Topic #: CW26-T13 · Branch: DOE · Status: Open
The Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to fulfilling its legal mandate under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended, to safely and securely manage, store, transport, and permanently dispose of the nation’s commercial used nuclear fuel (UNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). DOE’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses (Campuses) initiative is a transformative effort to modernize the nuclear lifecycle, including disposition of UNF and HLW. DOE anticipates campus activities to integrate waste disposition systems with other components of the nuclear lifecycle. To advance this mission, this solicitation prioritizes small business innovations in three key areas:
Posted: 10/30/2026 · Opens: 10/30/2026
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The Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to fulfilling its legal mandate under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended, to safely and securely manage, store, transport, and permanently dispose of the nation’s commercial used nuclear fuel (UNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). DOE’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses (Campuses) initiative is a transformative effort to modernize the nuclear lifecycle, including disposition of UNF and HLW. DOE anticipates campus activities to integrate waste disposition systems with other components of the nuclear lifecycle. To advance this mission, this solicitation prioritizes small business innovations in three key areas:
Areas of Interest • Advanced material and manufacturing technologies for standardized waste packages, • Environmental modeling and predictability frameworks for concrete dry-storage overpacks, and • Identification of new and novel approaches to meet regulatory licensing pathways for a Campus.
Goals and Metrics
To address these priorities, applicants are encouraged to propose innovative, scalable technologies that bridge the gap from laboratory-scale concepts to field-ready operations. Specific technical innovations of interest include the development of next-generation materials and advanced manufacturing techniques (such as advanced cladding, coatings, or additive components) to maximize canister/container durability and reduce lifecycle production costs. Additionally, there is a critical need for high-fidelity multi-physics modeling frameworks capable of predicting combined thermal, mechanical, chemical, and radiological degradation of reinforced concrete overpacks subjected to decades of environmental weathering and decay heat. Innovations are also sought in advanced site characterization and subsurface monitoring technologies—such as robust, high-temperature sensors and geophysical imaging techniques— designed to gather reliable geological data within crystalline, shale, or salt host rock environments. Finally, the new and novel regulatory innovations can leverage, for example, risk informed and performance-based approaches, probabilistic risk enhancements, and recent regulatory enhancements to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations by the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission that are relevant to a Campus initiative and may result in a more streamlined and effective licensing pathway for facilities with a primary function of disposition of UNF and HLW. This topic incentivizes commercial-ready solutions that reduce federal liabilities, simplify transport logistical complexities, the potential to reduce overall costs and licensing timelines, and enhance safety margins during extended storage (greater than 100 years) prior to permanent geologic disposal.