High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain Innovative Technology Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) | DE FOA 0003487

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003487

The High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain Innovative Technology Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is a U.S. Department of Energy funding opportunity aimed at strengthening and modernizing the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle specifically for HALEU. HALEU is enriched uranium above the level used in most today`s commercial reactors but below the threshold for highly enriched uranium, and it is widely viewed as an enabling fuel for many advanced reactor designs. This NOFO is focused on practical technology advancement that can make the HALEU supply chain safer, more sustainable, more efficient, and more resilient by improving existing processes and closing key technology gaps.

The program is offered as a discretionary funding opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement typically means the federal government expects to have substantial involvement during the project period (for example, active technical engagement, coordination, or milestone-based collaboration), which can matter for teams that are used to more hands-off grant structures. The issuing agency is the DOE Idaho Field Office, and the funding falls under the Energy activity category with CFDA number 81.121.

The NOFO is organized into two topic areas that span a range of technology readiness and project types. Topic Area 1 supports up to two Demonstration Project awards, indicating an emphasis on larger, more integrated efforts that validate or prove out technology at a scale that is closer to deployment. Demonstration projects generally target real-world operating environments, integration with existing industrial workflows, and collection of performance, safety, quality, and cost data that can support commercialization or broader adoption. Topic Area 2 supports four to ten Research and Development (R&D) Project awards, signaling a larger number of smaller or mid-scale efforts intended to develop, refine, or de-risk enabling technologies that feed into the broader HALEU supply chain.

In scope, the NOFO targets the front-end nuclear fuel cycle, which commonly includes activities such as uranium processing and conversion, enrichment-related technologies and supporting systems, and associated material handling, measurement, safeguards, and quality assurance functions needed to produce enriched uranium suitable for downstream fuel fabrication. The stated intent is to ensure a safe, sustainable, and efficient supply chain of enriched uranium. That framing suggests DOE is looking not only for performance improvements and throughput, but also for improvements related to safety, environmental footprint, waste reduction, operational reliability, and the kinds of process controls and verification methods that support nuclear material accountability and regulatory confidence.

From an applicant standpoint, eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city/township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits, other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. This wide eligibility set is consistent with a supply-chain development goal, since meaningful progress in the fuel cycle often requires partnerships among national labs, universities, commercial technology vendors, utilities and reactor developers, and specialized nuclear supply-chain firms.

Key administrative details include the Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0003487 and an original application closing date of February 26, 2025. The award ceiling is listed as $40,000,000, which indicates individual awards can be sizable, particularly for the demonstration topic area. The expected number of total awards is 10, aligning with the stated plan of up to two demonstration awards plus four to ten R&D awards (with the exact distribution depending on funding availability, application quality, and DOE programmatic priorities). The opportunity record shows a creation date of December 18, 2024, which helps place it in the timeline of DOE efforts to accelerate domestic HALEU availability.

Overall, this NOFO is designed to move HALEU supply-chain capabilities forward through a mix of near-term demonstrations and targeted R&D. Applicants with technologies that improve throughput, reduce cost and waste, increase safety and operational robustness, or address identified bottlenecks in front-end HALEU production pathways are the natural fit. Competitive applications will typically be those that clearly define the specific supply-chain gap being addressed, show credible technical and execution plans, demonstrate an understanding of safety and quality requirements for nuclear material operations, and present outcomes that can translate into deployable capability rather than purely academic results.

• The Idaho Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain Innovative Technology Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)" 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 2024-12-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-26. (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 $40,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for DE FOA 0003487

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: