Level 2 PRA logic model development and thermal-hydraulic modeling and analysis support for the full-scope site level 3 PRA project

May 23, 2012

SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. NRC-HQ-12-R-04-0099 ENTITLED, "LEVEL 2 PRA LOGIC MODEL DEVELOPMENT AND THERMAL-HYDRAULIC MODELING AND ANALYSIS SUPPORT FOR THE FULL-SCOPE SITE LEVEL 3 PRA PROJECT"

OFFERORS:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is soliciting proposals for the project entitled above. The full scope of work anticipated is as set forth in Section C, Statement of Work.

It is our intention by this solicitation to secure the best qualified organization available to perform this project, cost and other factors considered.

Proposals for this requirement may only be submitted by Small Businesses as this solicitation is set-aside 100% for Small Business concerns. The designated NAICS Code is 541690 Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services with a size standard of $14 Million.

If you desire to respond, your proposal should address the proposal requirements set forth in Section L, of the solicitation. All proposals will be evaluated against the evaluation criteria shown in Section M.

To respond to this request, your organization will be required to provide an offer to the NRC. Your offer should be valid for 120 days from the closing date of the Request for Proposal (RFP); your proposal must be submitted electronically via email to Claudia.Melgar@nrc.gov no later than Friday, June 22, 2012 by 1:00 p.m. EST.

It shall be the obligation of the offeror to exercise due diligence to discover and to bring to the attention of the Contracting Officer at the earliest possible time, but no later than,
June 13, 2012, 1:00 p.m. EST, any ambiguities, discrepancies, inconsistencies, or conflicts between the SOW and other documents attached hereto or incorporated by reference herein.

The deadline for questions is June 13, 2012, no later than 1:00 p.m. The answers to the questions received will be posted in the form of an amendment to the solicitation.

The proposal shall be signed by an official authorized to bind the company, and it shall contain a statement indicating a proposal acceptance period of not less than 120 days.

All future information regarding this acquisition, including solicitation amendments, will be distributed solely through the FedBizOpps website. Hard copies of the solicitation document and its related documents, as appropriate, will be posted at this website; therefore, interested parties shall not send letters, e-mails or faxes requesting copies of the RFP. Accordingly, telephoned, mailed, e-mailed or faxed requests will not be honored. Interested parties shall be responsible for monitoring the FedBizOpps website to assure that they have the most up-to-date information regarding this acquisition. 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 must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) to receive a government contract award. You may register with the CCR at http://www.ccr.gov/. Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) must also be completed for award. Please register Representations and Certifications at https://orca.bpn.gov/.

If you have any questions concerning the requirements of this solicitation, please contact me, on (301) 492-3487 or Claudia.Melgar@nrc.gov.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) intends to issue a solicitation for a project to support the development of the Level 2 PRA logic model and the T-H aspects of the full-scope site Level 3 PRA project

A full-scope site Level 3 probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) for a nuclear power plant site can provide valuable insights into the relative importance of various risk contributors by assessing accidents involving the reactor core as well as other site radiological sources (i.e., spent fuel pools, dry storage casks, and multiple units). These insights can be used to further enhance regulatory decision making and to help focus limited agency resources on issues most directly related to the agency's mission to protect public health and safety.

Although Level 3 PRAs have since been performed to some extent within both the United States and international nuclear industries, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has not sponsored development of a Level 3 PRA for a nuclear power plant site since NUREG-1150. In the more than two decades that have passed since the NUREG-1150 Level 3 PRAs were performed, numerous technical advances have been made that were not reflected in the NUREG-1150 PRA models. The staff has also identified additional scope considerations not previously considered that could be addressed by performing a new full-scope site Level 3 PRA.

A Level 2 PRA model provides 1) a structured and comprehensive evaluation of containment performance in response to accident sequences identified from the Level 1 analysis and 2) a quantitative characterization of radiological release to the environment that would result from accident sequences that involve leakage from the containment pressure boundary. Deterministic T-H modeling and analyses serve as the basis for many of the assumptions used in the Level 2 as well as the Level 1 PRA logic models. As such, the T-H models and analyses must adequately represent those systems and phenomena that are being modeled so that the PRA logic model represents realistic plant response to various accident scenarios.

This will be a competitive acquisition for the award of a cost reimbursement type contract. This procurement is set-aside 100% for Small Business concerns. All other firms are deemed ineligible to submit offers. The designated NAICS Code is 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services, with a size standard of $17 Million. The government anticipates a contract period of performance of September 01, 2012 to August 31, 2016.

The solicitation will be issued as a request for proposal (RFP) utilizing FAR Part 15, tradeoff process. The government anticipates release of the solicitation on or about May 22, 2012, with a projected closing date of June 26, 2012. These are projected dates and are subject to change. This solicitation and all amendments will be issued to Federal Business Opportunities Website (FedBizOpps) at http://www.fbo.gov/. All future information regarding this acquisition, including solicitation amendments, will be distributed solely through the FedBizOpps website. The FedBizOpps website provides downloading instructions. Hard copies of the solicitation document and its related documents, as appropriate, will be posted at this website; therefore, interested parties shall not send letters, e-mails or faxes requesting copies of the RFP. Accordingly, telephoned, mailed, e-mailed or faxed requests will not be honored. Interested parties shall be responsible for monitoring the FedBizOpps website to assure that they have the most up-to-date information regarding this acquisition. Note that the FedBizOpps system includes the capability to join and view a published list of vendors interested in this solicitation. This is useful for vendors who are interested in teaming on procurement opportunities. 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 must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) to receive a government contract award. You may register with the CCR at http://www.ccr.gov/. Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) must also be completed for award. Please register Representations and Certifications at https://orca.bpn.gov/.

The point of contact for this notice is Claudia G. Melgar, Contract Specialist;
Email: Claudia.Melgar@nrc.gov; Phone: (301) 492-3637.

RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE ARE NOT REQUIRED.

A full-scope site Level 3 probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) for a nuclear power plant site can provide valuable insights into the relative importance of various risk contributors by assessing accidents involving the reactor core as well as other site radiological sources (i.e., spent fuel pools, dry storage casks, and multiple units). These insights can be used to further enhance regulatory decision making and to help focus limited agency resources on issues most directly related to the agency's mission to protect public health and safety.

Although Level 3 PRAs have since been performed to some extent within both the United States and international nuclear industries, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has not sponsored development of a Level 3 PRA for a nuclear power plant site since NUREG-1150. In the more than two decades that have passed since the NUREG-1150 Level 3 PRAs were performed, numerous technical advances have been made that were not reflected in the NUREG-1150 PRA models. The staff has also identified additional scope considerations not previously considered that could be addressed by performing a new full-scope site Level 3 PRA.

A Level 2 PRA model provides 1) a structured and comprehensive evaluation of containment performance in response to accident sequences identified from the Level 1 analysis and 2) a quantitative characterization of radiological release to the environment that would result from accident sequences that involve leakage from the containment pressure boundary. Deterministic T-H modeling and analyses serve as the basis for many of the assumptions used in the Level 2 as well as the Level 1 PRA logic models. As such, the T-H models and analyses must adequately represent those systems and phenomena that are being modeled so that the PRA logic model represents realistic plant response to various accident scenarios.