A Case Study for Using A Systems Engineering Approach to Demonstrate Assurance Against Common Cause Failure in Operating and New / Advanced Reactor Technologies .

2026-11-03

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 capability to provide all technical , management , supervision , administration , and labor for subject matter expertise for an upcoming project titled “ A Case Study for Using A Systems Engineering Approach to Demonstrate Assurance Against Common Cause Failure in Operating and New / Advanced Reactor Technologies .” The nuclear industry in the USA is adopting a Systems Engineering process , such as the Digital Engineering Guide ( DEG ) 3002011816 , “ Decision Making Using Systems Engineering ,” developed by the Electric Power Research Institute ( EPRI ). While the EPRI - developed guidance is intended to support industry practitioners and their management , there is a corresponding opportunity for the NRC to leverage a Systems Engineering approach in systematizing its migration towards risk - informed , performance - based regulatory reviews . This project is intended to develop part of the commensurate technical basis and framework in coordination with other NRC ongoing research efforts . The objective of this work is to refine and validate a technical basis for assurance of protection against common cause failure ( CCF ) through a case study of a reactor trip system from the perspective of an independent evaluator or assessor . The technical basis ( set of technical evaluation criteria ) has been created in the projects A and B mentioned below . The criteria are performance - based ( i . e ., no prescriptive requirements such as diversity in design ). The case study would evaluate safety requirements created in project A for performance - based safety assurance ( e . g ., no known hazardous conditions remain in the system ). Examples of review considerations include hazardous interactions of the system with its environment , correct formulation of safety constraints , correct flow - down of the safety constraints , and search for any secondary contributing factors . The case study would also include voluntary reviews by external reviewers and consider their feedback on the safety of the design and the adequacy of the technical criteria . The case study will build upon the results of three related projects : A . Model - Based Systems Engineering ( MBSE ) research : The MBSE research develops technical criteria to evaluate the safety of a system developed using “ correct - by - construction ” ( i . e ., hazard - free ) techniques . The research also includes an illustrative example satisfying the evaluation criteria . B . Safety assurance case ( SAC ) research : The SAC research provides technical criteria to evaluate a SAC which integrates the evidence ( e . g ., as generated in the MBSE project ) to demonstrate safety ; its gap - identification capability will be useful in this project . Please see : https :// sam . gov / opp / b6d774df34134e4b94246d4e0e6207d5 / viewC . Hazard analysis ( HA ) research : The HA research identifies potential limitations in the capability to evaluate the hazard analysis performed by someone else using the System - Theoretic Process Analysis ( STPA ) method . Please see : https :// sam . gov / opp / 33ddd4e5fe8b437b9f90c2cc79a94915 / viewFor the uncontrolled hazards identified in the example design from project A , this case study will formulate the safety constraints to prevent those hazards , and rework the design or extend the verification as needed to assure its safety . Furthermore , the case study will be used to check whether any of the hazards identified remain uncontrolled due to gaps in the technical criteria . It would rework the technical criteria to fill any identified gaps . This Sources Sought notice seeks information on the capability and availability of vendors experienced in providing research and development ( R & D ) services for designing and implementing systems engineering review processes in an organization that performs independent validation and verification ( IV & V ), safety assurance , certification , or licensing . Services are to be provided remotely to the NRC located in Rockville , Maryland . The applicable North American Industry Classification System ( NAICS ) code assigned to this procurement is 541330 , Engineering Services . 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 : 1 . Expertise in formulating and evaluating performance - based safety requirements sufficiently specific for engineering safety - critical cyber - physical systems . 2 . Expertise in IV & V of high - criticality cyber - physical systems for the purpose of design certification or licensing in safety applications . 3 . The offeror must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in performing or providing consulting support for activities associated with items # 1 , and # 2 , above , demonstrating : a . Ability to identify hazardous conditions introduced through the design , e . g ., through interactions of the system with its environment ( sensors ; actuators ; other systems and components ; human - automation interactions ) or through shared resources ( signals ; memory ; computational resources ; communication resources ). b . Ability to formulate verifiable , unambiguous safety constraints to avoid or prevent hazardous conditions . c . Ability to evaluate whether architectural specifications satisfy safety constraints . 4 . Offeror must be familiar with regulatory approval considerations for safety - critical systems in at least one application sector ( e . g ., aerospace , nuclear , transportation , medical , etc .). 5 . Demonstrated capability for IV & V of safety - critical systems , especially for certification or licensing purposes . 6 . Capability to perform a case study , which has used correct - by - construction model - based system and software engineering methods including V & V , to develop a safety - critical cyber - physical system , and organizing its safety analysis in the form of a safety assurance case . 7 . A thorough understanding of NRC ’ s research publications related to hazard analysis and safety assurance case for safety - critical systems such as reactor protection systems . Please see : a . RIL 1001 , available at : https :// www . nrc . gov / docs / ML1112 / ML111240017 . pdfb . RIL 1002 , available at : https :// www . nrc . gov / docs / ML1419 / ML14197A201 . pdfc . RIL 1101 , available at : https :// www . nrc . gov / docs / ML1423 / ML14237A359 . pdfd . NUREG / IA 0254 , available at : https :// www . nrc . gov / docs / ML1120 / ML11201A179 . pdfe . TLR - RES / DE / ICEEB - 2025 - 002 , available at : https :// ww2 . nrc . gov / docs / ML2524 / ML25248A033 . pdfPREFERRED CAPABILITIESIn addition to the above required capabilities , the following capabilities would be preferred : 1 . Expertise in transforming performance - based requirements into realized safety - critical cyber - physical systems that are correct - by - construction . 2 . Demonstrated familiarity with the NRC ’ s applicable regulations ( e . g ., 10 CFR 50 . 34 ). 3 . The offeror should have a minimum of 5 years of experience in performing or providing consulting support for activities associated with required capability items # 1 , # 2 , and # 3 above , demonstrating : a . Expertise in applying correct - by - construction techniques . b . Expertise in identifying hazards from systematic causes such as engineering deficiencies , including ability to utilize insights from NRC ’ s research publications on this subject ( mentioned above ). c . Expertise in leveraging engineering models to identify hazards from engineering deficiencies and to formulate safety constraints that are verifiable analytically . 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 above . 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 NOTICEIf 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 and PREFERRED 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 February 26 , 2026 . The subject line of the transmittal email must reference the notice ID numberAPP - 26 - RES - 0033 . 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 .

Maryland

2026-05-02