LOS ANGELES - The pre-evaluation application submission period of the ICANN Registry Service Provider (RSP) Evaluation Program for the New Generic Top-level Domains (gTLD) Program: Next Round is set to close at 18:00 UTC on May 20, 2025. Launched on November 19, 2024, the program streamlines gTLD applications by separately evaluating the technical aspects of operating the gTLD from the application for the gTLD label, a press release stated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). 

The RSP Evaluation Program ensures that RSPs have the proper technical qualifications to run a gTLD back-end technical infrastructure. RSPs need only be evaluated once through the program, regardless of the number of gTLDs they support. This initial evaluation period (pre-evaluation) for this program will close on May 20, 2025. This allows ICANN org to begin testing and evaluating services, including Domain Name System (DNS) operations, DNS Security Extensions cryptographic functions, and publishing registration data via the Registration Data Access Protocol, among others.

All New gTLD Program: Next Round applicants must use RSPs that have been successfully evaluated through the RSP Evaluation Program. The RSP may be the same entity as the prospective applicant, or the gTLD may outsource services to a third-party.

ICANN org plans to publish public portions of the RSP Evaluation Program applications and list RSP applicants that have successfully been evaluated to support New gTLD Program: Next Round applicants on December 9, 2025. Publishing the list of successfully evaluated RSPs before the gTLD application window opens allows new gTLD applicants an opportunity to enter conversations with evaluated RSPs before working on their gTLD applications.