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THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) is issuing this Sources Sought Synopsis as a means of conducting market research or as a market survey to determine the availability of potential qualified... THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) is issuing this Sources Sought Synopsis as a means of conducting market research or as a market survey to determine the availability of potential qualified vendors with the technical capability to provide all management, supervision, administration, and labor for the Technical Support for Graphite Waste. Specific activities include: Development of a technical basis report on waste management strategies for nuclear graphite. This report will address multiple aspects of graphite waste management including safety considerations, dependence on reactor design, waste management strategies, and any other regulatory considerations. Special consideration should be paid to the level of the graphite waste and what transportation and storage requirements may result from the waste level. This report should address both high-level waste like that produced by spent TRISO/ultrasafe fuel as well as low-level waste produced by sources such as moderating bricks. Development of a document providing technical review of regulations on graphite waste. This report should include regulations and standards on transportation (including 10 CFR 71 and NUREG 2216) and storage (including 10 CFR 72 and NUREG 2215), in addition to 10 CFR Part 20, 10 CFR Part 61 and others. The waste transportation and storage regulations and standards will be reviewed to check if they are currently technology neutral with regard to specifying the sources which produced the waste. Additionally, the methodologies implemented in the United Kingdom for addressing the graphite waste from their graphite-cored reactors shall be reviewed, as well as domestic knowledge from Peach Bottom and Fort Saint Vrain. The report will build on information released in previous technical letter reports (such as ML20237F397). The report will also identify potential technical information which is not available but is necessary for assessment of waste management strategies. Services are to be provided to the NRC in Rockville, Maryland. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement 541620, Environmental Consulting Services. BACKGROUND The worldwide inventory of irradiated nuclear graphite has been estimated at approximately 250,000 tons. Graphite is used in several Generation IV advanced reactor designs as a structural material as well as a moderator and reflector. Additionally, for some designs, matrix graphite is utilized to encapsulate the nuclear fuel. The application of graphite in these advanced reactor concepts has the potential to significantly increase the amount of irradiated graphite waste which is generated in the coming decades. Neutron irradiation of graphite can convert carbon-13 atoms and nitrogen impurities in graphite into radioactive carbon-14. Additionally, tritium and other fission products can also become incorporated into the graphite. The classification of the graphite waste and the resulting disposal requirements are based upon the concentration of carbon-14 and other radioisotopes in the waste. Rules on waste classification can be found in 10 CFR Part 61, and standards for protection against irradiation are in 10 CFR Part 20. NRC staff is interested in developing a technical basis associated with the impact of graphite waste management, including storage and transportation, in the context of the NRC's Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards regulatory framework. Various potential strategies for graphite waste management exist, including geologic site storage in solid form as well as conversion to carbon dioxide gas followed by sequestration and/or limited release into the atmosphere. The current supply of graphite waste combined with the potential for a substantial increase, as well as changes expected in future graphite waste, pose logistic and regulatory questions which need to be explored. Objective The research activities will support the NRC's Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) in the licensing and certification activities related to graphite waste management, including both transportation and storage of graphite waste. The research activities are important to (1) assist NMSS in understanding the state-of-knowledge on technical and regulatory considerations to support pre-application engagements and near-term licensing/certification actions, (2) support NRC's knowledge management efforts intended to drive efficient and effective safety reviews, (3) ensure NMSS readiness to review near-term licensing/certification actions; and (4) provide clarity regarding the need to adapt the current regulatory framework to make licensing activities more effective and efficient; for example, the need to develop regulatory guidance and staff review plans. The primary deliverables are public/non-proprietary Technical Letter Reports (TLRs). The public/non-proprietary deliverables will further serve to inform vendors and potential applicants on NRC's understanding of such technical issues and information gaps. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME. This request for sources and vendor information does not constitute a request for proposal; submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary; the Government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred. REQUIRED CAPABILITIES: The vendor must have existing staff with the following skills and capabilities to assist the NRC: Detailed knowledge of strategies for management of nuclear graphite waste. Detailed knowledge of NRC and international regulations on graphite waste management. Evidence of such knowledge may include: Scientific publications and presentations NRC-organized workshops NRC-sponsored research First-hand experience, including field experience The purpose of this announcement is to provide potential sources the opportunity to submit information regarding their capabilities to perform work for the NRC free of conflict of interest (COI). For information on NRC COI regulations, visit NRC Acquisition Regulation Subpart 2009.5 (http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/contracting/48cfr-ch20.html). All interested parties, including all categories of small businesses (small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, 8(a) firms, women-owned small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and HUBZone small businesses) are invited to submit a response. The capabilities package submitted by a vendor should demonstrate the firm's ability, capability, and responsibility to perform the principal components of work listed below. The package should also include past performance/experience regarding projects of similar scope listing the project title, general description, the dollar value of the contract, and name of the company, agency, or government entity for which the work was performed. Organizations responding to this market survey should keep in mind that only focused and pertinent information is requested. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements. Submission of additional materials such as glossy brochures or videos is discouraged. HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE If your organization has the capability and capacity to perform, as a prime contractor, one or more of the services described in this notice, then please respond to this notice and provide written responses to the following information. Please do not include any proprietary or otherwise sensitive information in the response, and do not submit a proposal. Proposals submitted in response to this notice will not be considered. Organization name, address, emails address, Web site address and telephone number. What size is your organization with respect to NAICS code identified in this notice (i.e., "small" or "other than small")? If your organization is a small business under the aforementioned NAICS code, what type of small business (i.e., small disadvantaged business, woman-owned small business, economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, 8(a), or HUBZone small business)? Specify all that apply. Separately and distinctly describe how your organization meets each of the capabilities requirements specified in the above section, REQUIRED CAPABILITIES. Please also provide the contract number, contract type, customer name, address and point of contact phone number and email address, contract value, thorough description of supplies and services included in the scope of that contract, indication of how they differ from the required capabilities described in this notice, period of performance (for services) your organization's role (prime contractor, first tier subcontractor, and/or supplier) in the related contracts, and any other relevant information. Indicate whether your organization offers any of the required capabilities described in this notice on one or more of your company's own Federal Government contracts (i.e., GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract or Government wide Acquisition Contracts) that the NRC could order from and, if so, which services are offered. Also, provide the contract number(s) and indicate what is currently available for ordering from each of those contract(s). Provide a standard, non-proprietary commercial price list or similar standard non-proprietary commercial pricing information for how your company sells, as a prime contractor, required capabilities described in this notice that your organization has experience providing. Also, indicate what is included in that pricing. Is your organization currently performing or have in the past performed same or similar services as those listed above for any of the licensees regulated by the NRC? If so, which licensees? See http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/licensing.html for more information on NRC licensing. Has your organization previously faced organizational conflict of interest issues with NRC? If so, what were they and how were they mitigated or resolved? Interested organizations responding to this Sources Sought Synopsis are encouraged to structure capability statements in the order of the area of consideration noted above. All capability statements sent in response to this notice shall not exceed 10 pages in length and must be submitted electronically, via e-mail, to Aracelis Pérez-Ortiz, at Aracelis.Perez-Ortiz@nrc.gov, either MS Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), by no later than May 21, 2024. The subject line of the transmittal email must reference the notice ID number RES-24-0193. DISCLAIMER AND NOTES: Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s potential capability and capacity to perform the subject work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.