The next round new gTLD is expected to be open April 2026

About the Program

The New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program is a community-driven initiative that’s enabling the continued expansion of the Domain Name System. Through the introduction of new gTLDs, including domain names in a variety of scripts and languages, the program aims to encourage innovation, competition, and consumer choice.

Navigating the Internet

Every computer on the Internet has a unique numerical address called an Internet Protocol (IP) address. The Domain Name System (DNS) makes the Internet more ‚user-friendly‘ by allowing users to enter names, rather than having to remember a long string of numbers for the website they wish to visit.

Top-level domains form the last part of a domain name, appearing after the dot. For example, in the domain name icann.org, the characters ‚org‘ identify the TLD.

Through the 2012 New gTLD Program, more than 1,200 new unique names like .futbol and .pizza, and names in other alphabets and languages, called Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), were added to the Internet. The addition of new gTLDs has helped to encourage innovation, competition, and consumer choice in the domain name industry.

Opportunities in Next Round

The New gTLD Program: Next Round gives businesses, communities, governments and other organizations the chance to apply for new top-level domains tailored to fit their organization, community, culture, language, and customer interests. (For some examples of how these groups have used gTLDs, please review our case studies from the 2012 round.)

The next round of new gTLDs will offer even more domain names in longer lengths and different scripts. These are an important part of the expansion of the DNS because they allow speakers of non-Latin-based languages to access the Internet using their own language or writing system.

In this way, new gTLDs provide global consumers with broader access – in their own languages – and more online identity choices, helping to promote competition and innovation.

The New gTLD Program: Next Round is being implemented by ICANN in line with community-developed policy recommendations contained in the Generic Names Supporting Organization’s New gTLD Subsequent Procedures (Subpro) Policy Development Process Final Report. Expected opening of the next Round will be in spring 2026.

Next Round

The New gTLD Program: Next Round is expected to open in April 2026. This timing is based on Policy Implementation work, which is estimated to conclude in May 2025 with the completion of the Applicant Guidebook (AGB). The AGB serves as the essential rule book for the program. Once the AGB has been completed, ICANN estimates it will take approximately one year to operationalize the process and open the application period.

The next round of the program seeks to foster diversity, encourage competition, and enhance the utility of the DNS.

Source: ICANN

*The New gTLD application submission period is projected to open April 2026 for 12-15 weeks.
** The RSP pre-evaluation submission period is projected to open on 19 November 2024 and close on 20 May 2025. The second evaluation period is projected to open in April 2026 for 12-15 weeks, concurrent with the opening of the Next Round application submission window.
Dates are subject to change.

This can be a new opportunity for some brand owners, if it is thought through thoroughly and good planning is put in place for “re-branding” marketing effort.

A business case for .brand

A branded root domain means that the brand owner owns the complete namespace and will be able to establish its own policies and act as a Registry. The brand owner will be able to manage their brand more effectively as no one else, unless the brand owner allows it. It can register domain within this TLD space.

.brand would be the only digital identifier for all stakeholders. It would give flexibility to new domains, instead of buying them from domainers, if registered. A digital place where you can implement your own security protocols and standards increasing safety of your stakeholders.
The brand owner would control the second level part of the domain and could separate each business segment like for example:

kunden.brand
lieferanten.brand
it.brand
intranet.brand

and what else one can think of. The examples would be the registered main domain (second level), but on the third level you can fine tune it even more like giving languages their own space like:

de.kunden.brand
it.kunden.brand
fr.kunden.brand

UrI’s are still easier to remember than vanity or marketing UrI’s, even when the majority of internet users use search engines, even when giving them Url’s directly.