SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Level 1 PRA Modeling Support for the Development of a Full-Scope, Comprehensive, Level 3 Probabilistic Risk Assessment - Sources Sought
- Notice Date
- 10/27/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Administration, Division of Contracts, 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, Maryland, 20852-2738, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20852-2738
- Solicitation Number
- NRC-SS-12-04-0001
- Archive Date
- 12/7/2011
- Point of Contact
- Ashlee L. Bushell, Phone: 3014923473, Daniel App, Phone: 3014923606
- E-Mail Address
-
ashlee.bushell@nrc.gov, Daniel.App@nrc.gov
(ashlee.bushell@nrc.gov, Daniel.App@nrc.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Sources Sought Notice Title Level 1 PRA Modeling Support for the Development of a Full-Scope, Comprehensive, Level 3 Probabilistic Risk Assessment Sources Sought Synopsis This is a sources sought synopsis. This is not a Request for Proposal. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is conducting a market survey and analysis to determine the range of available contractors that exists and assess their capabilities to assist the NRC with project work described below. The NRC does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this request or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. 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 Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCOI). For information on NRC OCOI regulations, visit NRC Acquisition Regulation Subpart 2009.5, entitled "Organizational Conflicts of Interest" (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 to the market research questions below and submit the capability information as described below. The references sited below with accession numbers may be found in the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). Submission of additional materials such as glossy brochures or videos is discouraged. Responses are due no later than 3:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 22, 2011. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs associated with submission of the requested information. Telephone inquiries or responses are not acceptable. Facsimile (301-492-3437) or email (Ashlee.Bushell@nrc.gov) responses are acceptable or responses may be mailed to: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Attn: Ashlee Bushell, Contract Specialist, Division of Contracts, MS: TWB - 01-B10M, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Background The NRC is responsible for the licensing and regulatory oversight of civilian nuclear power reactors in the United States. The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) furthers the regulatory mission of the NRC by providing technical advice, technical tools, and information for identifying and resolving safety issues, making regulatory decisions, and promulgating regulations and guidance. RES conducts independent experiments and analyses, develops technical bases for supporting realistic safety decisions by the agency, and prepares the agency for the future by evaluating safety issues involving current and new designs and technologies. RES develops its program with consideration of Commission direction and input from the program offices and other stakeholders. In 1995, the Commission established the current framework for risk-informed regulation by issuing a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) Policy Statement that stated the use of PRA technology should be increased in all regulatory matters to the extent supported by the state-of-the-art and in a manner that complements NRC's deterministic approach and traditional defense-in-depth philosophy. PRA is a structured, analytical process that provides both qualitative insights and quantitative estimates of risk by (1) identifying potential sequences that can challenge system operations and lead to an adverse event, (2) estimating the likelihood of these sequences, and (3) estimating the consequences associated with these sequences, if they were to occur. By prioritizing significant risk contributors and characterizing key sources of uncertainty and their impact on results, PRA serves as a useful decisionmaking tool that can help focus thinking and limited agency resources to ensure safety. U.S. nuclear reactor PRAs are used to characterize three regimes of accident progression. A Level 1 PRA models system (plant and operator) response to various initiating events that challenge system operation to estimate reactor core damage frequency. A Level 2 PRA includes Level 1 PRA analyses and, in addition, models system and containment response to severe core damage accidents to estimate conditional containment failure probabilities, radioactive material release frequencies (e.g., large early release frequency), and various source term characteristics. Finally, a Level 3 PRA includes Level 2 PRA analyses and, in addition, models the transport and dispersion of released radioactive materials to estimate various offsite radiological health and economic consequence measures. A full-scope comprehensive site Level 3 PRA can provide valuable insights into the relative importance of various risk contributors by assessing accidents involving the reactor core as well as other site radiological sources (i.e., spent fuel pools, dry storage casks, and multiple units). These insights can be used to further enhance regulatory decisionmaking and to help focus limited agency resources on issues most directly related to the agency's mission to protect public health and safety. Although Level 3 PRAs have since been performed to some extent within both the United States and international nuclear industries, NRC has not sponsored development of a Level 3 PRA since NUREG-1150. In the more than two decades that have passed since the NUREG-1150 Level 3 PRAs were performed, numerous technical advances have been made that were not reflected in the NUREG-1150 PRA models. The staff has also identified additional scope considerations not previously considered that could be addressed by performing a new full-scope comprehensive site Level 3 PRA. During the Annual Commission Meeting on Research Programs, Performance, and Future Plans on February 18, 2010, the staff proposed a scoping study to evaluate the feasibility of performing a new full-scope comprehensive site Level 3 PRA. On March 19, 2010, the Commission expressed conditional support for Level 3 PRA related activities and directed the staff to provide the Commission with various options for proceeding that include costs and perspectives on future uses for Level 3 PRAs. On July 7, 2011, the NRC staff responded to the SRM by providing three proposed options for proceeding with the Level 3 PRA development project. These three options consisted of (1) maintaining the status quo (i.e., continuing with evolutionary development of PRA technology); (2) conducting focused research to address identified gaps in existing PRA technology before performing a full-scope, comprehensive site Level 3 PRA; and (3) conducting a full-scope, comprehensive site Level 3 PRA. On September 21, 2011, the Commission approved a modified version of the third option which extended the completion schedule from three years to four years. Capability Sought The NRC is seeking to identify commercial organizations capable of providing support for the Level 1 aspects of PRA modeling aspects associated with the development of a Level 3 PRA. This can include, but is not limited to, initiating event analysis, event tree development and analysis, system reliability model (e.g., fault tree) development and analysis, human reliability analysis, data analysis, accident sequence quantification, and uncertainty analysis. This support also includes PRA modeling of internal fires and floods, external events, low power and shutdown modes of reactor operation, non-reactor sources of radiological material (i.e., spent fuel pools and dry storage casks), and consideration of multi-unit effects. Candidate contractors should have in-depth knowledge in the Level 1 PRA aspects described above in order to assist the NRC staff in identifying and resolving issues. Candidate contractors should also be technically creditable to respond to technical questions during ACRS presentations based on their in-depth knowledge resulting from their education and work experience. Commercial organizations that are interested in supporting our full-scope, comprehensive site Level 3 PRA development project should please respond to the market research questions below and provide capability information on your staff's qualifications and your firm's corporate experiences and qualifications on similar contracts or efforts. For potentially available and qualified candidates, please provide the candidates' educational background, relevant years of work experience, and description of experience in performing PRAs and PRA-related activities, including any relevant publications. Market Research Questions 1. Please provide the organization name, address, email address, website address and telephone number. 2. Demonstrate that your organization possesses the "Capability Sought" in the section above. 3. How long has your organization been in operation? 4. What type of business is your company (i.e., small, 8(a), service-disabled veteran-owned, etc.)? 5. How many people does your company employ, including consultants? Please break down the mix between the two categories. 6. Describe teaming arrangements your company has formed to perform scopes of work outside your core competencies. Describe both the type of work and how you managed it. 7. Has your company previously faced organizational conflict of interest issues with NRC? How were they resolved? 8. List any companies or government agencies your company either plans to or has performed work for related to civilian nuclear reactors. Describe the work performed. 9. Although no geographic restriction is anticipated, if responding organizations are located outside the Washington Metropolitan area, indicate how the organization would coordinate with the NRC program office located in Rockville, MD to provide support to multiple sites. For questions No. 1 thru No. 9, please limit your response to no more than five pages total. For full Sources Sought Notice please see attached. 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. The Government may provide access to the information contained in the response to a contractor providing acquisition planning and strategic technical assistance support to the Government. 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 Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.
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