Yes. To apply for multiple technologies, you need to submit proposals separately for each project. When more than one proposals are adopted, you should carry out them in such a framework that your goals will be accomplished by the end of project period.

Any overseas company may apply independently as long as it satisfies the application requirements set forth in article 5, Application requirements of the Guidelines for applying to the “Validation of technologies for contaminated water management project” in the FY2013 Supplementary Budget (hereinafter referred to as Guidelines), such as “(Such entities) ensure organizations for properly conducting the relevant subsidized project.”, “(Such entities) have the capacity, knowledge and experience required for conducting the relevant subsidized project”, etc.

METI and the management office will NOT disclose the contents of proposals submitted by applicants to anyone during and after the evaluation/review. As the memebers of the committee signed the non-disclosure agreement, they won’t release information obtained in the evaluation/review. There is a possiblity, however, the information will be disclosed upon request except the classified items specified by its applicant. For the details of the private policy of this RFP, please see “Private Policy” on the website below.
[URL]
http://www.mri.co.jp/english/privacy_guide.html

The cost for preparing proposals and the like need to be borne by applicants.

Please contact to Management Office for the Project(hereinafter referred to as PMO) if you need additional information before submitting a proposal. Please note that we may not be able to provide information depending on the question. Also, please note that every information we provide will be officially disclosed.

Such an organization may also apply as long as it satisfies the application requirements of Item 5 in the Guidelines.

Some companies are allowed to apply a joint proposal. Please write the information of the representative company in Form 1 and the relation to other companies (joint proposals, subcontracts, etc.) and their roles in “3. Project Implementation Scheme” of Form 2.

You are eligible for the paper screening ONLY by preparing your proposal with the designated forms. Any other media you may use will NOT be taken into consideration for the paper screening.

The project team (structure) need to be built by the applicant company.

The representative organization takes charge of the implementation plan, preparation and submission of the accomplishment report. The final settlement inspection will be conducted for each organization. As a general rule, the subsidy will be granted to the representative organization.

The application documents from applicants shall be evaluated by PMO, and the presentations (in case it is necessary) shall be also evaluated by Review Committee consisting of domestic and overseas knowledgeable persons.

We will notice the contract winner of the results by email or postal mail. The plan adopted and its applicants (representative) will be announced on the designated website.
To ensure the fairness, the names of the Review Committee members will not be disclosed before the screening.

As the project must be implemented by spending the subsidies granted by the Japanese government in accordance with Japan’s laws, you are requested to implement it by observing all the laws and regulations of Japan. Please note that, in these proposal request procedures, there is no factor favorable or advantageous for Japanese companies.

The “basic points” refers to the conditions which have to be met unfailingly and the “additional points” refers to the items which give additional points if the contents of the proposal is excellent. Please note that if any of the the basic point items is missing, no additional points will be given.

No, we do not determine the number of adopted proposals in each project beforehand. We plan to adopt more than one proposal in each project.

The members of the committee shall individually conclude an NDA with the PMO, thus they shall not use the proposal documents for any other purposes other than their evaluation.

As this is the subsidy programs, no “contract” will be concluded while the “decision on the grant of subsidies” will be published. The grant of subsidies is going to be decided in 1 to 2 months frome the date of the closure of application.

The subsidies are granted after the subsidized project and inspection work are complete.

Once the projects start, we will have meetings, interim report and final report as well as progress report of the project as necessary. The above condition will be taken into account for the frequency of meetings.

Yes. You can see the video of the information session on our web page.

The upper limit of the subsidy is 50,000,000 yen per adopted project.

In principle, the paid amount will be settled after expiration of the project period – starts from the grant decision and terminates on 31st March, 2015 -, confirmation of the project result, and inspection for settlement of the amount by the PMO. This procedure is formulated by Japanese accounting rules. However, there are exemptions, for example, devision of the project period into some steps and payment at times when each step is completed and the completion is confirmed. In any case, details of the project, subsidy amount etc. will be decided only after the grant decision and coordination with the PMO and with METI. Therefore, in application, please clearly describe your specific request to the payment method, etc.

Please refer to the section of “Related Manual and Guidelines” on our website, where we have uploaded the latest unit prices (Japanese text only).

Please divide the necessary expenses into (1) labor costs and (2) operating costs (raw materials, consumables, design/fabrication/processing, facility/equipment, goods purchase, research, outsourcing, travel, reward, rent/depreciation and other necessities) as written in Exhibit 2 of the Grand Policy for Subsidy.

After the decision of granting, the conceptual study (C/S) and/or the feasibility study (F/S) will be conducted for the adopted proposals. After them, the research and development (R&D) may be implemented as necessary based on the consideration of feasibility, etc. Not all the adopted proposals will proceed to R&D.

For the exchange rate, each subsidized entity’s standard rate will be applied if any. Otherwise, we use the “basic exchange rate” by Bank of Japan. Please note that payments shall be made in Japanese yen only.

If there are some requests after the selection of subsidized entities, we can ask TEPCO (Decontamination & Decommissioning (D&D) Engineering Company) to arrange the opportunity. However, TEPCO (D&D Engineering Company) may review and decide the detail plan of confirmation for site condition.

Assuming that the large hatch is used, equipment with the size up to the large hatch (the length of one side is approx. 4.5m) can be carried in, if the passageway continues from the large hatch on each floor. Another investigation will be required if the passageway and stairways other than those will be used.

It is defined that the innovative approach is the method to be used if radiation shielding by the submersion cannot be counted. We limit the innovative approach to “in-air method” as a representative method under those kinds of conditions.

The scope to be discussed for this RFP includes the removing work for shield plug. Removing work will be conducted by TEPCO (D&D Engineering Company) but the operation plan, such as method of maintaining boundaries shall be verified by the subsidized entities.

In principle, Assumptions and Prerequisites cannot be changed, however those can be changed if applicants can explain reasonable grounds. Also, Assumptions and Prerequisites is basic assumption for this project, but it is subject to change according to the revision of mid- and long-term roadmap and the new facts obtained based on the investigation results.

Applicants may be requested to propose an alternative cooling method when the proposed method cannot maintain the current water cooling scheme due to the dismantling of in-core structures. In such a case, any cooling methods are acceptable.

We assume the structure covering operation floor which consists of roof top and outer wall that can support 100t class over head crane. However, please note that you cannot expect shielding and airtight function for this container in the verification of boundaries.

The research and development (R&D), prototype manufacturing and mock-up test are included in the research and development, approximate cost, operational process and scheme to be considered for this project. However, on-site preparation cost, on-site operation cost and the like for actual application are excluded.

Please make a plan so that the results of internal status check on PCV is available in 2016 and those on PRV in 2018 in order to start the fuel debris retrieval planned in FY 2020.

Please plan so as to start the fuel debris retrieval work in FY 2020.

Proposals for other methods than those exemplifications are also acceptable. However, for example, if the method accessing from under the ground is considered, the method shall not have an impact for the frozen wall which is now being constructed around the building or can maintain seismic safety etc.

If hydrogen is accumulated inside the PCV and RPV, there are possibilities of ignition and explosion. Therefore, measurements are necessary such as “Operation shall be started after the confirmation that the concentration of hydrogen gas is sufficiently low”, “Verify operation method not causing spark” and so on.

Specifications of canister used for TMI are shown because the design of debris canister is not fixed yet. It is difficult to use the canister with dimension of approx. 200㎜ or more from the perspective of criticality control. However, spec can be changed if subsidized entities can prove there is no problem for its use method from the comprehensive evaluation for the relation with the method.

It can be proposed if it is feasible method in consideration of criticality management.

Feasible method is supposed to be verified during the conceptual study (C/S) but there may be some technologies which cannot be determined whether it is feasible or not during the verification. In that case, please describe concerns and solutions for the technologies.

It means that in principle, current opening and passageway shall be used for operation. However, if you need to create “new opening on the building wall” because of the method requirement, due consideration shall be paid for the strength of the building and prevention of dispersion of radioactive substances.

For the current layouts of Fukushima Daiichi NPS, please refer to the following websites.
[URL]
http://www.cas.go.jp/jp/seisaku/icanps/eng/120224Siryo02-1Eng.pdf
http://www.cas.go.jp/jp/seisaku/icanps/eng/120224Siryo02-2Eng.pdf

Possibility of constructing the auxiliary building will be verified with subsidized entities and the relevant company during C/S after the selection of subsidized entities. If aux building will be required, please describe minimum required size of the auxiliary building, the construction location and the functions of facility including auxiliary building.

Limitation of dimension for target specification is applied for the structure combining with the lighting.

The cost to be considered for this project includes from the manufacturing of equipment etc. at the plant to the location transportation(free-ontruck).

Visual equipment is assumed to be mounted on the transporting equipment such as manipulator, and its weight needs to be reduced. Target weight may be approx. 10kg, but it varies depending on the performance of the transportation equipment.

The visual technology is assumed to be used for internal investigation and surveillance of cutting operation in air but with high humidity and temperature, and poor visual condition due to the fume even if the lighting is equipped. In concrete, it will be used to confirm the locations of cutting object and cutting equipment and condition of cutting.

Please assume fuel debris specification based on the information of the documents regarding heat value and composition (nuclide) of spent fuel. Information regarding the spent fuel is available at the following website.
[URL]
https://www.oecd-nea.org/sfcompo/

Cutting technology can be proposed if it does not require dust collection. If it produces dust and fume, please propose with dust collection technology.

The cost to be considered in this project includes from the manufacturing of equipment etc. at the plant to the location transportation (free-ontruck).

Please make a proposal including the cutting test and its fee if the subsidized entities can prepare simulating debris by itself.

In this project, Management Office does not plan to provide simulating debris.

Water and lubricants can be used but the technology to collect water (slurry) and oil containing dust generated by cutting debris will require to be proposed.