REQUEST FOR INFORMATION & NOTICE OF INTENT: Nuclear Safety Training and Workforce Development Program | DE RFI NOI 0003410

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE RFI NOI 0003410

The opportunity titled "REQUEST FOR INFORMATION & NOTICE OF INTENT: Nuclear Safety Training and Workforce Development Program" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-RFI/NOI-0003410) is a U.S. Department of Energy notice issued by the DOE Idaho Field Office. It is not presented as a standard grant solicitation at this stage; instead, it functions as a combined Request for Information (RFI) and Notice of Intent (NOI). In practical terms, that means the government is signaling that it is considering a future funding action and is actively gathering input from stakeholders to shape the final scope, structure, requirements, and execution approach of a potential program focused on nuclear safety training and workforce development.

The program focus, as stated in the title, centers on building, strengthening, or expanding training pipelines and workforce development efforts that support nuclear safety-related work. While the short description provided does not spell out specific technical topics, "nuclear safety training" commonly covers areas such as operational safety culture, radiological protection, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, hazard analysis, emergency preparedness, and other competencies needed to safely design, operate, maintain, or decommission nuclear and radiological facilities. The "workforce development" framing suggests emphasis on recruiting and developing talent, establishing education-to-employment pathways, creating or modernizing curricula, supporting hands-on training capacity, and aligning training outcomes with the needs of government sites, contractors, national laboratories, and the broader nuclear enterprise.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as "Discretionary" and lists the funding instrument type as "Other," which can indicate something outside a typical formula award and may involve cooperative agreements, partnerships, or other mechanisms depending on how DOE structures the eventual solicitation. The funding activity category is "Energy," and it is associated with CFDA/Assistance Listing number 81.121, which corresponds to DOE assistance programs. The eligible applicants field is listed as "Unrestricted," which usually indicates that a wide range of entities may provide input to the RFI and, depending on the eventual solicitation, may be eligible to apply. In similar DOE workforce and training efforts, that often includes universities, community colleges, nonprofit organizations, trade and apprenticeship programs, private industry, state or local governments, tribal entities, and consortia.

The notice lists an award ceiling of $100,000,000. In the context of an RFI/NOI, that figure should be interpreted cautiously: it typically reflects the potential scale DOE is contemplating for the future program rather than a guaranteed amount currently available for immediate award. The entry shows "ExpectedAwards:" without a number, reinforcing that this is an early-stage market research and planning step rather than a finalized competition with defined award counts. The original closing date is August 26, 2024, which is the deadline for submitting information in response to the RFI (and/or for acknowledging the notice), not necessarily the deadline for an application for funding, since a full funding opportunity announcement may come later after DOE reviews the feedback received.

Overall, the key takeaway is that DOE, through its Idaho Field Office, is signaling a potentially large-scale investment aimed at improving nuclear safety capabilities by growing and upskilling the workforce. Interested organizations should treat this as an opportunity to influence the design of a forthcoming funding program by submitting comments, recommendations, evidence of workforce needs, suggested training models, partnership structures, cost considerations, and ideas for measurable outcomes. If DOE proceeds to a formal solicitation later, early engagement through the RFI process can help potential applicants align their future proposals with DOE priorities and clarify what the government is likely to request in terms of deliverables, performance metrics, and program structure.

• The Idaho Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "REQUEST FOR INFORMATION & NOTICE OF INTENT: Nuclear Safety Training and Workforce Development Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.121.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-26. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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