Pre-SolicitationNotice.docx

PRE-SOLICITATION: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR COMMERCIAL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PROBABILISTIC RISK ASSESSMENT TASKS

GENERAL INFO:

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS:

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Acquisition Management Division U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Mail Stop: TWFN 05E03

DESCRIPTION:

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this contract is to expand and update Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) methods used in nuclear regulatory activities, in compliance with the 1995 Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) policy statement for implementing risk-informed regulation

BACKGROUND

In 1995 the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a policy statement for implementing risk-informed regulation. The statement said that Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) methods were to be used in nuclear regulatory activities.

Since then, the NRC has been using PRA to estimate risk by addressing three questions: what can go wrong, how likely it is, and what are its consequences? Thus, PRA provides insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the design and operation of a nuclear power plant (NPP). Risk-informed decision-making uses these PRA insights, combined with other data sources, including deterministic assessments and engineering judgment, to support an integrated decision-making process.

The purpose of contract is to obtain technical assistance for addressing a number of current challenges in the development of PRA models and tools to support risk-informed decision-making. It is envisioned that this assistance would involve support in the areas of severe accident induced steam generator tube rupture modeling, severe accident PRA modeling (including accidents involving more than one major site radiological source), consequence modeling, external hazard modeling, low power and shutdown modeling, and PRA data analysis.

SPECIFIC TASKS

The contractor shall provide technical assistance for commercial nuclear power plant probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) via the following tasks:

· Consequential Steam Generator Tube Rupture (C-SGTR) Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA)

· The NRC conducted research to develop additional products to facilitate development and review of future risk assessments involving consequential steam generator tube rupture (C-SGTR) in operating pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plants with subsequent radioactive release to the environment.

· The results of this research currently reside in a draft NUREG report that includes additional thermal-hydraulic and structural analyses, characterization of steam generator (SG) flaw distributions, and improved probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) modeling.

· Task 1 of this contract is being issued so that technical assistance is provided to ensure that:

· The draft NUREG report is finalized as a NUREG report and issued in a timely manner.

· NRC offices are instructed on how to use the C-SGTR PRA methodology.

· Multi-source Integrated Site PRA

· The NRC is presently performing a full-scope integrated Level-3 PRA at a commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) site.

· This can provide valuable insights into the relative importance of various contributors to radioactive release by assessing risks involving one or more major site radiological sources, including: reactor units, spent fuel pools (SFPs), and dry cask storage (DCS).

· Task 2 of this contract is being issued so that technical assistance is provided to support the NRC in development of a multi-source integrated site PRA model.

· This model shall encompass all major site radiological sources for a specified commercial nuclear power plant site, including all operating reactor units, SFPs, and DCS.

· Development of Integrated Level-1 and Level-2 PRA Models Within the NRC’s SAPHIRE Computer Code Environment

· The NRC uses PRA to estimate risk by computing real numbers to determine what can go wrong, how likely it is, and what are its consequences. Thus, PRA provides insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the design and operation of a NPP. Within the NRC, most NPP PRA analysis is done using the SAPHIRE (Systems Analysis Programs for Hands-on Integrated Reliability Evaluations) computer code in conjunction with the agency’s SPAR (Standardized Plant Analysis Risk) models.

· A future task of this contract may be issued so that technical assistance is provided to support the integration of Level-1 and Level-2 PRA models within SAPHIRE.

· Development of PRA Models and Assessment of Radioactivity Release Mitigating Measures, Including Use of Filtered Containment Venting, for Nuclear Power Plants.

· Assessments following the Fukushima Dia-ichi accident have indicated that containment release mitigation strategies may have potential to reduce public health and safety impacts following a severe accident (e.g., NRC Near Term Task Force Recommendation 5.2).

· A future task of this contract may be issued so that technical assistance is provided to support the assessment of containment radioactivity release mitigation measures.

· Development of PRA Models for Hazards Such as Wind, Seismic, Fire, and Flooding

· Continued development of SPAR models for these hazards became extremely important after the Japan Fukushima accident of March 11, 2011, when the NRC implemented a three-tiered prioritization of actions to enhance U.S. nuclear reactor safety.

· A future task of this contract may be issued so that technical assistance is provided to support future development of these SPAR models.

· Development of PRA Models for Low Power and Shutdown Plant Operating States

· Human error plays a more significant role in NPP accidents during low power and shutdown operating states than in other NPP accidents.

· A future task of this contract may be issued so that technical assistance is provided to support development of PRA models that better define the risk associated NPP accidents during low power and shutdown operating states.

· Operating Experience Data Analysis and Parameter Estimation in Support of PRA and Risk-informed Decision-making

· Supports NRC Management Directive, 8.7, “Reactor Operating Experience Program,” which requires that the NRC collect and assess operational data from U.S. nuclear power plants.

· A future task of this contract may be issued so that technical assistance is provided to support:

· Special studies that incorporate data currently contained in the NRC’s Integrated Data Collection and Coding System (IDCCS), maintained at INL, in support of current risk-informed regulatory functions.

· Recommendations on what new operational data or metrics may be collected and developed to improve PRA accuracy and agency risk-informed initiatives.

· Recommendations on what to add or improve in the data provided to NRC via the INPO ICES (INPO Consolidated Events System) of component failure events.

· On-going staff efforts directed towards improving common cause failure estimation methods.

The Solicitation/Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued utilizing FAR Part 15, as a total small business set-aside. The source selection will be best value/tradeoff process. The government anticipates release of the solicitation on or about June 23, 2015, with a projected closing date of July 27, 2015. These are projected dates and are subject to change. The solicitation will be available through the FedBizzOpps website at https://www.fbo.gov, and through FedConnect at https://www.fedconnect.net.

All interested offerors shall be registered in FedConnect in order to be able to submit a proposal. All future information regarding this acquisition, including solicitation amendments, will be distributed solely through FedConnect website and FedBizzOpps website. The solicitation document and its related documents, as appropriate, will be posted at these websites. Therefore, interested parties shall not send letters, e-mails, or faxes requesting copies of the RFP. Accordingly, telephone, mail, e-mail, or fax requests will not be honored. Interested parties shall be responsible for monitoring the FedConnect website and the FedBizzOpps website to assure that they have the most up-to-date information regarding this acquisition.

The contracting officer has enabled the "Register as Interested Vendor" feature for the referenced solicitation number. Vendors can obtain more information on the Interested Vendors List (IVL) by clicking on the following link to the Vendor's Guide: https://www.fbo.gov/downloads/FBO_Vendor_Guide.pdf

The Government shall not reimburse interested parties for any costs associated with responding to this solicitation.

The government reserves the right to award without discussions therefore; the offerors initial proposal shall contain its best terms.

Interested parties doing business with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).

The point of contact for this notice is Lisa Kauffman, Contract Specialist;

Email: Lisa.Kauffman@nrc.gov; Phone: 301-415-8199.

RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE ARE NOT REQUIRED.

Contracting Office Address:

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Mail Stop: TWFN 05E02

United States Primary Point of Contact:

Lisa Kauffman Lisa.Kauffman@nrc.gov Phone: 301-415-8199