The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is conducting market research for a research and development project to refine and validate a technical basis for assuring protection against common cause failure in reactor trip systems through a case study. The work will build upon three existing research projects and requires expertise in performance-based safety requirements, independent validation and verification (IV&V) for safety-critical systems, and safety assurance cases. Services are to be provided remotely to the NRC in Rockville, Maryland. This is a sources sought notice only, and there is no solicitation or budget information at this time. Responses to this market survey are voluntary and must be submitted via email by February 26, 2026.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is conducting market research for a research and development project to refine and validate a technical basis for assuring protection against common cause failure in reactor systems through a specific case study. The work involves developing a framework using a systems engineering approach, building upon several existing NRC research projects. Services are to be provided remotely to the NRC in Rockville, Maryland. The notice seeks vendors with extensive expertise in performance-based safety requirements, independent validation and verification (IV&V) for safety-critical systems, and specific experience with correct-by-construction model-based engineering methods. This is a sources sought notice only, and it is not a formal solicitation for proposals.