You Will Need Help with the Application to ICANN
The ICANN application is long, complex, and full of industry jargon. We recommend choosing a registry partner, such as Minds + Machines, to assist you with the application itself, and to provide the technical and policy infrastructure that a successful application requires. We recommend that you conduct an RFP to find the right registry partner. You can refer to our RFP Guide for what to request from a registry partner.
Steps to Apply
Whether you choose a registry operator partner or decide to do it alone, you will need to proceed with the following steps:
- Submit a Pre-Application (also called an Expression of Interest). This procedure will be voted on and finalized at the February 2010 meeting of ICANN’s Board of Directors. It will likely involve a very short questionnaire and the payment of a $55,000 submission fee. See more details on our Pre-Application page.
- Fill out the ICANN application using their online application facility, with an additional $130,000 fee.
- Respond to any requests from ICANN evaluators for more information.
- If the application is rejected for technical reasons, request a re-evaluation (a separate $50,000 fee, or greater, will apply).
- Sign a contract with ICANN.
- Launch your city top-level domain.
What ICANN Requires
To succeed with the ICANN application, you have to qualify, as follows:
- Show that you have the technical infrastructure and experience to operate a registry. For a city, this typically means hiring a registry services provider such as Minds + Machines.
- Show that you have the financial wherewithal to start and operate a TLD registry, and that if things go bad, that you have the resources to continue providing services to your existing customers for up to five years.
- Agree to comply with ICANN’s policy directives. In practice, this means assigning someone who will participate in ICANN on your behalf.
- For a geographical TLD — such as the TLD for a city, state, province, or region — the approval or non-objection of the relevant government is required. If the city itself is applying, this is not a problem. If the city chooses a private company to be the applicant, a letter from the relevant governmental authorities is needed. If the city is the nation’s capital, permission from the national government is also required.
