ICANN Request for Proposal: 2026 Round Name Collision Initial Assessment of Applied-for Strings

Today, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) issued a request for proposal (RFP) to identify a service provider to operate the Name Collision Initial Assessment for Applied-for Strings process for the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: 2026 Round.

Name Collision refers to the situation in which a resource name that is intended to be resolved in one naming system is inadvertently resolved in a different naming system, potentially leading to unexpected behavior such as communication being disrupted or redirected from its intended recipient.

As part of the Name Collision Risk Management Framework implemented by ICANN to assess and mitigate the risk of name collisions between the global Domain Name System (DNS) and other naming systems, each applied-for string in the 2026 Round, including variant strings, will undergo an initial name collision risk assessment. The Name Collision Initial Assessment is a structured, expert-driven process intended to identify applied-for strings that, if delegated, may present a high risk of causing name collision and severe negative consequences for stakeholders. The Initial Assessment Panel will evaluate all applied-for strings using a combination of quantitative and, where necessary, qualitative analysis, in accordance with the Name Collision Initial Assessment Procedure.

This is a public RFP, which means that any prospective vendor may participate. For a complete overview of this RFP, including the timeline, please consult this webpage.

Indications of interest should be emailed to [email protected] and provide the following information:

• Name of the organization.
• Name of the contact.
• Email address of the contact.

Official responses to this RFP should be submitted electronically using ICANN's sourcing tool by 23:59 UTC on 31 July 2026. Access to this tool may be requested via the same email address.

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