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Guidance

Entry to the Generic Design Assessment for Advanced Nuclear Reactors

How to apply to the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) if you want to submit a nuclear power plant design.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Published:
11 May 2021
Last updated:
23 April 2026
Show all updates

  1. The GDA Entry Guidance has been updated to reflect machinery of government changes, and Section 3.6 - Business Plan Summary has been updated to reflect the publication of the Advanced Nuclear Framework.

  2. Guidance on procedure for submitting applications updated; sections referring to Future Nuclear Enabling Fund (FNEF) removed because this fund is now closed to applicants.

  3. The window for submitting GDA Entry applications in support of a Future Nuclear Enabling Fund (FNEF) application has closed.

  4. The process for applicants submitting GDA Entry applications to support an FNEF application has been updated to include an application portal for applicants to upload their applications.

  5. The deadline for applying to the Future Nuclear Enabling Fund has been extended to 3 January 2023 at 3pm (this is a correction to the update note of 19 October 2022).

  6. The deadlines for registering and applying for the Future Nuclear Enabling Fund have been extended: to register intention to apply now 28 October 2022 at 3pm, to apply now 3 January 2022 at 3pm.

  7. GDA Entry application must be submitted within 6 weeks of the FNEF bid window closing on the 2nd December 2022 at 3pm otherwise the FNEF bid will be deemed ineligible. Updated Entry to Generic Design Assessment for Advanced Nuclear Technologies guidance published.

  8. Guidance for entry to GDA for advanced nuclear technologies has been updated to support and align with the Future Nuclear Enabling Fund (FNEF), which opened to applicants on 2 September 2022.

  9. Guidance updated to include additional criteria for the GDA Entry assessment.

  10. First published.

Documents

Entry to Generic Design Assessment for Advanced Nuclear Technologies

PDF, 425 KB, 34 pages

Details

Update: 23 April 2026

The GDA Entry Guidance has been updated to reflect machinery of government changes, and Section 3.6 - Business Plan Summary has been updated to reflect the publication of the Advanced Nuclear Framework.

The Generic Design Assessment (GDA) allows the UK’s independent nuclear regulators to assess the safety, security, and environmental implications of new reactor designs and to provide the confidence that these new designs are capable of meeting the UK’s statutory regulatory requirements.

This guidance is for anyone submitting a nuclear power plant design for GDA (a Requesting Party). It tells you the information required by the government and the regulators to assess a Requesting Party’s readiness to enter the GDA.

The entry process is an open and ongoing process. Requesting Parties are invited to apply when they assess themselves ready for GDA. The government welcomes applications from all Advanced Nuclear Technology providers seeking to progress advanced nuclear projects in the UK.

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