ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
08/18/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/18/2025 10:11
ICANN Request for Information: Geographic Names Panel and Reserved Names Panel
Today, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) organization issued a request for information (RFI) seeking input from potential providers on their ability to perform reviews as the Geographic Names Panel (GNP) and Reserved Names Panel (RNP) for the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: Next Round, scheduled to open in April 2026.
The objective of this RFI is to gather insights from prospective providers regarding their methodologies, expertise, pricing to conduct the service, and the potential challenges that may arise while conducting Geographic Names and Reserved Names reviews under ICANN's policies and guidelines. Because the work related to the GNP and the RNP may be similar, ICANN intends to consolidate the work with a single provider.
The Geographic Names Panel will review all applications received, determine whether each applied-for gTLD string represents a Geographic Name, and verify the relevance and authenticity of supporting documentation where necessary. The Reserved Names Panel will review the strings flagged as Reserved Names. The Reserved Names Review includes both the exception process for an applicant to apply for a Limited International Intergovernmental Organization - International Non-governmental Organization name and the verification of required documentation.
This is a public RFI, meaning that any prospective vendor may participate. This RFI is the first stage of a two-stage sourcing process that will be used to fully evaluate proposals for this initiative. This RFI will be followed by a separate Request for Proposal (RFP) which will ideally result in the selection of a provider.
For a complete overview of this RFI, including the timeline, please consult the overview document.
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 the RFI should be electronically submitted using ICANN's sourcing tool by 23:59 UTC on 3 October 2025. Access to this tool may be requested via the same email address.
About ICANN
ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address - a name or a number - into your computer or other device. That address must be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world.
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ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers published this content on August 18, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 18, 2025 at 16:12 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]