NIDC Isotope Program Survey

This announcement is intended to seek information from private companies on their potential isotope needs for the next five years and is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an Invitation for Bid (IFB), nor is it to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government does not intend to contract on the basis of this request or otherwise pay for any information solicited herein.

The mission of the Isotope Development and Production for Research and Applications (IDPRA) Program within the Office of Nuclear Physics of the Department of Energy's Office of Science is to develop, produce and distribute stable and radioactive isotope products that are in short supply and of critical importance to the Nation. The IDPRA Program manages the National Isotope Development Center (NIDC), which coordinates isotope production across Department of Energy (DOE) facilities and, for some isotopes, non-Federal facilities as well. This synopsis is to notify the public that the NIDC, on behalf of the IDPRA, seeks information from the community on anticipated needs of isotope products and potential supply shortages in the next five years. The IDPRA seeks this information to better understand the demand for isotopes used in research or commercial applications, including devices such as detectors and calibration sources and gauges that contain isotopes. Business and research entities should identify isotopes that are needed but are in short supply, in which they encounter uncertain supply issues, and/or that they expect an increase in demand that cannot be met by the current supply. The IDPRA, working with the NIDC, will use this information for strategic planning to enhance the reliability and availability of isotopes to the community. The information provided in this request form will assist the IDPRA in optimizing production plans in the upcoming fiscal years and in strategically planning the future production of isotopes, gauging future demand, and evaluating and investing in the needs for isotope production technology development.

The NIDC is requesting that companies complete and submit the attached survey form to runde@lanl.gov by August 18, 2017. Information should be submitted even if the potential need for an isotope is somewhat uncertain for the coming years. If a specific isotope is not identified or requested by anyone, it may not be considered for production or production development by the IDPRA during fiscal years 2018-2022. All information submitted is considered highly business-sensitive and will not be shared or discussed outside the IDPRA. For workshop reports and additional information on the IDPRA program, please visit our website.

Excluded from this request are helium-3 and molybdenum-99.