{"id":14206,"date":"2025-07-08T08:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T12:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cscdbs.com\/blog\/?p=14206"},"modified":"2026-01-15T11:18:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T16:18:49","slug":"understanding-icanns-draft-applicant-guidebook-next-steps-for-prospective-dot-brand-applicants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cscdbs.com\/blog\/understanding-icanns-draft-applicant-guidebook-next-steps-for-prospective-dot-brand-applicants\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding ICANN\u2019s Draft Applicant Guidebook: Next Steps for Prospective Dot Brand Applicants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In part one of this blog series, Understanding ICANN\u2019s Draft Applicant Guidebook: What\u2019s New for Round Two?<\/a>, <\/em>I looked at the key information from ICANN\u2019s Applicant Guidebook (AGB) and highlighted the new or updated rules for application. In this second blog, I look at essential next steps for companies considering applying for a .BRAND top-level domain (TLD) when the application window opens, mooted for April 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What next for potential .BRAND applicants?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a potential .BRAND applicant, you may receive calls and emails from consultants, law firms, registries, and registrars, telling you to sign up for their services now to be prepared to put forth a qualified .BRAND TLD application by April 2026. This is simply not true. Many have been waiting for years for the second round to open and are in a situation where their ongoing survival or a private equity owner\u2019s exit strategy depends on the sale of .BRAND application preparation, or technical and operational services. Their timeline and interests are not aligned with yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the AGB is not yet final and therefore the application questions and requirements are not yet set, potential .BRAND applicants are better served by focusing on the following areas over the coming months:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Assess the opportunity.<\/strong> Educate yourself and your organization about ICANN\u2019s New gTLD Program, projected timelines, and costs for application. Create a cross-functional team of internal stakeholders to assess the opportunity, understand current use cases and potential benefits of a .BRAND for your organization (my previous blog, ICANN\u2019s New gTLD Program: Round 2 \u2013 Time to Tune In<\/em><\/a>, outlines how to do this.) Importantly, a .BRAND TLD is not for every company.

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  2. Get budget ready.<\/strong> For most companies, the budget season for 2026 is in full swing. It\u2019s important to create budget justification and budget requests now. This will need to adequately cover not only ICANN\u2019s base application fee (currently $227,000), but also ancillary fees for .BRAND evaluation (currently $500 per .BRAND application), potential participation in the prioritization draw, objection, and contention fees (necessary if you need to defend your application), as well as fees for application preparation and support throughout the application process. In 2026, you will only need budget for the application process, as the earliest a TLD will be able to be used would be 2027 given evaluation and contracting timelines. I share my recommendations for what potential .BRAND applicants should budget for 2026 and beyond to cover all these costs in my webinar Applying for a Dot Brand TLD \u2013 Top Five Takeaways from ICANN\u2019s Applicant Guidebook.<\/em><\/a>

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  3. Stay informed.<\/strong> While reading the entire draft AGB is a heavy lift, it\u2019s available at ICANN\u2019s website here<\/a>. However, CSC has many resources tailored to the specific needs and questions of companies considering a .BRAND, such as easy-to-understand program overviews, stakeholder briefing papers, webinars, blogs, and weekly and monthly newsletters to help you better understand the program and AGB developments. Please contact your CSC Client Service Partner, CSC Strategic Account Manager, or contact us here<\/a> to subscribe.

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  4. Begin evaluating potential partners<\/strong>. While it\u2019s not necessary to sign on the dotted line for round two application support and preparation services right now, it\u2019s time to develop an understanding of your options for support. Partner with an organization that has the experience of successfully applying for and operating hundreds of .BRAND TLDs, and that is security-focused, financially stable, and not private-equity owned (as a .BRAND comes with long term responsibilities). Prospective partners should have strong ICANN relationships and expertise, in addition to global scale and 24x7x365 in-house support. CSC ticks all these boxes. Beware of providers with high-pressure sales tactics, little to no experience in applying for or operating .BRAND TLDs on a global scale and those that are private equity funded or owned.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    In sum, it is not too late, and you are not behind in assessing whether to apply for a .BRAND TLD in round two of ICANN\u2019s New gTLD Program, despite lots of industry noise stating that is the case. In fact, you are exactly where you need to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In August and early September there will be a much better understanding of the details of the application program and whether the application window will indeed open in April 2026. Once open, applicants will have 12-15 weeks to submit their application. It\u2019s not a first-come, first-served application period\u2014as I mentioned in my first blog<\/a>, the application evaluation order will be determined by the prioritization draw\u2014so companies who decide to apply for a .BRAND TLD shouldn\u2019t need to prepare applications until at the very earliest late in Q4 of 2025, but more realistically Q1 of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Stay abreast of all updates around ICANN\u2019s New gTLD Program with CSC<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n