign entity as a subrecipient, the applicant must submit a separate explicit written waiver request in the application for each proposed foreign subrecipient. Please see NOFO Part 2, Application Content Requirements for the requirements for submission of a foreign entity waiver request. The applicant does not have the right to appeal DOE’s decision concerning a waiver request.

Recipients must only be legally formed in the United States and have a physical location for business operations in the United States.

Entities that are organized, chartered, or incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of the United States or a particular state or territory of the United States and have a physical location for business operations in the United States are eligible to apply for funding as a recipient or subrecipient.

Foreign Entity Participation A foreign entity is eligible to apply for funding as a recipient if it designates in the application a subsidiary or affiliate incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a state or territory of the United States to be the recipient. The application must state the nature of the corporate relationship between the foreign entity and domestic subsidiary or affiliate.

Foreign entities may request a waiver of the requirement to designate a subsidiary in the United States as the recipient in the application (i.e., a foreign entity may request that it be the recipient). To do so, the applicant must submit an explicit written waiver request in the application.

NOFO Part 2, Application Content Requirements lists the information that must be included in a request to waive this requirement. The applicant does not have the right to appeal DOE’s decision concerning a waiver request.

Performance of Work in the United States All work for the awards under this NOFO must be performed in the United States. To request a waiver of this requirement, the applicant must submit an explicit waiver request in the application. Absent an approved waiver, such costs will not be allowable under the award. The NOFO Part 2, Application Content Requirements lists the requirements for submission of a foreign work waiver request.

Ineligible Participants The following entities are ineligible for participation in this NOFO as a recipient, subrecipient, or subcontractor.

• In accordance with 2 CFR 200.214, entities banned from doing business with the U.S.

government such as entities debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participating in federal programs.

• Entities identified on Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control Treasury’s Sanctions Program Specially Designated Nationals list are prohibited from doing business with the United States government and are not eligible. See OFAC - Sanctions List Service (treas.gov).

• Nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995, are not eligible to apply for funding.

https://sanctionslist.ofac.treas.gov/Home/SdnList

Entity of Concern Prohibition Entities of Concern are prohibited from participating in projects selected under this NOFO (see NOFO Part 2, Eligibility, Other Eligibility Information, Entity of Concern Prohibition section for details and definitions).

B. Limitation on Number of Applications Eligible for Review Applicants may submit multiple applications under this NOFO (with a limit of two applications per annual review cycle). Each application must describe a unique project, with distinct applicability to advanced reactor needs, and must clearly demonstrate that the applicant has sufficient resources (i.e., personnel, cost-share, facilities, etc.) to successfully manage the award. The applicant is considered to be the prime recipient and is allowed no more than two (2) active awards resulting from this NOFO.

C. Cost Sharing Applicants are expected to follow through on estimated cost share commitments proposed in their applications if selected for award negotiations. Please refer to the NOFO Part 2, Eligibility for more information on Cost Sharing.

1. Cost Share Requirements

The cost share must be at least 20% of the total project costs2 for Topic Area 1 awards for pre-application review projects3 and 50% of the total project costs for Topic Area 2 awards for application review projects.4

The primary objective of this NOFO is to support cost-shared grants to fund a portion of NRC fees for pre-application review activities and application review activities for advanced nuclear reactors and supporting facilities. In other words, the focus is NRC fees. It is not development of licensing documents or other aspects of the regulatory approval process. Hence, the cost share percentage will be based solely on total NRC licensing fees. In-kind contributions, such as research/testing to support licensing documents or labor to develop licensing documents, will not count towards a recipient’s cost share contribution because they are not necessary for achieving the objectives of the award (payment of fees), and therefore do not satisfy the requirements of 2 C.F.R. 200.306(b).

2. Unallowable Cost Share Sources, NOFO Specific The unallowable cost share sources identified here are specific to this announcement. Refer to NOFO Part 2, Eligibility--Cost Sharing, Unallowable Cost Share Sources for unallowable cost share sources applicable to all NOFOs. The recipient and subrecipient(s) may not use the following sources to meet cost share obligations:

• Cost share derived from Federal sources

2 Total project costs are the sum of the government share, including FFRDC costs if applicable, and the recipient share of project costs.

3 Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109-58, sec. 988. Also see 2 CFR 200.306 and 2 CFR 910.130 for additional cost sharing requirements.

4 Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109-58, sec. 988. Also see 2 CFR 200.306 and 2 CFR 910.130 for additional cost sharing requirements.

• Cost share that does not meet requirements set forth in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.306 and

910.130 or cost principles set forth in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.400-476 and 2 C.F.R. §§ 910.352.

• Cost share derived from the DOE loan program

• In-kind contributions

Section III: Program Description

III. Program Description

A. Background and Context Advanced nuclear reactors offer many potential advantages, such as improved efficiency and economics, enhanced safety, relatively small physical footprints that can be sited in locations not possible for larger plants, reduced capital investment, and provisions for incremental power. They also offer distinct safeguard, security, and nonproliferation advantages, as well as integration into clean energy systems by providing firm and flexible electricity and non-electric products in coordination with renewable energy sources. Recognizing the many benefits provided by development and deployment of advanced reactors, the Office of Nuclear Energy supports the development and demonstration of both light water and non-light water advanced reactor designs

A critical step to enable widespread demonstration and deployment of advanced reactors is certainty in completing the regulatory process for these innovative designs. Supporting infrastructure, such as fuel fabrication facilities and spent nuclear fuel recycling facilities, also needs to be established. To facilitate the deployment of advanced reactors, Congress authorized the Advanced Nuclear Energy Licensing Cost- Share Grant Program (42 U.S.C. § 16280) in the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-248).

This NOFO will provide direct assistance for advanced reactor and supporting facilities’ regulatory review activities to enable advanced nuclear reactors to be demonstrated and deployed in support of the critical energy needs of the future. Advanced nuclear reactors will further the state of the U.S.

commercial nuclear capability by improving the competitiveness of nuclear power and promoting its continued contribution to meeting our Nation’s economic and energy security needs and overcoming environmental challenges. Awarded projects will support the revitalization and expansion of the U.S.

nuclear industry by encouraging growth of a pipeline for advanced reactors and supporting infrastructure through the reduction of regulatory uncertainties.

B. Program Purpose The Advanced Nuclear Energy Licensing Cost-Share Grant Program is being established to provide direct assistance for advanced reactor and supporting facilities’ regulatory review activities to enable advanced nuclear reactors and supporting facilities to be demonstrated and deployed in support of the critical energy needs of the future. Advanced nuclear reactors will further the state of the U.S. commercial nuclear capability by improving the competitiveness of nuclear power and promoting its continued contribution to meeting our Nation’s economic and energy security needs and overcoming environmental challenges. This NOFO provides support for pre-application and application review activities with the NRC to enable revitalization and expansion of the U.S. nuclear industry by encouraging growth of a pipeline for advanced reactors and supporting infrastructure through the reduction of regulatory uncertainties.

C. Program Goals and Objectives

The objective of this NOFO is to support cost-shared grants to fund a portion of NRC fees for pre-application review activities and application review activities for advanced nuclear reactors and supporting facilities. Cost-shared grants will be awarded to selected applicants seeking funds in support of work with the NRC to increase regulatory certainty, review topical reports or white papers, and other efforts focused on obtaining certification and licensing approvals. The Department recognizes that the development of advanced nuclear reactors involves addressing regulatory requirements and certification and licensing processes that are required for the commercial industry to successfully bring these designs and technologies to market. With support for early interactions with private industry, the NRC will be in a better position to evaluate U.S. industry ideas and enhance appropriate processes, as necessary, to enable regulatory acceptance of the advanced capabilities of new U.S. advanced nuclear reactors. This NOFO supports both light water and non-light water advanced reactor variants. In addition to supporting regulatory activities related to advanced reactor designs, this NOFO also supports regulatory activities related to supporting facilities such as fuel fabrication facilities and spent nuclear fuel recycling facilities.

D. Expected Performance Goals

Topic Area 1: Pre-application Review Activities

DOE expects selected projects to help reduce regulatory uncertainty for advanced reactors and supporting facilities. Projects will facilitate early engagement with the NRC prior to a formal application submittal to allow the NRC to be better positioned to evaluate U.S. industry ideas and enhance appropriate processes, as necessary, to support regulatory acceptance of the advanced capabilities of new U.S. advanced nuclear reactors and facilities. It is expected that NRC review of discrete licensing documents will allow for the timely identification and resolution of technical and regulatory issues and will assist the NRC in determining resource and budget needs to support efficient reviews. At the end of the project, DOE expects that the regulatory uncertainty for the technology or facility being developed will be reduced and feedback from the NRC will help inform future application submittals. Licensing documents submitted to the NRC must contain enough technical detail to allow for appropriate review to enable feedback from the NRC which an applicant could use to inform future applications. Further, DOE expects that applicants will engage in high quality interactions with the NRC such as timely response to requests for information and timely support for audits. For topical reports, DOE expects that the topical report will pass the NRC acceptance review to enable the NRC to document a staff position in a safety evaluation that can be referenced in an application.

Topic Area 2: Application Review Activities

DOE expects selected projects to help reduce regulatory uncertainty for advanced reactors and supporting facilities. DOE expects that all applications submitted through this NOFO will be accepted for review by the NRC. Additionally, DOE expects that applicants will engage in high quality interactions with the NRC such as timely response to requests for information and timely support for audits. Further, at the end of the project, DOE expects that the applicant will receive approval of their application from the NRC. This will help ensure that a diverse set of advanced reactor designs are available to support the energy needs of the future. Approval of applications funded through this NOFO will pave the way for future application submittals and approvals and help contribute to a commercial orderbook.

E. Topic Areas Topic Area 1 – Pre-application Review Activities

This topic area would support review activities that occur prior to a formal license application being submitted to the NRC. Activities could include but are not limited to:

• Review of topical reports and/or white papers, review of safeguards information plan, safety review meetings, and environmental activities.

• Interactions with NRC staff and the Commission on pre-application review activities including application readiness assessments for a single facility (e.g., nuclear plant, fuel fabrication facility, spent nuclear fuel recycling facility) associated with an advanced nuclear reactor as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 16271.

Topic Area 2 – Application Review Activities

This topic area would support review activities that occur after a formal license application has been submitted to the NRC for review. Funding will only be provided after the NRC has accepted the application for docketing. Activities would include but are not limited to:

• NRC acceptance review, NRC safety and security review, and NRC environmental review associated with the following applications: construction permit application, operating license application, combined license application, standard design approval/standard design certification application and associated rulemaking, manufacturing license application, and early site permit/limited work authorization application.

• Interactions with NRC staff and the Commission on application review activities including for a single facility (e.g. nuclear plant, fuel fabrication facility, spent nuclear fuel recycling facility) associated with an advanced nuclear reactor as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 16271.

F. Applications Specifically Not of Interest The following types of applications will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be reviewed or considered (Please also refer to the Responsiveness Review section below):

• Applications for projects having a scope for which funding has been provided through another Federal Award. However, applications for the further advancement/development of activities/projects previously funded under another Federal award may be eligible for funding.

• Applications involving research, development, design, or licensing of fusion energy.

• Applications that involve the development or use of heavy water-moderated technology.

• Applications proposing activities which do not generate NRC licensing fees. This NOFO will only fund NRC licensing fees and will not fund applicants directly for costs associated with research and development, design activities, or development of licensing documents.

• Applications for projects which are exempt from paying NRC fees in accordance with 10 CFR

170.11

• Applications proposing activities related to a currently operating nuclear plant or facility. This

NOFO only supports future advanced reactors and supporting facilities.

• Applications involving reactor technologies primarily for the purpose of producing industrial or medical isotopes or other medical applications.

G. Statutory Authority The programmatic authorizing statues are Section 3 of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017 (42 U.S.C. § 16280), the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. §§ 2011, et seq.), and the Department of Energy Organization Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. §§ 7101 et seq.).

Funding for the grant(s) awarded under this NOFO is subject to Congressional appropriations. Awards made under this announcement will fall under the purview of 2 CFR Part 200 as adopted and supplemented by 2 CFR Part 910.

Section IV: Application Content and Form

IV. Application Content and Form

This section includes application information specific to this NOFO Part 1. Refer to the NOFO Part 2, Application Content and Form for standard information that applies to all DOE NOFOs such as formatting and content requirements, and funding restrictions.

A. Summary The application process includes one submission phase: application.

Application Submission Phase Eligibility for Submission

Application Must be submitted by the specified due date and time to be eligible for comprehensive merit review.

B. Application Content Requirements Each application must be limited to a single concept. Topic Area 1 applications may include multiple documents to be reviewed by the NRC. Applications must conform to the following requirements and must not exceed the stated page limits. Please refer to the NOFO Part 2, Application Content and Form for a complete list of application requirements. Detailed guidance on the content and form of NOFO-specific requirements is provided following the Summary of Application Requirements table below.

1. Covered Individual Definition, Designation, and Responsibility Several of the Application Content Requirements listed below and in the NOFO Part 2 are required of covered individuals. For the purposes of this NOFO, a Covered Individual means an individual who (a) contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the development or execution of the scope of work of a project proposed for funding by DOE, and (b) is designated as a covered individual by DOE.

DOE designates as covered individuals any principal investigator (PI); project director (PD); co-principal investigator (Co-PI); co-project director (Co-PD); project manager; and any individual regardless of title that is functionally performing as a PI, PD, Co-PI, Co-PD, or project manager. Status as a consultant, graduate (master’s or PhD) student, or postdoctoral associate does not automatically disqualify a person from being designated as a “covered individual” if they meet the definition in (a) above.

The applicant is responsible for assessing the applicability of (a) above, against each person listed on the application. Further, the applicant is responsible for identifying any such individual to DOE for designation as a covered individual, if not already designated by DOE as described above.

The applicant’s submission of a current and pending support disclosure and/or biosketch/resume for a particular person serves as an acknowledgement that DOE designates that person as a covered individual.

DOE may further designate covered individuals during award negotiations or the award period of performance.

2. Summary of Application Requirements

Component File Format

Page Limit

File Name

Application for Federal Assistance

(SF-424)

PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_

Technical Volume PDF 12 pages (topic area 1) and 25 pages (topic area 2)

ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_ TechnicalVolume

Letters of Commitment (as applicable) PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_ LOCs

Impacted Indian Tribes Documentation (as applicable)

PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_ ImpactedTribes

Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A)

PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_

SF-424A

Waiver for Foreign Entity Participation (as applicable)

PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_

FEW

Performance of Work in the United States (Foreign Work Waiver) (as applicable)

PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_

FWW

Resumes PDF 3 pages each

ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_ Resumes

Current and Pending Support (for each covered individual)

PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_

CPS

Transparency of Foreign Connections PDF n/a BusinessSensitive_ApplicantName_ LeadOrganization_TFC

Potentially Duplicative Funding Notice PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_

PDFN

Location(s) of Work PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_

LOW

Regulatory Engagement Plan PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_

REP

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, if applicable (SF-LLL)

PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_

SF-LLL

Certification Regarding Lobbying (OMB 4040-0013)

PDF n/a ApplicantName_LeadOrganization_ Cert Lobbying

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3. Technical Volume

The Technical Volume must conform to the following content and form requirements. This volume must address the merit review criteria as discussed in Merit Review Criteria.

Applicants must provide sufficient citations and references to the primary research literature to justify the claims and approaches made in the Technical Volume. However, DOE and reviewers are under no obligation to review cited sources.

The Technical Volume to the application may not be more than 12 pages for Topic Area 1 and 25 pages for Topic Area 2, including the cover page, table of contents, and all citations, charts, graphs, maps, photos, or other graphics, and must include all information below. The applicant should consider the weighting of each of the merit review criteria (see Merit Review Criteria) when preparing the Technical Volume.

Cover Page:

The cover page must include all of the following:

• The project title

• Specific NOFO topic area

• Technical and business POCs (e-mail addresses and telephone numbers)

• Senior/key personnel and other covered individuals

• The project team, including recipient name, entity type and names of all team member organizations

• The project location(s)

• The proposed total federal funding level, cost share and period of performance

• The proposed federal funding level and cost share for each project participant

• Statements regarding confidentiality

Table of Contents: Applicant to capture, at a minimum, all of the required sections identified in this table.

Project Objectives and Summary of Scope This section should provide a clear, concise statement of the specific objectives/aims of the proposed project. This section should also provide a brief summary of the licensing activities being proposed.

Merit Review Criteria Discussion The section should be formatted to address each of the merit review criterion and sub criterion listed in “Merit Review Criteria”. Provide sufficient information so that reviewers will be able to evaluate the application in accordance with these merit review criteria. DOE will evaluate and consider only those applications that address separately each of the merit review criterion and sub-criterion. All merit review criterion must be addressed, and program policy factors can be addressed as needed.

Relevance and Outcomes/Impacts

This section should explain the relevance of the effort to the objectives in the program announcement and the expected outcomes and/or impacts. The justification for the proposed project should include a clear statement of the importance of the project in terms of the utility of the outcomes.

Roles of Participants For multi-organizational or multi-investigator projects, describe the roles and the work to be performed by each participant/investigator, business agreements between the applicant and participants, and how the various efforts will be integrated and managed.

Multiple Principal Investigators The applicant, whether a single organization or team/partnership/consortium, must indicate if the project will include multiple PIs. This decision is solely the responsibility of the applicant. If multiple PIs will be designated, the application must identify the Contact PI/Project Coordinator and provide a "Coordination and Management Plan" that describes the organization structure of the project as it pertains to the designation of multiple PIs. This plan should, at a minimum, include:

• Process for making decisions on scientific/technical direction;

• Publications;

• Intellectual property issues;

• Communication plans;

• Procedures for resolving conflicts; and

• PIs' roles and administrative, technical, and scientific responsibilities for the project.

Project Timetable and Deliverables Define timelines and deliverables for executing the proposed workscope. This section should also outline as a function of time, year by year, all the important activities or phases of the reactor or facility project, required to support demonstration/commercialization of the proposed technology/facility, including any activities planned beyond the project period. High level milestones and estimated completion dates to support the overall demonstration/commercialization project should also be defined. For Topic Area 2, the applicant should provide a summary of project-wide Go/No-Go decision points at appropriate points in the project. At a minimum, each Topic Area 2 project must have at least one project-wide Go/No-Go decision point for each budget period (12-month period) of the project. See the Key Facts section above for Go/No-Go and budget period information. The applicant should also provide the specific technical criteria to be used to evaluate the project at the Go/No-Go decision point.

Past Performance Applicants must submit data on past performance that demonstrates the applicant team has demonstrated successful experience/past performance, knowledge, and understanding of the business and regulatory requirements for projects of similar size, scope, and complexity, and in achieving project technical success within budget and on time with no significant safety or quality issues.

Identification of Potential Conflicts of Interest or Bias in Selection of Reviewers (Not Included in Page Limitation) Provide the following information in this section:

Collaborators and Co-editors: List in alphabetical order all persons, including their current organizational affiliation, who are, or who have been, collaborators or co-authors with you on a research project, book or book article, report, abstract, or paper during the 48 months preceding the submission of this application. Also, list any individuals who are currently, or have been, co-editors with you on a special issue of a journal, compendium, or conference proceedings during the 24 months preceding the submission of this application. If there are no collaborators or co-editors to report, state "None."

Graduate and Postdoctoral Advisors and Advisees: List the names and current organizational affiliations of your graduate advisor(s) and principal postdoctoral sponsor(s) during the last 5 years. Also, list the names and current organizational affiliations of your graduate students and postdoctoral associates.

Bibliography (Not included in page limitation) If applicable: Provide a bibliography for any references cited in the Technical Volume. This section must include only bibliographic citations.

C. Funding Restrictions Program-specific funding restrictions applicable to awards funded under this NOFO are identified below.

Standard funding restrictions are described in the NOFO Part 2, Funding Restrictions section.

Applicable Funding Restrictions

Title Location Additional Information

Allowable Costs NOFO Part 2 Applicable to awards made under this NOFO

Pre-Award Costs NOFO Part 2 Applicable to awards made under this NOFO

Performance of Work in the United States (Foreign Work Waiver Requirement)

NOFO Part 2 Applicable to awards made under this NOFO

Foreign Travel NOFO Part 2 Foreign Travel is not covered under this

NOFO

Lobbying NOFO Part 2 Applicable to awards made under this NOFO

Section V: Submission Requirements and Deadlines

V. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

There are several one-time actions applicants must take before applying to this NOFO. Some of these may take several weeks, so it is vital applicants build in enough time to complete them. Failure to complete these actions could interfere with application or negotiation deadlines or the ability to receive an award if selected. These requirements are outlined in detail in the NOFO Part 2, Get Registered.

A. Required Registrations

1. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management

(SAM)

You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. To register, go to SAM.gov Entity Registration and click Get Started. From the same page, you can also click on the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register.

Each applicant must:

1. Be registered in SAM.gov before submitting an application;

2. Provide a valid Unique Entity Identifier in the application; and

3. Continue to maintain an active registration in SAM.gov with current information at all times during which you have an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal agency.

DOE may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time DOE is ready to make a federal award, the DOE will determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

B. Application Package

Electronic Authorization of Applications and Award Documents Submission of an application and supplemental information under this NOFO through electronic systems used by the DOE constitutes the authorized representative’s approval and electronic signature.

C. Submission Date and Times All required submissions must be submitted to the site identified in the Key Facts section of NOFO Part 1 no later than 5 p.m. ET on the dates provided in the Key Facts section.

This NOFO is expected to be continuously open (with modifications as needed) through 2029, subject to available appropriations, and will provide applicants the opportunity to submit new applications for consideration, subject to the limitations provided in this NOFO. These applications will be reviewed and https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

Section V: Submission Requirements and Deadlines awarded on an annual basis. Applicants may submit multiple applications under this NOFO with a limit of 2 applications per review cycle (2 applications total yearly). Each application submitted by a single U.S. entity must describe a unique project under one of the topic areas listed below and have distinct applicability to advanced reactor needs. In order to be eligible for DOE review within that respective annual review cycle, applications should be submitted no sooner than January 1 in accordance with the due date below for each year the NOFO remains open, as follows:

April 8, 2025 April 8, 2026 April 8, 2027 April 8, 2028 April 8, 2029

Applications must be submitted within the respective application period (January 1 – April 8) to be considered for an award within the review cycle for the year being applied for. If an application is submitted after the due date, it will not be considered for an award for the current year, and it will not be held for a subsequent review cycle. Rather, it must be resubmitted for the next review cycle in accordance with the directions provided in this To be considered for an award within the review cycle for the respective year being applied for, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit all required application documents at least 48 hours in advance of the submission deadline for that review cycle.

Under normal conditions (i.e., at least 48 hours before the submission deadline), applicants should allow at least one hour to submit application documents. Once the application documents are submitted in the site identified in the NOFO Part 1, applicants may revise or update that submission until the expiration of the applicable deadline. If changes are made to any of these documents, the applicant must resubmit them before the applicable deadline.