Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum

Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum, doing business as LLW Forum, is a tax-exempt non-profit organization based in Richland, Washington, that facilitates stakeholder coordination on low-level radioactive waste management and disposal as a prime recipient of federal grants and a seller of associate memberships to federal agencies. The organization operates exclusively as a prime recipient (100% of awards) with no subcontract footprint, competing in full-and-open procurements with no set-aside designations.

LLW Forum's core federal activity centers on two offerings: annual associate membership renewals purchased by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and longer-term grant-funded coordination and advisory services supporting the Department of Energy's waste management objectives. On the membership side, the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation has purchased thirteen associate memberships (combined potential value $153 thousand) since 2021, each priced at $12,000 annually and providing active non-voting participation in LLW Forum meetings, written materials access, and member-portal access for federal staff. The NRC has purchased eight memberships (combined potential value $164 thousand) through its Central Office, including a $36,000 standard federal associate membership award dated August 2021 and subsequent $12,000 annual renewals. The most recent EPA membership renewal is a $12,000 purchase order from the Office of Air and Radiation dated December 30, 2024, with ultimate completion in January 2026.

On the grant side, LLW Forum holds a $1.328 million block grant from the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management under CFDA 81.104 (Environmental Remediation and Waste Processing and Disposal), effective April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2031, to provide stakeholder coordination and advisory services connecting states, compact commissions, nuclear utilities, disposal operators, and industry brokers with market information on commercial low-level radioactive waste management and disposal options. The organization also holds a project grant from the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (May 2022 award, completion September 2027) to explore viable source management and disposal options in the national security interest.

Customer concentration is modest and segmented by transaction type. The EPA Office for Air and Radiation anchors membership volume (13 awards) while the National Nuclear Security Administration anchors potential value ($1.4 million combined across grant awards). The top five customers account for 76% of recent awards by count and 96% of combined potential value. Activity has declined over the past five years — three awards in 2021, two in 2022, one in 2023, two in 2024, and one awarded in 2026 — with only one award (combined potential value unspecified in source) reaching ultimate completion inside the next twenty-four months. Combined potential value across all awards is $1.8 million, though combined dollars obligated total $5.5 million, reflecting the multi-year nature of grant activity.