This grant, offered by ISN/CTR through its Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor (FIRST) Program, aims to enable partner countries to responsibly deploy nuclear energy. It supports the advancement of American energy dominance by expediting the global deployment of secure, safe, and proliferation-resistant U.S. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Launched in 2019, FIRST provides comprehensive support to countries seeking to build or expand their nuclear energy programs. Expertise is offered through workshops, technical consultancies, and training, covering areas like SMR technology selection, deployment roadmaps, nuclear security, safety and licensing, workforce development, financing, and waste management. This initiative leverages U.S. public-private partnerships and industry innovation to meet international standards for civil nuclear energy.
Opportunity ID: 359213
General Information
| Document Type: | Grants Notice |
| Funding Opportunity Number: | DFOP0017227 |
| Funding Opportunity Title: | Unleashing American Energy Dominance and Expediting Responsible and Secure U.S. Small Modular Reactor Deployment through the FIRST Program |
| Opportunity Category: | Discretionary |
| Opportunity Category Explanation: | – |
| Funding Instrument Type: | Cooperative Agreement |
| Category of Funding Activity: | Other (see text field entitled “Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity” for clarification) |
| Category Explanation: | Non-proliferation |
| Expected Number of Awards: | 10 |
| Assistance Listings: | 19.033 — Global Threat Reduction |
| Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: | No |
| Version: | Synopsis 1 |
| Posted Date: | May 30, 2025 |
| Last Updated Date: | May 30, 2025 |
| Original Closing Date for Applications: | Jul 30, 2025 |
| Current Closing Date for Applications: | Jul 30, 2025 |
| Archive Date: | – |
| Estimated Total Program Funding: | $19,500,000 |
| Award Ceiling: | $4,000,000 |
| Award Floor: | $50,000 |
Eligibility
| Eligible Applicants: | Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification) |
| Additional Information on Eligibility: | The following organizations are eligible to apply: U.S. for-profit organizations or businesses; U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations with or without 501(c) (3) status of the U.S. tax code; U.S.-based private, public, or state institutions of higher education; foreign-based non-profit organizations/non-government organizations (NGO); Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs); Public International Organizations (PIO) ; Foreign Public Entities (FPE); and foreign-based institutions of higher education. |
Additional Information
| Agency Name: | Bureau of International Security-Nonproliferation |
| Description: | ISN/CTR administers the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Technology Program (FIRST) to enable partner countries’ responsible nuclear energy deployment under the highest nuclear security, safety, and nonproliferation standards. FIRST is ISN’s flagship programmatic tool to advance President Trump’s Executive Order on Unleashing American Energy in global nuclear energy markets. Launched in 2019, FIRST harnesses the power of U.S. public-private partnerships and the innovation of the U.S. nuclear industry to engage partner countries worldwide seeking to build or expand their nuclear energy programs to meet energy needs. Expertise acquired through FIRST workshops, webinars, technical consultancies, study tours, feasibility studies, SMR simulators, regional training hubs, and site visits includes SMR technology selection, SMR deployment roadmaps, SMR fleet deployment regional harmonization initiatives, nuclear security and nonproliferation considerations for SMR deployment, nuclear safety and licensing best practices for advanced reactors, SMR site selection and characterization, nuclear workforce development, stakeholder engagement, preparation for SMR financing, integrating nuclear in the energy mix, planning for responsible spent fuel and SMR waste management, and more. These civil nuclear energy partnerships harness the power of the U.S. nuclear industry to expedite the deployment of safe, secure, and proliferation-resistant SMRs meeting the highest international standards. |
| Link to Additional Information: | Link to Opportunity in MyGrants |
| Grantor Contact Information: | If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
FIRST@state.gov
Email:- |
Version History
| Version | Modification Description | Updated Date |
|---|---|---|
Related Documents
Folder 359213 Full Announcement-NOFO Documnet -> FY25 CTR Project Narrative Template 250708.pdf
Folder 359213 Full Announcement-NOFO Documnet -> FY25 CTR Consolidated Project List.pdf
Folder 359213 Full Announcement-NOFO Documnet -> FIRST NOFO DFOP0017227 – 6 June 2025.pdf
Folder 359213 Full Announcement-NOFO Documnet -> Monitoring Indicator Table Sample.pdf
Folder 359213 Full Announcement-NOFO Documnet -> FY 2025 Budget Template 241004.pdf
Folder 359213 Full Announcement-NOFO Documnet -> CTR NOFO Q&A – posted 11 July.pdf
Packages
| Agency Contact Information: | FIRST@state.gov |
| Who Can Apply: | Organization Applicants |
| Assistance Listing Number | Competition ID | Competition Title | Opportunity Package ID | Opening Date | Closing Date | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.033 | PKG00290891 | May 30, 2025 | Jul 30, 2025 | View |
Package 1
Mandatory forms
359213 SF424_4_0-4.0.pdf
359213 SF424A-1.0.pdf
359213 SF424B-1.1.pdf
359213 BudgetNarrativeAttachments_1_2-1.2.pdf
359213 ProjectNarrativeAttachments_1_2-1.2.pdf
Optional forms
359213 SFLLL_2_0-2.0.pdf
359213 AttachmentForm_1_2-1.2.pdf
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