The ICANN organization Policy Development Support function publishes this twice-weekly digest

to help ICANN community groups track requests and follow updates.

Do you have any ideas for improving the ICANN Community Digest?

Write to us at policyinfo@icann.org!

ICANN86

• Prep Week
• Schedule
• PRSP Pre-ICANN86 Briefing
• ICANN86 Policy Outlook Report
• NEW: Press Release: ICANN86 Policy Forum Brings Global Internet Community to Seville

Information Sharing

• NEW: ICANN Announces the Passing of Board Member Alan Barrett

2026 Round

• ICANN Opens Second Application Period for the 2026 Round RSP Evaluation Program
• ICANN 2026 Round Application System User Guide, Support Model Available

🚨 Action Items 🚨

• TODAY: ICANN Extends Deadline for Expressions of Interest: 2026 Round Independent Objectors
• TOMORROW: ICANN Issues Request for Proposal: 2026 Round Auction
• NEXT WEEK: ICANN Request for Proposal: 2026 Round Financial and Operational Evaluation
• ICANNWiki Seeking Volunteers

Public Comment

• Additional Reference Label Generation Rules and Related Updates

Events

• These events occur in June 2026.

ICANN Opens Second Application Period for the 2026 Round RSP Evaluation Program

The second application period for the RSP Evaluation Program runs from 30 April to 12 August 2026.

Read more.

ICANN 2026 Round Application System User Guide, Support Model Available

ICANN has made several resources available to help prospective applicants familiarize themselves with ICANN's TLD Application Management System (TAMS). This online system will be used by all applicants, evaluation panelists, and ICANN staff to submit, manage, and process new gTLD applications.

These resources are available to help prospective applicants prepare for the application completion and submission process through TAMS:

System user guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Demo videos

Q&A webinar recordings

Read more.

TODAY: ICANN Extends Deadline for Expressions of Interest: 2026 Round Independent Objectors

The Independent Objectors will file Community and Limited Public Interest objections and appeals, and participate in mediation, where appropriate.

Deadline: 01 June 2026

Read more.

TOMORROW: ICANN Issues Request for Proposal: 2026 Round Auction

The selected provider will implement the ascending-clock, second-price auction method and must have the capability to accommodate a high volume of auctions, including both direct and indirect contention sets.

Deadline: 02 June 2026

Read more.

NEXT WEEK: ICANN Request for Proposal: 2026 Round Financial and Operational Evaluation

The Financial and Operational Evaluation occurs during the applicant evaluation phase of the New gTLD Program, expected to begin in Q3 2027.

Deadline: 12 June 2026

Read more.

ICANNWiki Seeking Volunteers

ICANNWiki is seeking volunteers to assist with creating and editing articles and content for the site. Do you want to help? Getting started is as simple as requesting an account. Then, make sure to read the short content guide to get a feel for what belongs in the wiki. Also, feel free to take a look at some data source suggestions on where to find reliable data. Happy editing!

Additional Reference Label Generation Rules and Related Updates

Submissions Opening Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2026

Submissions Closing Date: Tuesday, 23 June 2026

See upcoming proceedings.

See other public consultations.

These events occur in June 2026.

To learn more, please visit our community engagement calendar.

• 16th Regional Cyberdrill for Americas—​Regional CyberDrill
• OSIANE 2026
• Digital Power and Democratic Futures
• ICANN86 Seville Policy Forum
• ADNDRC Practice Development Workshop 2026
• North America Space: Finding Your Path in ICANN: From First Steps to Community Leadership
• IT Law Training Program - Hacettepe University
• NOG-FI Meeting