ONR has a number of key security certifications which it holds in order to assure our stakeholders that our security policies, processes, networks and systems are secured to industry standards.
The purpose of this project is to procure audit services for ISO27001 to maintain our ISO 27001:2022 certification status due to contract expiration with our existing supplier. Successful and continued ISO 27001 certification validates our security arrangements as an organisation, and is a fundamental contributor to ONR's security reputation and ambition to be an exemplar of good security practice.
ONR is seeking external professional support to help the organisation recruit from a wider diverse pool of applicants. The contract will commence in Sep 2025 for a 3-year period, with the option to extend for up to a further 2 years in annual increments (i.e. 3+1+1).
Building upon our Disability Confident Leader status and achieving the National Equality Standard (NES) accreditation we want to continue to explore new ways in raising our profile across a diverse applicant pool, actively working to attract an increased diverse applicants and resulting workforce often from within a limited pool of nuclear specialists.
External organisations had seen notable success when partnered with marketing specialists to run campaigns with specific content tailored to the targeted audience. Furthermore, external organisations find that campaigns targeted toward a diverse group correlated with an
increase in interest from the targeted group and an increase in interest from the wider population.
We wish to continue to work with an external professional supplier that is an expert in leading the way in diversity and inclusion, providing solutions for organisations wanting to attract diverse talent and create a culture of inclusion.
We need an organisation that will focus on targeting the complete range of ED&I areas. This will provide ONR with a unique opportunity to enhance where we advertise our roles alongside the use of existing channels.
We require the successful organisation to showcase our organisation, along with benefits, testimonials, videos and images that will give potential applicants all of the information they need to make an informed decision about whether ONR is the right fit for them and their specific needs.
To develop and test a Nuclear specific Human Factors Learning Pathway and provide industry access via a Learning Management System. The pathway should include separate domains for Safety Case, Design and Operations and a combined route covering all three. This is to be achieved over three financial years: 24/25, 25/26 and 26/27.
The scope for each year is as follows:
Year one - develop and test the level 1 modules for each pathway route and provide industry access via a Learning Management System. Review and revise the specification for level 2 and level 3 modules for each pathway route, as appropriate, based on learning to date. Establish quality assurance processes.
Year two - develop and test the level 2 modules for each pathway route and provide industry access via a Learning Management System. Review and revise the level 1 and level 3 modules for each pathway route, as appropriate, based on learning at that time.
Year three - develop and test the level 3 modules for each pathway route and provide industry access via a Learning Management System. Review and revise level 1 and 2 modules, as appropriate, based on learning at that time. Identify and agree routes for accreditation with stakeholder including the intelligent customer, steering group, and wider stakeholders.
Achieving these scopes will require engagement with industry stakeholders, including licensee and dutyholder organisations, the ONR and other industry bodies.
There is a need for research that directly examines the efficacy of peer-checking and the reliability of this approach within the nuclear industry. Such research will further ONR understanding of peer-checking and its impacts (both positive and negative).
This will enable the development of more accurate models of peer-checking, and will generate guidance for peer-checking across nuclear and broader safety-critical industry, as well as informing ONR's own guidance.
The research will comprise of a mixed-methods approach consisting of:
• A comprehensive literature review
• Development of a taxonomy for peer checking
• An interview study with industry experts and practitioners
• A cross-sectional mixed-measures survey
• A series of inter-linked lab-based experiments.
ONR is seeking a provider who can offer a range of learning/training and facilitation services to its staff. These services could include formal learning such as classroom/virtual instructor led sessions through to team learning events and 1-1 coaching.
ONR is seeking 2 distinct programmes to be delivered to its staff; a foundation level leadership programme aimed at current middle managers that will develop key leadership skills in a range of areas, and also an advanced development offering aimed at more senior staff who may have the potential to move into Director level roles in the future. The 2nd programme must offer distinct differences in content and delivery methods to the first
ONR procedure (NS-PER-IN-005) requires additional suitably qualified and experienced (SQEP) expertise to provide independent radiological surveys, sampling and assessment with respect to the 'no danger' criteria (Section 3(12) and Section 5(15)(a) Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (NIA 1965)). This procedure details the requirements of how a licensed nuclear site (or a part thereof) may be removed from the licensing requirements of the NIA 1965.
GE Healthcare Limited (Amersham) nuclear licensed site will require delicensing in order to meet business needs. Delicensing reduces the radiological hazard and risk at the site; therefore ONR considers delicensing proposals as part of its enabling regulatory approach. Delicensing and site remediation meet the UK Government's priority of delivering safe and secure nuclear decommissioning. However, for ONR to meet its responsibilities when assessing a delicensing proposal it requires technical support
The work will provide front line regulatory support to ONR on the subject of nuclear graphite core brick cracking in AGRs. The scope of the contract addresses ONR's need to access independent experts who can consider the basis of the licensee's safety case claims and test them by applying independent scientific and mathematical reasoning.
The service required are an addendum to an existing contract with The University of Manchester to provide additional graphite related research services to include:
- Graphite Material Model Development
- Design Point Analysis
Design a Human Factors Learning Pathway for the nuclear industry and a strategy and
programme for its implementation.
There are two main objectives:
1 Using subject matter experts, and in consultation with the nuclear industry, use the
information in a gap analysis previously undertaken to design a learning pathway for
developing human factors competence in the nuclear industry. This must be capable of
receiving CIEHF and academic accreditation.
2 Using subject matter experts, and in consultation with the nuclear industry develop a
strategy and programme for the development and implementation of the learning pathway
over financial years 23/24 and 24/25.
To secure access to independent (from Licensees) technical advice relating to the ageing
and behaviour of nuclear graphite and graphite cores; assessment of validity of safety cases and academic research into various aspects of ageing phenomena in graphite.
Over the next several years a number of UK nuclear licensed sites/ parts of licensed sites will
require delicensing in order to meet business needs.
Delicensing reduces the radiological hazard and risk at these sites; therefore ONR considers
delicensing proposals as part of its enabling regulatory approach.
Delicensing and site remediation meet the UK Government's priority of delivering safe and
secure nuclear decommissioning. However, for ONR to meet its responsibilities when
assessing a delicensing proposal it requires technical support.
ONR requires external support to provide independent expert advice and technical reviews
of safety documentation to ensure that our regulatory assessments and decisions are well
informed and robust. A panel of experts has been convened; the Expert Panel on Natural
Hazards (comprised of the Seismic Hazards Sub-Panel and the Meteorological & Coastal
Flood Hazards Sub-Panel). The role of this panel is to provide advice to ONR staff
responsible for regulating in the external hazards area (across the various ONR programmes
of work, and not just nuclear new build).
ONR is looking to appoint members to the Expert Panel as follows:
Seismic Hazard Expert for Nuclear Facilities
Seismology Expert
Structural Geologist & Capable Faulting Expert
Coastal Flooding & Shoreline Interaction Expert
Sea Level Rise Expert
Meteorology Expert
Climate Impacts Expert
In 2017 ONR published Security Assessment Principles (SyAPs) as the world's first outcome-focussed regulatory framework for nuclear security, mirroring the well-established Safety Assessment Principles (SAPs).
The move to outcome focussed regulation of security was a significant change and has proved to be a substantial challenge for industry.
ONR has made a commitment to industry to review SyAPs and their implementation as part of our assurance and commitment to continuous improvement. We would therefore benefit from independent evaluation of our approach, eliciting feedback on good practices to continue as well as potential areas for improvement.
There is an obligation on ONR to provide regulatory assurance on the management by licensees of radiation fields at their site fences. This requires ONR to establish independent confirmation of these radiation fields.
The contractor must be able to apply suitable and sufficient expertise in the following areas:
i) Categorisation of gamma and neutron background;
ii) Instrumentation and the making of environmental measurements of ambient gamma and neutron radiation levels;
iii) Analysis of these measurements to provide estimates of exposures to the representative persons, in terms of direct exposure only;
iv) Analysis of data (mostly TLD measurements) made by licensee and estimation of direct exposures to the representative persons on the basis of these.
Design a Human Factors Learning Pathway for the nuclear industry and a strategy and programme for its implementation.
There are two main objectives:
1 Using subject matter experts, and in consultation with the nuclear industry, use the information in a gap analysis previously undertaken to design a learning pathway for developing human factors competence in the nuclear industry. This must be capable of receiving CIEHF and academic accreditation.
2 Using subject matter experts, and in consultation with the nuclear industry develop a strategy and programme for the development and implementation of the learning pathway over financial years 23/24 and 24/25.
To secure access to independent (from Licensees) technical advice relating to the ageing and behaviour of nuclear graphite and graphite cores; assessment of validity of safety cases and academic research into various aspects of ageing phenomena in graphite.