FAQ : FY2017/18 Supplementary Budget (1st Solicitation Round)

Regarding procedures for application
Q

Is an overseas company eligible for application independently?

A

Yes, any overseas companies are eligible for application independently as long as they satisfy the requirements set forth in article 6. Application Requirements in the Guidelines of the Subsidy Program, such as “(The entities) ensure organizations for properly conducting the relevant subsidized project.”, “(The entities) have the capacity, knowledge and experience required for conducting the relevant subsidized project”, etc.

Q

How will the information contained in the application documents be handled?

A

METI and PMO will NOT use the contents of application documents submitted for other purposes than the evaluation/review. And we’ve made a non-disclosure agreement with all the members of the review committee. Nevertheless, you have to be noted that the information which has not been classified as confidential will be subject to disclosure as a response to the legal request for disclosure.
For the details of the private policy of this RFP, please refer to the “Private Policy” on the website below.
[URL]
https://en.dccc-program.jp/files/20190304PMSE.pdf

Q

Can the costs for the application be covered by the Japanese Government?

A

No, any costs for the application are not compensated.

Q

Is it possible to ask for additional data on plants, etc. in establishing a proposal or in implementation of the project?

A

If you need supplemental information, please contact us. We cannot assure we can provide all of the information you need; and if we provide the information, we will release this information on the website.

Q

Is an organization without juridical personality eligible for application?

A

This organization is also eligible as long as it satisfies the requirements of stipulated in Item 6 in the Guidelines.

Q

Do you accept proposal from a JV of multiple organizations?

A

We can accept proposals submitted by JVs. If you would like to apply for this project as a JV, please describe the leading company and the implementation scheme on the designated form.

Q

Is it allowable to make a proposal through the methods other than filling in the specified application forms (i.e. by oral presentation or using the media such as brochures and image files)?

A

We will not accept any proposals not using the stipulated submission forms. Any other form will NOT be taken into account for the paper screening.

Q

We would like to make a proposal jointly with other companies. Is it possible to recommend partner companies or organizations for us?

A

No. You must find suitable partners and establish the implementation scheme by yourself.

Q

If we apply for the project with other companies as a team, how will the process after the adoption be?

A

The managing company (or managing organization) takes charge of establishment of the implementation plan, preparation and submission of the accomplishment report. Each companies and organizations composing the JV must be investigated for the settlement of the subsidy amount.

Q

There may be some time lag between the deadline of the application documents and the commencement date of the subsidized project. Is it acceptable to describe the implementation scheme based upon the personnel change taking place after the deadline?

A

Yes, It is acceptable.

Q

Regarding Form 5, what should we present the related documents to submit ?

A

If you have received approval of Export administration regulations from METI, please present documents that can confirm the approval.

Q

Regarding Form 5, what should we write down if we don’t have a plan to import or export something which requires permission under Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act ?

A

Please mark “〇” to the item “Not Required” and state the reason too.

Q

Regarding the project implementation scheme described in “7. Requirement Conditions for Grant Decision (5)”, does it neeed to be stated at the time of proposal?

A

Please attach the document of the project implementation scheme in “7. Requirement Conditions for Grant Decision (5)” to the results report after the end of the project. There is no need to include it in the application form.

Q

How should we handle the consumption tax increase planned on October 2019?

A

When it corresponds to “those listed below… permitted to include the consumption tax in the expenses covered by the subsidy when calculating the amount of subsidy” described in “11. Allocation of Expenses (3)”, calculate the grant amount with 10% consumption tax rate at the time of application.

Q

Is it possible to place an order to crossing the fiscal year?

A

If you place an order over the fiscal year, it may be necessary to make adjustments depending on the national budgetary situation. On the application documents, please indicate the year in which payment will occur, and indicate that it will be an order that crosses the fiscal year. In actual execution, PMO will consult individually.

Q

Do you list outsourcing costs for each subcontractor, and do you list for each item (1)(2) of “2. Contents of Project”?

A

Regarding outsourcing costs, please describe the breakdown for each work item scheduled for outsourcing.

Regarding procedures for evaluation and adoption
Q

Who is in charge of evaluation of the proposals?

A

The application documents shall firstly be evaluated by the review committee consisting of experts. Paper examination and if necessary, applicants’ oral presentation shall be also conducted.

Q

For the presentation evaluation, can we supplement some information to the contents of the application document?

A

You can add supplementary explanation at the presentation evaluation.

Q

Should the applicant come to the venue for the presentation evaluation?

A

If you cannot come to the venue for the presentation, please contact us in advance so that you can make a presentation via a Web conference, a TV conference and such. In such a case, however, the applicant may take risks of bad connection, etc.

Q

How long is the time of oral presentation of the presentation evaluation?

A

The time of oral presentation may be changed according to the number of applicants.

Q

This solicitation seems to be more advantageous to Japanese companies because it is easier for them to observe the guidelines or the manual when compared with overseas companies.

A

This project is financed by Japanese governmental budget and is implemented in accordance with Japanese scheme and in compliance with Japanese laws. However, any Japanese companies will not be treated preferentially in the review process.

Q

Regarding the evaluation criterion, what do the “basic points” and the “additional points” mean respectively?

A

The “basic point” refers to the conditions which must absolutely be met; and the “additional points” refer to the items which give additional points if the contents of the proposal are excellent. Please note that if you fail to meet a “basic points” condition, you will be disqualified.

Q

Is there a possibility that a member of the review committee would use the proposal documents for any other purpose other than for evaluation ?

A

Because conclusion of the non-disclosure agreement is one of the conditions of appointment of the members of the review committee, they won’t make use of the application documents for any other purpose other than for evaluation.

Q

When will the results of the paper screening be informed? When will the review committee be held?

A

We will inform the entity having passed the paper screening of the result as soon as possible. The review committee is planned to be held on March 27~29, 2019.

Q

Is the number of proposals to be adopted decided in advance?

A

The number of proposals to be adopted is one or more than one. About the number of proposals to be adopted of each project, please refer to “7. Requirement Conditions for Grant Decision (5)” on the guidelines for applying.

Regarding the RFP (Miscellaneous)
Q

When is the subsidy going to be paid?

A

Basically, the payment will be made after the subsidy amount is settled following the completion of the subsidy project. However, depending on the entity’s circumstance, the payment by estimate before the completion of the project may be admitted.

Q

If an overseas entity is adopted, how will the meetings be held? And how often?

A

PMO and implementing entities will have meetings, interim report and final report as well as progress report of the project as necessary. The frequency of meetings depends on the necessity of these meetings and reports.

Q

Is there any reference for METI’s health insurance costs by grade?

A

Please see the latest list of the health insurance costs which is posted on our web site.

Q

Can the subsidy amount to be actually paid be determined only after the “settlement of the amount” procedure, which is conducted after completion of the project?

A

The paid amount will be settled after expiration of the project period, confirmation of the project result, and inspection for settlement of the amount by PMO. This procedure is formulated by Japanese accounting rules.

Q

How should the necessary expenses for the project be categorized in the proposal?

A

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, remunerations, rent/depreciation and other necessities) as described in Exhibit 2 of the Grand Policy for Subsidy.

Q

When is the date of subsidization decision ?

A

The date of subsidization decision is still uncertain at this moment. After the selection results, we plan to make the decision to grant the subsidy promptly as soon as the submission of the application form for grant and the adjustment with PMO are completed.

General Question regarding Projects
Q

Is it possible for the entities with partial proposals to request the concerned organizations to provide necessary information to implement the project by compiling input and output information?

A

We assume that the subsidized entity and the concerned organizations will share the information by the compilation of input and output information. If necessary, PMO will cooperate in coordinating between them, etc.

Q

What should we do when it’s difficult to describe input and output information in detail at the time of the submission of proposal?

A

For the proposal, you can draw it up as your planned basis.

Q

Regarding the gathering domestic and overseas wisdom in “3. Operation of research and development” , it says that it is important to be validated and reviewed objectively by third parties such as academic societies, etc. and such validation and review must distinctively be placed in the development plan or be set as a milestone. Is it necessary to write down the determined contents on the proposal?

A

For the proposal, you can draw it up as your planned basis.

Q

On-site demonstration might significantly be delayed because of the situation of the site. In the case, how should the implementing entity cope with?

A

When an entity expects a delay of the implementation, please inform PMO of it as soon as possible. We would consider how to cope with.

Q

When foreign currencies other than Japanese Yen are used for this project, how will the exchange rate be determined?

A

For the exchange rate, if the subsidized entity has an in-house rule of exchange rate, it can be applied. Otherwise, the basic exchange rate of Japanese currency of Bank of Japan will be used. Please be noted that the subsidy can be paid only in Japanese yen after the determination of the amount.

Q

Regarding “3. Operation of research and development [5] Cooperation with decommissioning activities and other research and development”, it says that the information on implementation of the project must be shared with and offered to PMO and the concerned organizations in a timely and appropriate manner so as to contribute to the decision making on the method of fuel debris retrieval, etc.. Is the information requested from PMO?

A

PMO may also request the necessary information. When information on the implementation of the project is obtained, the subsidized entity must also present them in a timely and appropriate manner.

Q

Are the deliverables of the subisidized entity a report?

A

As it is described in “3. Operation of research and development [8] Progress report “, you are required to report the project results, etc. to PMO on request.

Q

Describing the subcontractor (outsourced or commissioned entity) in the Implementation Organization Chart, if it is adopted, will the special contract order of the subcontractor be approved?

A

For reasons of financial efficiency, in principle, subcontractor shall be subject to general competition or it is necessary to prepare a statement for selection stating clearly the reasons for selection. So, sole-source procurement cannot be accepted only by specifying the subcontractor’s name.

Q

How do subsidized entities cooperate with each other in the case when multiple proposals are adopted?

A

In this solicitation, only one proposal is planned to be adopted.

Q

How do applicants set the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) ?

A

Please set the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) by yourself considering the technical details of your proposal.

Q

Regarding “1. Purpose of Project”, it says “the results obtained from this project will be utilized for the engineering activities conducted by TEPCO”. Can we share necessary iniformation on TEPCO’s engineering after the adoption?

A

It is possible to exchange information with Tokyo Electric Power Company after the start of the project. PMO will make coordination as necessary.

Q

Regarding “3. Operation of research and development (5)”, it says “PMO and other concerned entities”. Which concerned entities do you refer?

A

The entities are the Agency for National Resources and Energy, Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation, Tokyo Electric Power Company.

Q

Regarding “3. Operation of research and development (5)”, it says that a Non-Disclosure Agreement must be concluded, as necessary. When is it necessary?

A

In the case of information exchange between operating entities, this is when one or both business operators require a confidentiality agreement. If necessary, the secretariat will make adjustments when entering into a confidentiality agreement.

Q

In “7. Requirements Conditions for Grant Decision (5)”, it says that in the case of transactions exceeding 1 million yen, the name of the contractor must be included in the project implementation scheme, but what are the eligible costs here?

A

In “11. (1) Classification of Expenses Covered by Subsidy”, the eligible costs are as follows.
Expenses for raw materials, consumables, design/fabrication/processing, facility/equipment(except for items corresponding to equipment expenses and rental and hire fees), research, outsourcing, other necessities (except for items corresponding to meeting expenses and assistant personnel costs).

Q

Is it possible to give the interim and final report meetings and the the presentation materials for report meetings in English?

A

It is possible to give a presentation and the materials for report meetings in English.

Q

Partial proposals have been approved for “Research and Development of Processing and Disposal of Solid Waste”, but have not been approved for other projects?

A

Partial proposals have been approved only for “Research and Development of Processing and Disposal of Solid Waste”.

Regarding the Project “Development of Analysis and Estimation Technology for Characterization of Fuel Debris”
Q

In “2. Contents of Project(1) [1]”, it says “efficient analysis”. Please describe what you mean by “efficient”. Are there any conditions?

A

In conducting sample analysis at multiple facilities, we expect efficiency of the analysis system and implementation method.

Q

In “2. Content of Project”, it says that information will provided on the research results of another subsidized project “Development of Analysis and Estimation Technology for Characterization of Fuel Debris (Development of Estimation of Aging Properties of Fuel Debris)”. Is it possible to request information from entities relevant to the project?

A

In the guidelines for applying to the “Development of Analysis and Estimation Technology for Characterization of Fuel Debris (Development of Estimation of Aging Properties of Fuel Debris)”, it shall state to share information to this project. PMO shall coodinate between other parties where it is necessary.

Regarding the Project “Development of Sampling Technologies for Retrieving Fuel Debris and Internal Structures”
Q

In “2. Contents of Project(1)[1],” it says collecting small sample volumes while investigating inside the PCV. Is there any information about specific investigation plan and devices?

A

When preparing the proposal, please refer to the publication of project results about the “Project for Development of Technologies for in-depth Investigation of PCV inside”. In this project, investigation plan and devices are under consideration.

Regarding the Project “Development of Technologies for Retrieving Fuel Debris and Internal Structures”
Q

Should we divide the plans of the income and expenditure by fiscal year and submit a total of two plans?

A

As described in “7. Requirement Conditions for Grant Decision (2)”, in this project, subsidy rate is divided into two parts, one is fixed, and another is within 1/2 of the subsidy cost. Please submit the plan of the income and expenditure separately by the difference of the subsidy rate. So please submit in total four plans (2 for 1st year and 2 for 2nd year and by by subsidiy rate difference between fixed amount and within 1/2 of the subsidy cost).

Regarding the Project “Development of Technologies for Retrieving Fuel Debris and Internal Structures (Development for Dust Collection System of Fuel Debris)”
Q

In “2.Contents of Project”, it says to develop the dust collection system according to the charcteristics of the dust generated by various processing method of fuel debirs. Is it good enought to understand that the proposal for the devlopment of the dust collection system focusing on only one processing method also meets the requirement of the solicitation guidelines of the program?

A

It does not mean that it does not meet the requirements of the guidelines if you developing the system which can be applied to only one processing method. But a system that can be applied to multiple processing methods rather than just one processing method is preferable.

Q

In “2. Contents of Project,” when acutually performing system development, it seems that deteiled data on site is needed. Is there any reference for design specification on site?

A

See the following site for information on about internal structure of Fukushima Daiich Nuclear Power Plant.
https://dccc-program.jp/files/20140711/en/index.html
However, please note that content such as dose information is not current in this document.
When preparing the proposal, please refer to the research results of mainly “Advancement of Retrieval Method and System of Fuel Debris and Internal Structures” and “Advancement of Fundamental Technologies for Retrieval of Fuel Debris and Internal Structures”. After adoption, we will provide you necessary information.

Regarding the Project “Development of Technologies for Containing, Transportation and Storage of Fuel Debris”
Q

In the last part of “2. Contents of Project”, it says participation in and cooperation with the investigation on technologies conducted in the related subsidized project, where should we incorporate this content in parts of (1)~(4) when preparing the proposal ?

A

Please describe this content separately from parts of (1)~(4), and calculate its budget separately.

Q

In “2. Contents of Project”, can we share the results from the technology development of the container which was carried out in the past subsidized project?

A

When preparing the proposal, please refer to the published information. After the adoption of proposal, PMO will coordinate as much as possible so that information can be handed over from entities in past subsidized projects.

Q

Should we divide the plans of the income and expenditure by fiscal year and submit a total of two plans?

A

As described in “7. Requirement Conditions for Grant Decision (2)”, in this project, subsidy rate is divided into two parts, one is fixed, and another is within 1/2 of the subsidy cost. Please submit the plan of the income and expenditure separately by the difference of the subsidy rate. So please submit in total four plans (2 for 1st year and 2 for 2nd year and by by subsidiy rate difference between fixed amount and within 1/2 of the subsidy cost).

Q

It says that a number of approaches for removal of debris are being considered. Do you mean that a study of a system for containing, transportation and storage for each approach for removal of fuel debris is required?

A

Please make a study of a system that corresponds to each method or all method.

Q

At the end of “2. Contents of Project”, it says participation in and cooperation with the investigation on technologies. What do you require specifically?

A

It means to participate in the investigation on technologies for sorting out what is removed from PCV into fuel debris and radioactive waste conducted in the project of “Development of Tecnologies for Retrieving Fuel Debris and Internal Structures”, and to cooperate in sharing related information from this project and aquiring of information affecting this project.

Regarding the Project “Research and Development of Processing and Disposal of Solid Waste”
Q

In “7. Requirement Conditions for Grant Decision (2),” is the maximum amount of subsidy changed in case of multiple adoption at the partial proposal?

A

The maximum amout of subsidy is 1,100,000,000 JPY for each application at the partial proposal. In case of multiple adoption, the grant amount may be changed as necessary.