Sources Sought
Request for Information Modular Hot Cell Design and Fabrication
Department of Energy · Sol. RPFMHCRFI
Due in 14 days
AI summary Beta
UT-Battelle (the Oak Ridge National Laboratory operating contractor for DOE) is asking industry for interest and capabilities to design two types of shielded radiological "hot cells" and build one, with options for 13 more, for a new isotope processing facility at Oak Ridge, TN. This is a Sources Sought / RFI only, not a solicitation. The real proposal request is expected in late 2027, and the 14 cells are meant to be installed by about 2034.
Watch out for
- Nuclear facility work. The cells go into a Hazard Category 2 nuclear facility with strict shielding, confinement, quality and DOE standards, which is a heavy lift for a firm with no nuclear or hot cell experience.
a Hazard Category 2 nuclear facility intended to expand domestic
- RFI only, not a solicitation. Responding does not secure work, and the RFP is not expected until late 2027.
This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and should not be construed as
- Engineering design plus fabrication plus installation. A single bidder must do stamped design, heavy shielded fabrication, shipping and on-site installation with air skates, so the scope is broad for a small shop.
- Cell requirements went beyond the RFI. The Q&A adds scope not in the main RFI text, such as HEPA-filtered ventilation and a 1,000 lb in-cell crane, so check the answers carefully when pricing.
Yes, the transloading cell requires a trolley mounted overhead crane shall
- Short response window and open budgetary pricing. A budgetary cost range is requested for design and 14 units across two cell types and two quality program options, due October 23, 2026.
All responses must be received no later than October 23, 2026at 5pm EST.
Read from the notice and 4 attachments.
- Attachment 01 RFI Modular Hot Cells rev2.pdf
- Attachment 02 Radioisotope Processing Facility Conceptual Design Floor Plan.pdf
- Attachment 03 RPF Project layout drawings.pdf
- Attachment 04 MHC RFI Questions and Answers.pdf
Full brief
What they want
- Design a Transloading Modular Hot Cell and a Processing Modular Hot Cell (conceptual and detailed design packages with stamped drawings, analyses and fabrication specs)
- Fabricate, crate, ship and install one fully functional Transloading MHC at ORNL (installed with air skates, no overhead cranes in the process bays)
- Options: fabricate, ship and install 6 more Transloading MHCs and 7 Processing MHCs (14 units total)
- Shielding analysis with dose estimates; baseline shielding of 14 in carbon steel (about 8.5 in lead)
- Fabrication, quality assurance, shipment, installation, testing and commissioning plans, plus as-built documentation
- Cell details per Q&A: HEPA-filtered inlet and outlet ventilation, a 1,000 lb trolley-mounted overhead crane in the transloading cell, and a cask cart or pallet device
- RFI response: narrative of capabilities, two similar projects, safety/quality approach, proposal-development time, and a budgetary cost range
- Contract type
- RFI only. The later RFP is expected to be a competitive Basic Ordering Agreement with fixed price and time and material task orders.
- Period of performance
- Not stated. Work to begin soon after award of the RFP (expected late 2027); the company intends to install 14 MHCs with estimated construction completion of 2034. Options may be exercised at any point during the subcontract period of performance.
- Place of performance
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (delivery and onsite installation); off-site fabrication to the maximum extent possible
- Contract vehicle
- Future competitive Basic Ordering Agreement (per the RFI). No existing contract vehicle or schedule is required for the RFI response.
- How they'll choose
- Not stated. This is an RFI, so no evaluation is done. The RFI says submission is not required to be considered for the later bid.
- Offers due
- October 23, 2026 at 5pm EST (notice field: 2026-10-23 17:00 -04:00)
- How to submit
- Email to Rachel Botes (botesre@ornl.gov), electronic format; additional questions should be submitted with the response
What to include when you submit
- Include contact information (name, email and phone number) for further correspondence
- Narrative covering main and branch locations, design team and fabrication shop capabilities, with emphasis on local or regional presence
- DOE/federal work experience, preferably on a federal build or assembly project
- Examples of two projects of similar size, scope, type and function
- How you integrate environment, safety, health and quality (ESH&Q) principles into daily operations in an industrial facility
- Estimated number of weeks after receiving the RFP to develop and submit a proposal
- Budgetary cost range for designing a transloading MHC and a processing MHC, fabricating a transloading MHC, and fabricating the options, under an ISO-9001 program with commercial grade dedication or an NQA-1 program
- Individual meetings may be scheduled later to discuss submittals
You must have
- No set-aside is listed for this notice.
- Quality program: ISO-9001 with commercial grade dedication performed by the Company, or an NQA-1 program (ASME NQA-1-2008/09a is named in the Q&A). Pricing is requested under one of these.
ISO-9001 program with commercial grade dedication performed by the
- Work supports a Hazard Category 2 nuclear facility, so expect nuclear-grade quality, safety and documentation requirements (10 CFR Part 830 and several DOE Orders and Standards are listed in the Q&A).
a Hazard Category 2 nuclear facility intended to expand domestic
- Relevant experience, preferably on a federal build or assembly project, with two examples of similar projects.
Not in the notice text
- Estimated contract value or budget is not stated
- Evaluation criteria for the future RFP are not stated
- Exact leak-tightness requirement is only given as 'per AGS standards and guidelines' in the Q&A
- Whether a small business set-aside or subcontracting plan will apply to the future RFP
- Attachments 02 and 03 are architectural facility drawings (renderings, elevations, sections) with no hot cell design dimensions; the cell requirements are in Attachment 01 and the Q&A
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Key facts
- Response due
- Oct 23, 2026, 9:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Oct 5, 2026
- Notice type
- Sources Sought
- Solicitation
- RPFMHCRFI
- Agency
- Department of Energy
- Office
- Ornl Ut-Battelle LLC-DOE Contractor
- NAICS
- 332999
- Product/service code
- 3695
- Business type
- Manufactured parts & equipment
- Place of performance
- Oak Ridge, TN, 37830
- Contracting contact
- Rachel Botesbotesre@ornl.gov865-341-4882
- Versions
- 5 (amended since first posted)
Full notice text from SAM.gov
Request for Information (RFI) to obtain industry interest and capabilities for the design of a Transloading Modular Hot Cell, Processing Modular Hot Cell and the Fabrication of one(1) Transloading Modular Hot Cell with the options for an additional six (6) Transloading Modular Hot Cells and seven (7) Processing Modular Hot Cells. • Attachment 1 RFI Modular Hot Cells • Attachment 2: Radioisotope Processing Facility Conceptual Design Floor Plan
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