[en] The design study of a 1 MV, 4 A, D^-, > 30 seconds, test bed is being conducted by the EURATOM-CEA association (Cadarache) with support from the EURATOM-UKAEA association (Culham) and from FOM-Amsterdam. A proposal for the construction of this test bed at Cadarache will be made by the middle of next year. The options chosen for the beamline are derived from the conceptual design originally proposed one year ago by A.Holmes et al. for the ITER neutral beam systems: pure volume negative ion production, electrostatic multi-stage accelerator, vertically subdivided beamline, electrostatic deflection of the ions at the neutralizer exit, HV vacuum insulation with voltage grading screens. This design has been reviewed in detail and in particular three basic topics have been carefully examined: beam acceleration, gas flow and beam transmission. This review resulted in various changes with respect to the original design, the major change being the decision to put the ion source at high voltage. In parallel to this test bed design study, the conceptual study of a 1 MV, 15 A power supply and of its protection system is conducted by european industrial companies under the supervision of Cadarache