MARVEL
Expression of Interest
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Expression of Interest
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking an Expression of Interest (EOI) from industry providers to suggest potential tests and experiments that leverage the Microreactor Application Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) demonstration.
MARVEL is expected to serve as a nuclear test bed to demonstrate microreactor operations and end-use applications, paving the way for unleashing private sector nuclear energy development.
An 85kWth reactor capable of producing more than 10 kWe of electricity, MARVEL can be used for a wide range of applications including, but not limited to, novel safeguards, advanced instrumentation, data validation and novel nuclear-generated heat or electricity.
Promising concepts submitted through the initial EOI will be invited to respond to a potential Notice of Opportunity at a later stage.
The goal of this effort is to provide a platform where the private sector can access novel nuclear technologies to demonstrate innovative new use cases for microreactors.
The EOI will close at 5:00 PM EST on August 30, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Expression of Interest
How does DOE define “novel” applications? What does this mean?
Novel applications consist of use cases that have never been previously demonstrated with a nuclear reactor or proven applications with limited data. For instance, nuclear energy has never been previously shown to power a data center directly or provide heat for chemical processes. Preference will be given to applications that have never been coupled to a nuclear reactor, but applications that have seen limited demonstration time but lack data are also encouraged.
Potential use cases that are eligible include connecting an electrical application to the reactor, connecting a thermal storage system to the process heat system, coupling the process heat system to a chemical process, conducting a specific transient within the allowed safety basis with the reactor, or demonstrating novel controls paradigm.
What are examples of applications that are not eligible for the EOI?
Any application that requires drastic changes to the reactor or the safety basis will not be considered. Examples include fitting a sensor that will require a modification to the reactor vessel, inserting novel fuel or material inside the core, or drastically altering the balance-of-plant.
Who is eligible to apply?
Responses must be led by the private sector and be a U.S. based company. Preference will be given to end-users of nuclear energy. Specifically, interested parties who can leverage the energy produced by a reactor. University or national labs can be listed as supporting entities.
Do interested parties need to reply to the EOI to be eligible for the subsequent notice of opportunity?
Failure to respond to the EOI will not disqualify eligibility to the subsequent notice of opportunity, however respondents to the EOI will be favored.
Notice of Opportunity
When will the MARVEL notice of opportunity be issued?
The notice of opportunity is expected to be issued in calendar year 2026, following the review of EOI submissions. It will be made publicly available on SAM.gov.
Does DOE anticipate any funding tied to the notice of opportunity?
While there are no direct financial awards related to the anticipated notice of opportunity, funding could be provided in the form of a cost-share with the end user. The majority of funds provided by DOE will be leveraged to cover national laboratory staff hours in support of the end user application.
If there is no direct financial award tied to the future notice of opportunity, why should industry be interested? What is the benefit of participating in a self-funded MARVEL application test case?
Stakeholders who are self-funded can greatly benefit from the demonstration of novel nuclear applications that can be commercialized in the future. Tests conducted with MARVEL can result in substantial experimental data that would be invaluable for future scale-up commercial demonstrations. Applications can significantly de-risk novel technologies and help secure follow-on funding in the future.
Furthermore, proprietary intellectual property generated as part of these demonstrations can be protected subject to contractual agreements between the different stakeholders.
What are the anticipated steps toward ultimate demonstration of a novel MARVEL application?
Following the response to the EOI and the subsequent notice of opportunity, successful end users will conduct a feasibility assessment of their proposed application in collaboration with a DOE national laboratory. This will form the basis for any follow-up notice of opportunity to deploy the physical demonstration within the 2027 to 2030 timeline.
