ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
03/18/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/18/2026 04:48
ICANN Announces Community Priority Evaluation Provider for 2026 Round
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Analysys Mason Limited to be the Community Priority Evaluation (CPE) provider for the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: 2026 Round.
ICANN selected Analysys Mason through a competitive Request for Proposal initiated in August 2025. The CPE provider was selected in accordance with ICANN's procurement best practices, which ensure that services are sourced with the correct specifications, at the appropriate level of quality and value.
Analysys Mason is a global technology, media, and telecoms management consulting firm. Drawing on expertise, experience, and research capabilities, Analysys Mason helps clients perform complex evaluations and make critical decisions every day. With more than 400 consultants in 17 offices, Analysys Mason is a trusted partner for governments, investors, and industry players, and has worked on projects in over 140 countries.
ICANN notes the importance of the topic of communities in the Domain Name System ecosystem and is committed to ensuring that CPE is implemented successfully. ICANN has chosen Analysys Mason because it is confident that it has the capabilities and experience to carry out CPE transparently and effectively. ICANN has also worked with Analysys Mason to ensure the fees for CPE remain as fair as possible given the complexities of this evaluation. For information on fees related to CPE, please see the FAQ on the New gTLD Program page.
Background
CPE is a criterion-based evaluation conducted by a third-party panel and is an optional contention resolution mechanism. When invoked, CPE is designed to ensure that when multiple applicants seek the same gTLD, priority can be granted to applications demonstrating a strong and legitimate community claim. The role of the CPE panel is to determine whether a community-based application fulfills the CPE criteria and guidelines defined in the Applicant Guidebook (AGB).
For more information on CPE and community applications, please refer to Section 5.4, Community Priority Evaluation, of the AGB. For questions about this announcement, please contact [email protected].
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.
ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers published this content on March 18, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 18, 2026 at 10:49 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]