Email from ICANN Thursday, 30 April 2026 ICANN Community Digest Click here to learn more about the New gTLD Program 2026 Round Applicant Guidebook 2026 Round Vendor Sourcing Timeline 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! Table of Contents ICANN86 Prep Week Information Sharing NEW: Chair’s Blog: Preview of the May Board Workshop 2026 Round NEW: New gTLD Program: 2026 Round Opens Today NEW: ICANN Opens Second Application Period for the 2026 Round RSP Evaluation Program NEW: ICANN 2026 Round Application System User Guide, Support Model Available NEW: ICANN Launches Webinar Series on 2026 Round Objections and Appeals Processes ICANN Offers Webinars, Resources to Support Prospective New gTLD Applicants ICANN Extends Deadline for Expressions of Interest: 2026 Round Independent Objectors 2026 Round TAMS Webinars and Newly Available FAQs Next Round Champions Toolkit Available in the Six ICANN Languages Webinars NEW: Webinar Series on 2026 Round Objections and Appeals Processes TUESDAY: Review of Reviews CCG 5 May Webinars and Refined Proposal Outline ICANN to Host Question-and-Answer Sessions for New gTLD Applicants 🚨 Action Items 🚨 ICANN Request for Proposal: Global Payroll Services ICANN Issues Request for Proposal: 2026 Round Auction ICANN Board Seeks Input on Additional Funds for 2026 Round Applicant Support Program ICANNWiki Seeking Volunteers Public Comment CLOSES MONDAY: Draft Evaluation Guides for Community Priority Evaluation (CPE) Events These events occur in April 2026. ICANN86 Prep Week Information Sharing NEW: Chair’s Blog: Preview of the May Board Workshop The first day of the workshop will include a 90-minute informational session on the domain name industry. This session will be open to the public as a Zoom webinar, and anyone interested in the domain name industry is invited to attend. Date: Friday, 1 May 2026 | 9:15–10:45 British Summer Time (8:15–9:45 UTC) Read more and register. 2026 Round NEW: New gTLD Program: 2026 Round Opens Today New gTLDs have demonstrated their benefits in building brand trust, creating vibrant local digital ecosystems, and providing more intuitive navigation for users. 2026 Round Launch Page Press Release Announcement NEW: 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. NEW: 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. NEW: ICANN Launches Webinar Series on 2026 Round Objections and Appeals Processes ICANN will host a series of webinars in May 2026 that will provide an overview of specific grounds for objections and appeals, their processes, and timelines for the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round. Announcement ICANN Offers Webinars, Resources to Support Prospective New gTLD Applicants I would like to remind all interested parties of key resources we’ve made available, as well as to let you know how to get help, if needed, while completing your application. Read more. 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: Monday 11 May Read more. Next Round Champions Toolkit Available in the Six ICANN Languages ICANN is working with the community to identify potential Applicant Support Program (ASP) applicants – especially in regions that are currently under-represented in ICANN. If you are interested in helping to raise awareness among your own contacts or communities, please use the materials in the Next Round Champions Toolkit. To stay up to date on the New gTLD Program: Next Round and ASP, join the mailing list: nextroundinfo@icann.org. ASP leads, targets, and ideas can be sent to engagement.newgTLDprogram@icann.org. Webinars NEW: Webinar Series on 2026 Round Objections and Appeals Processes Introduction: 19 May, 14:00 UTC | 26 May, 06:00 UTC WIPO, Dispute Resolution Service Provider: 20 May, 14:00 UTC | 27 May, 06:00 UTC International Chamber of Commerce, Dispute Resolution Service Provider: 21 May, 14:00 UTC | 28 May, 06:00 UTC Read more and register. TUESDAY: Review of Reviews CCG 5 May Webinars and Refined Proposal Outline The Reviews CCG will present a refined outline of what a refreshed ICANN reviews system could look like and respond to questions from the Nominating Groups and interested stakeholders as it develops the draft report ahead of the Public Comment period. Dates: Tuesday, 5 May 2026 – 06:00–07:00 UTC Tuesday, 5 May 2026 – 18:00–19:00 UTC Read the Refined Proposal to prepare. Announcement. Facebook | LinkedIn | X ICANN to Host Question-and-Answer Sessions for New gTLD Applicants Dates: 12 May, 16:00 UTC | 26 May, 16:00 UTC Read more and register. Action Items ICANN Request for Proposal: Global Payroll Services ICANN's preference would be to contract with one provider that can support all in-scope countries; however, under certain considerations ICANN may be open to selecting multiple providers as part of this initiative. Deadline: 8 May 2026 Read more. 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: 2 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! Public Comment CLOSES MONDAY: Draft Evaluation Guides for Community Priority Evaluation (CPE) Open for Submissions Date: Tuesday, 24 March 2026 Closed for Submissions Date: Monday, 04 May 2026 See upcoming proceedings. See other public consultations. Events These events occur in April 2026. To learn more, please visit our community engagement calendar. Remote DNS and DNSSEC Training with AGETIC Mali (.ml ccTLD Manager) Connected Africa Summit-2026 Central Asian IGF At-Large Webinar: “ICANN Global Public Interest Framework (GPIF) and Relevance to At-Large” DNSSEC Training for Azeri Community ICANN Technical Webinar EMEA: Phishing and DNS Abuse - Operational Blindspots INTA 2026 Annual Meeting (International Trademark Association) Volume 8, Issue 30 | Archive | Next Issue: Monday, 04 May 2026 STAY INFORMED: Subscribe here ICANN | 12025 Waterfront Drive Suite 300 | Los Angeles, CA 90094-2536 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice