Staff Support for Regional Engagement with the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Office of Storage & Transportation on Radioactive Materials Transportation Planning

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy, Office of Storage and Transportation, is seeking cooperative agreement awards under solicitation DE-FOA-0003617 to provide staff support for regional state engagement. The program aims to facilitate coordination between state government officials and the DOE in planning for the large-scale transportation of commercial used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste to federal storage. The DOE anticipates making four awards, with one dedicated to each of the four specific regions: Eastern, Western, Midwestern, and Southern. The estimated period of performance is from November 1, 2026, through September 30, 2031, with project continuation subject to available funding and annual Go/No-Go decisions. Key responsibilities for the selected recipients include convening regional committees, providing logistical and travel support for meetings, and coordinating policy and technical information. Specific technical tasks involve evaluating transportation infrastructure near nuclear reactors and storage sites, developing pilot frameworks for shipment safety inspections across rail, highway, and waterway modes, and completing policies for emergency response training and technical assistance funding. Applicants are evaluated based on their knowledge of state government operations, technical expertise in radioactive materials transportation, and past performance in managing similar federal cooperative agreements. Submissions must be made via the eXCHANGE portal by the specified deadline and must comply with Build America, Buy America and Davis-Bacon Act requirements.