Staff Support to Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee for Engagement with the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy on Radioactive Materials Transportation Planning | DE FOA 0003618

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003618

The Department of Energy (DOE), through its Idaho Field Office, is offering a discretionary funding opportunity (DE FOA 0003618) to provide staff support to the Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee. The purpose of the award is to strengthen and formalize engagement between DOE and federally recognized Tribal governments across the United States as DOE plans for future large-scale transportation activities involving commercial used nuclear fuel (UNF), high-level radioactive waste (HLW), and other radioactive wastes. In practical terms, the grant is meant to fund the people and coordination capacity needed to ensure Tribes have an organized, informed, and consistent way to participate in DOE transportation planning and related program decisions that could affect Tribal lands, resources, and communities.

This opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means DOE expects to be substantially involved during the project period rather than simply providing pass-through funding. The project focus is not on building infrastructure or running transportation operations directly, but on supporting planning, coordination, communication, and structured government-to-government engagement tied to radioactive materials transportation. The scope also explicitly includes engagement on related DOE program issues that may impact Tribal areas, signaling that the work may extend beyond route discussions into broader planning topics that intersect with Tribal interests, such as preparedness, risk communication, and how transportation planning is developed and shared.

Funding is up to a total award ceiling of $2,000,000, and DOE expects to make one award. Because only a single award is anticipated, the selected recipient would likely serve as the primary organizer or secretariat-like support hub for the Committee, helping convene participation and maintain continuity across multiple Tribal governments and regions. The application deadline is listed as September 30, 2026, and the opportunity was created on August 31, 2026, which gives potential applicants a defined window to prepare a proposal for a time-sensitive federal need tied to long-range transportation planning.

Eligibility is broad and includes state governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. Even with this broad eligibility list, the central intent is to benefit federally recognized Tribal governments by improving their ability to engage with DOE in a coordinated way, so competitive applications will likely need to show a strong track record of working with Tribes, credible processes for incorporating Tribal priorities, and the capacity to manage multi-party engagement across many jurisdictions.

Overall, the grant is designed to ensure Tribes have sustained staffing and organizational support to participate meaningfully as DOE plans for transportation of UNF, HLW, and other radioactive materials at a national scale. The emphasis is on engagement and planning support that helps Tribal governments stay informed, coordinate internally and with each other, communicate with DOE, and address transportation-related issues that could affect Tribal communities and lands well before large-scale shipments occur.

• The Idaho Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Staff Support to Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee for Engagement with the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy on Radioactive Materials Transportation Planning" 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 2026-08-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-30. (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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State 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 0003618

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