Under the funding initiative, DOE will provide up to $800 million to support up to two first-mover teams committed to deploying Gen III+ SMRs at grid scale. DOE will also provide up to $100 million in multiple awards to spur additional Gen III+ SMR deployments by addressing critical gaps that have hindered the domestic nuclear industry. This is a renewed opportunity for well-positioned entities that can demonstrate a clear path to deployment in the next generation nuclear sector. Pillsbury provided a detailed analysis of the initial funding initiative, which, aside from the changes noted below, still largely describes the original.

The reissuance of the funding opportunity provides a path for applicants who may have been unable to submit in the prior window. In addition, applicants who previously submitted under the original funding opportunity must resubmit their applications via FedConnect in accordance with the updated terms.

The new application deadline is April 23, 2025, at 5:00 pm ET. The program remains structured to support both first-of-a-kind deployments and near-term fast-follower activities.

Revised Evaluation Criteria and Submission Procedures
The reopening of the Gen III+ SMR funding initiative includes several important modifications that reflect a shift in policy priorities and procedural changes. Applicants should carefully review the following key changes to ensure their submissions align with the updated terms and evaluation framework:

• Elimination of Community Benefits Requirements. All references to Community Benefits Plans (CBP) and associated criteria, including those related to community and labor engagement, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and the Justice40 Initiative—which aimed to direct 40% of federal clean energy benefits to disadvantaged communities—have been removed from the funding application. Applicants should revise their submissions to exclude any CBP-related content, including workforce agreements, community engagement activities or equity metrics.
• Equal Weighting of Evaluation Criteria. With the removal of CBP criteria, DOE will now evaluate applications based on four technical merit criteria, each weighted equally at 25%, including project readiness, reactor maturity, supply chain readiness and scalability.
• New Submission Platform. The application submission process has been transitioned to FedConnect. DOE will not evaluate or consider any materials submitted under the previous eXCHANGE platform. All applicants, including previous submitters, must create a FedConnect account and submit a new application package in full by the new deadline.

Notably, DOE’s press release accompanying the reopening announcement states explicitly that “selection of awardees will be solely based on technical merit.” As such, applicants should factor this revised framework into their submissions to ensure compliance with the updated evaluation criteria.

Funding Initiative Framework Remains Intact
While the policy posture has shifted, the overall programmatic structure of the Gen III+ SMR program remains consistent with the prior announcement. The funding initiative continues to offer two distinct tiers:

• First Mover Support (Tier 1). DOE will award up to $800 million to support up to two projects involving utilities, vendors, constructors and off-takers committed to deploying a Gen III+ SMR by the early 2030s. Proposed projects must demonstrate commercial viability, licensing readiness and a path to a multireactor orderbook.
• Fast Follower Deployment Support (Tier 2). DOE will award approximately $100 million to support site selection, licensing, supply chain development, and cost and schedule risk reduction for near-term Gen III+ SMR deployments. While the focus remains on supporting a domestic SMR orderbook, Tier 2 now presents a cleaner path for participation without the need to address broader policy or community considerations.

Applicants are still required to meet all technical, eligible and cost-share requirements. For further details on the funding initiative and the specific application requirements, please refer to our previous alert.

Next Steps
Applicants who previously submitted under the terms of the prior announcement must revise their materials to remove all CBP-related content and ensure they align with the updated evaluation criteria. Additionally, entities that did not initially submit now have a renewed opportunity to apply.

The deadline for submissions under the reopened solicitation is April 23, 2025, at 5:00 pm ET. All applications must be submitted in full via FedConnect. Pillsbury is available to assist applicants in modifying and resubmitting their materials in accordance with the updated terms of the Gen III+ SMR funding initiative.