The methodological approach applied for the nuclear analyses of the IFMIF-DONES facility, developed within the Early Neutron Source (ENS) project of EUROfusion, is presented. It utilizes dedicated tools, developed and adapted to the specific needs and peculiarities of an accelerator based d-Li neutron source. Major elements relate to the simulation of deuteron interactions with the Li target and the accelerator structures, the generation and transport of neutrons and photons, and the production of radio-active nuclides with the subsequent emission and transport of decay gamma radiation. With such an approach, all neutronics data can be provided which are required to design, optimize and evaluate the systems/sub-systems of the facility with regard to their nuclear and shielding performance. This is shown on the example of nuclear analyses conducted for the latest design of IFMIF-DONES.