New gTLD Program: Next Round: Difference between revisions

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The Applicant Guidebook for the 2026 round was adopted by the ICANN Board at ICANN 84 on November 3, 2025, following more than 250 hours of Implementation Review Team meetings and five Public Comment proceedings on successive drafts. As stipulated by the community, the AGB must be available at least four months before the application window opens. In its ICANN84 resolution, the Board directed ICANN org to publish the final AGB text no later than 30 December 30, 2025 and authorized only insignificant changes while org aligns Dispute Resolution Service Provider rules and performs final consistency checks.<ref name="board-agb-2025" /> <ref name="agb-home">[https://newgtldprogram.icann.org/en/application-rounds/round2/agb ICANN New gTLD Program Next Round: Applicant Guidebook Homepage] Retrieved December 2, 2025</ref>

=== Program Costs and Evaluation Fees ===

ICANN has set an expected evaluation fee of USD 227,000 for applications in the 2026 round of the New gTLD Program.<ref name="blog">[https://www.icann.org/en/blogs/details/icann-sets-expected-evaluation-fee-for-new-gtld-applications-in-the-next-round-25-09-2024-en ICANN Blogs: ICANN Sets Expected Evaluation Fee for New gTLD Applications in the Next Round] Retrieved August 8, 2025</ref> While the fee will not be formally confirmed until the ICANN Board approves the Applicant Guidebook for the Next Round, publishing the expected amount is intended to give prospective applicants a concrete basis for business planning and decision-making.

The expected fee level reflects program-related decisions taken at the ICANN Board workshop of September 6-8, 2024 in Los Angeles, including adoption of the remaining Internationalized Domain Names Expedited Policy Development Process Phase 1 recommendation on application fees and Security and Stability Advisory Committee advice related to Name Collision Analysis.<ref name="blog" /> Consistent with the GNSO Subsequent Procedures Final Report, the fee is set on a cost-recovery basis: it is intended to cover the full costs of running the New gTLD Program and to be revenue-neutral, so that the round is not subsidized by existing ICANN funding sources such as gTLD registry and registrar fees, ccTLD contributions, or Regional Internet Registry contributions. <ref>[https://newgtldprogram.icann.org/en/resources/gtld-evaluation-fee-faqs ICANN New gTLD Program Next Round: gTLD Evaluation Fee Frequently Asked Questions] Retrieved August 8, 2025</ref>

The gTLD evaluation fee does not include charges for elective conditional evaluations, which are assessed separately. Conditional evaluations are optional assessments that an applicant may request in order to obtain specific statuses or treatment, such as Community Priority Evaluation for community-based applications or eligibility for the .Brand TLD model.<ref name="blog" />

=== Systems and Tools ===

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Community discussions continue on how best to incorporate DNS abuse safeguards, predictability, and public interest considerations into the Next Round's implementation, with many of these themes surfacing in public comment proceedings and ICANN meeting sessions.<ref name="status-2024" /><ref name="string-sim-guidelines" />

~~== Cost ==~~

ICANN has set the expected evaluation fee for the next round of new gTLD applications. The expected fee will be USD $227,000. While the fee will not be approved formally until the Board approves the Applicant Guidebook for the next round, the expected cost is a critical piece of information for potential applicants when considering whether to submit a new gTLD application.

The cost was determined following program-related decisions made during the recent ICANN Board of Directors workshop, held 6–8 September in Los Angeles. These included the adoption of the pending recommendation from the Internationalized Domain Names Expedited Policy Development Process Phase 1 and adoption of advice from the Security and Stability Advisory Committee in relation to Name Collision Analysis.<ref name="blog">[https://www.icann.org/en/blogs/details/icann-sets-expected-evaluation-fee-for-new-gtld-applications-in-the-next-round-25-09-2024-en ICANN Blogs: ICANN Sets Expected Evaluation Fee for New gTLD Applications in the Next Round] Retrieved August 8, 2025</ref> Also, the GNSO Final Report recommendations confirm that the fee is "set to recover costs associated with the new gTLD program. The fee is set to ensure that the program is fully funded and revenue-neutral and is not subsidized by existing contributions from ICANN funding sources, including generic TLD registries and registrars, ccTLD contributions and RIR contributions."<ref>[https://newgtldprogram.icann.org/en/resources/gtld-evaluation-fee-faqs ICANN New gTLD Program Next Round: gTLD Evaluation Fee Frequently Asked Questions] Retrieved August 8, 2025</ref>

The gTLD evaluation fee does not include fees for conditional evaluations, which will be charged separately. Conditional evaluations are elective assessments that an applicant may choose, such as a Community Priority Evaluation or those that want to qualify for .Brand TLD status, to obtain special status or treatment.<ref name="blog"></ref>

== Timeline ==

@@ Line 115: / Line 115: @@
 The Applicant Guidebook for the 2026 round was adopted by the ICANN Board at ICANN 84 on November 3, 2025, following more than 250 hours of Implementation Review Team meetings and five Public Comment proceedings on successive drafts. As stipulated by the community, the AGB must be available at least four months before the application window opens. In its ICANN84 resolution, the Board directed ICANN org to publish the final AGB text no later than 30 December 30, 2025 and authorized only insignificant changes while org aligns Dispute Resolution Service Provider rules and performs final consistency checks.<ref name="board-agb-2025" /> <ref name="agb-home">[https://newgtldprogram.icann.org/en/application-rounds/round2/agb ICANN New gTLD Program Next Round: Applicant Guidebook Homepage] Retrieved December 2, 2025</ref>
+=== Program Costs and Evaluation Fees ===
+ICANN has set an expected evaluation fee of USD 227,000 for applications in the 2026 round of the New gTLD Program.<ref name="blog">[https://www.icann.org/en/blogs/details/icann-sets-expected-evaluation-fee-for-new-gtld-applications-in-the-next-round-25-09-2024-en ICANN Blogs: ICANN Sets Expected Evaluation Fee for New gTLD Applications in the Next Round] Retrieved August 8, 2025</ref> While the fee will not be formally confirmed until the ICANN Board approves the Applicant Guidebook for the Next Round, publishing the expected amount is intended to give prospective applicants a concrete basis for business planning and decision-making.
+The expected fee level reflects program-related decisions taken at the ICANN Board workshop of September 6-8, 2024 in Los Angeles, including adoption of the remaining Internationalized Domain Names Expedited Policy Development Process Phase 1 recommendation on application fees and Security and Stability Advisory Committee advice related to Name Collision Analysis.<ref name="blog" /> Consistent with the GNSO Subsequent Procedures Final Report, the fee is set on a cost-recovery basis: it is intended to cover the full costs of running the New gTLD Program and to be revenue-neutral, so that the round is not subsidized by existing ICANN funding sources such as gTLD registry and registrar fees, ccTLD contributions, or Regional Internet Registry contributions. <ref>[https://newgtldprogram.icann.org/en/resources/gtld-evaluation-fee-faqs ICANN New gTLD Program Next Round: gTLD Evaluation Fee Frequently Asked Questions] Retrieved August 8, 2025</ref>
+The gTLD evaluation fee does not include charges for elective conditional evaluations, which are assessed separately. Conditional evaluations are optional assessments that an applicant may request in order to obtain specific statuses or treatment, such as Community Priority Evaluation for community-based applications or eligibility for the .Brand TLD model.<ref name="blog" />
 === Systems and Tools ===
@@ Line 192: / Line 200: @@
 Community discussions continue on how best to incorporate DNS abuse safeguards, predictability, and public interest considerations into the Next Round's implementation, with many of these themes surfacing in public comment proceedings and ICANN meeting sessions.<ref name="status-2024" /><ref name="string-sim-guidelines" />
-== Cost ==
-ICANN has set the expected evaluation fee for the next round of new gTLD applications. The expected fee will be USD $227,000. While the fee will not be approved formally until the Board approves the Applicant Guidebook for the next round, the expected cost is a critical piece of information for potential applicants when considering whether to submit a new gTLD application.
-The cost was determined following program-related decisions made during the recent ICANN Board of Directors workshop, held 6–8 September in Los Angeles. These included the adoption of the pending recommendation from the Internationalized Domain Names Expedited Policy Development Process Phase 1 and adoption of advice from the Security and Stability Advisory Committee in relation to Name Collision Analysis.<ref name="blog">[https://www.icann.org/en/blogs/details/icann-sets-expected-evaluation-fee-for-new-gtld-applications-in-the-next-round-25-09-2024-en ICANN Blogs: ICANN Sets Expected Evaluation Fee for New gTLD Applications in the Next Round] Retrieved August 8, 2025</ref> Also, the GNSO Final Report recommendations confirm that the fee is "set to recover costs associated with the new gTLD program. The fee is set to ensure that the program is fully funded and revenue-neutral and is not subsidized by existing contributions from ICANN funding sources, including generic TLD registries and registrars, ccTLD contributions and RIR contributions."<ref>[https://newgtldprogram.icann.org/en/resources/gtld-evaluation-fee-faqs ICANN New gTLD Program Next Round: gTLD Evaluation Fee Frequently Asked Questions] Retrieved August 8, 2025</ref>
-The gTLD evaluation fee does not include fees for conditional evaluations, which will be charged separately. Conditional evaluations are elective assessments that an applicant may choose, such as a Community Priority Evaluation or those that want to qualify for .Brand TLD status, to obtain special status or treatment.<ref name="blog"></ref>
 == Timeline ==