Application to Test in the NRIC DOME Facility

APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 17, 2026 Request for Application - Application to Test in the NRIC DOME Facility RFA WORDING UPDATED 7/06/2026 1. INTRODUCTION Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA) is the Management and Operating Contractor of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) owned Idaho National Laboratory (INL). BEA invites industry applicants to collaborate with the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) and INL to apply for the opportunity to perform advanced reactor experiments in the Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) test bed facility beginning in July 2027. The facility is located at the INL’s Material and Fuels Complex (MFC). This opportunity aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of advanced reactors through access and testing in a nuclear reactor test bed, unlocking private capital and enable fast tracking towards commercial licensing. 2. BACKGROUND Advanced reactor concepts are being developed by multiple commercial entities. First-of-a-kind nuclear technology needs a safe, reliable, and affordable location for testing. It is difficult to find these facilities outside of the national laboratory system and it is cost prohibitive for individual reactor developers to build test facilities themselves. NRIC was established to “enable the testing and demonstration of reactor concepts to be proposed and funded, in whole or in part, by the private sector.” Sec. 958 of NEICA 2017. NRIC is developing facilities and processes to allow advanced reactor developers to expedite commercialization by providing the infrastructure to host fueled reactor experiments developed by industry. NRIC/INL is seeking applications from industry applicants to schedule the DOME facility for fueled reactor experiment testing when the facility is ready for use after the first reactor experiment is complete, projected July 2027. An acceptable advanced nuclear reactor must meet the following thresholds: Sufficiently mature design to support imminent development and submittal of safety basis documentation, including a final documented safety analysis to support operations. Established nuclear material plans that include disposition or lifecycle pathways for all nuclear materials utilized or generated during testing. Plans should incorporate qualified fuel forms with identified fuel fabrication plan. Adequate financial resources and mature supply chain to complete design, build, commissioning, operation, and decommissioning, as appropriate Execution readiness including for procurement/manufacture of all materials, systems and components, and qualified staffing to support all project phases Developed commercialization plan for next steps and plans for long-term commercialization, including plans for commercial licensing, future tests and demonstrations and their locations. The applications will include detailed information in the following general categories, each of which is a separate section of the application: Reactor Technology Maturity (plan to mature technology prior to testing) Nuclear Material Feedstock/Fuel (plan to qualify, procure, deliver, store, and dispose) Reactor Test Objectives (tests planned in DOME) Project Schedule (proposed schedule from application through decommissioning) DOME Integration (special interface needs and clear understanding of reactor to DOME interface and shielding) DOE Authorization Plan (plan for obtaining DOE authorization for reactor startup) Funding (amounts and sources) Experience and Capabilities (key personnel and partnerships, management infrastructure) Commercialization and Regulatory Plan (plan for long-term commercialization and licensing) Attachment 1 of the application is a Master Document and Deliverable List (MDDL), which is to be submitted with the rest of the application. Attachment 2 of the submitted application will be the applicant’s project schedule. Detailed instructions, description of application information, and evaluation criteria are described in I...