Unleashing American Energy Dominance and Expediting Responsible and Secure U.S. Small Modular Reactor Deployment through the FIRST Program

Closed Posted

Opportunity number
DFOP0017227
Agency
Applications due
Award size
$50,000 to $4,000,000

Opportunity facts

Assistance listings
Funding instrument
Cooperative Agreement
Category
  • Other
Eligible applicants
Not on record
Points of contact

Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .

About this opportunity

Written by GovTribe AI ·

The Department of State's Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN/CTR) is seeking cooperative agreement proposals for the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor (FIRST) Technology Program. This program aims to enable partner countries to deploy nuclear energy infrastructure under high nuclear security, safety, and nonproliferation standards, focusing on regions including Africa, East Asia Pacific, Europe, Near Eastern Affairs, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere. Applicants must demonstrate expertise in SMR technology selection, deployment roadmaps, nuclear security considerations, workforce development, and stakeholder engagement. The evaluation will prioritize proposals that advance President Trump's Executive Order on Unleashing American Energy and have the highest likelihood of achieving program objectives. The application deadline is July 30, 2025, with an anticipated project start date of January 1, 2026.

The funding opportunity offers up to 10 awards totaling $19,500,000, with individual award amounts ranging from $50,000 to $4,000,000. Eligible applicants include U.S. for-profit organizations, non-profits, higher education institutions, and international organizations. The performance period is expected to be 12-24 months, with a preference for projects completed within 15 months. Applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and be registered in SAM.gov, and no profit can be earned on the awarded work. The program will fund activities supporting responsible SMR technology deployment across various international partner countries.

Synopsis

ISN/CTR administers the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Technology Program (FIRST) to enable partner countries' responsible nuclear energy deployment under the highest nuclear security, safety, and nonproliferation standards. FIRST is ISN's flagship programmatic tool to advance President Trump's Executive Order on Unleashing American Energy in global nuclear energy markets. Launched in 2019, FIRST harnesses the power of U.S. public-private partnerships and the innovation of the U.S. nuclear industry to engage partner countries worldwide seeking to build or expand their nuclear energy programs to meet energy needs. Expertise acquired through FIRST workshops, webinars, technical consultancies, study tours, feasibility studies, SMR simulators, regional training hubs, and site visits includes SMR technology selection, SMR deployment roadmaps, SMR fleet deployment regional harmonization initiatives, nuclear security and nonproliferation considerations for SMR deployment, nuclear safety and licensing best practices for advanced reactors, SMR site selection and characterization, nuclear workforce development, stakeholder engagement, preparation for SMR financing, integrating nuclear in the energy mix, planning for responsible spent fuel and SMR waste management, and more. These civil nuclear energy partnerships harness the power of the U.S. nuclear industry to expedite the deployment of safe, secure, and proliferation-resistant SMRs meeting the highest international standards.

Files

File Type Posted
CTR NOFO Q&A - posted 11 July.docx DOCX document
CTR NOFO Q&A - Final posted 28 July.pdf PDF
CTR NOFO Q&A - For teams to added to - posted 27 June.docx DOCX document
CTR NOFO Q&A - posted 25 July.docx DOCX document
CTR NOFO Q&A - 6 June.docx DOCX document
CTR NOFO Q&A - 13 June 2025.docx DOCX document
CTR NOFO Q&A - Posted 20 June 2025.docx DOCX document
CTR NOFO Q&A - posted 8 July.docx DOCX document
CTR NOFO Q&A - Posted 18 July 2025.docx DOCX document
Monitoring Indicator Table Sample.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
Monitoring Indicator Table Sample.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
FY25 CTR Project Narrative Template 250401.docx DOCX document
FY25 CTR Project Narrative Template 250708.docx DOCX document
FY25 CTR Consolidated Project List.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
FIRST NOFO DFOP0017227 - 30 May 2025.docx DOCX document
FIRST NOFO DFOP0017227 - 6 June 2025.docx DOCX document
FY 2025 Budget Template 241004.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
Show all 17

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