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To qualify for elibility under this program,
3.1. The Application must demonstrate service to the public interest, including one or more of the following characteristics
- Support by and/or for distinct cultural, linguistic and ethnic communities
- Service in an under-served language, the presence of which on the Internet has been limited (for both 1. and 2. the social benefit of the Application is obvious but this is not the case for 3., 4. and 5. Therefore applications falling under 3., 4. and 5. must also elaborate on their social benefit to the specific demographics with which they relate)
- Operation in an emerging market or nation
- Sponsored by non-profit, civil society and non-governmental organizations
- Operated by local entrepreneur, in those geographic areas where market constraints make normal business operations more difficult
AND
3.2. The Applicant must demonstrate financial need
- Specific maximum income
- (EBW to submit non-income measures)
AND
3.3. The Application must NOT have any of the following characeristics:
- From a Developing Country Governmental or para-statal applicant (subject to negotiation, see below)
- A TLD string explicitly based, and related to, a trademark (ie, a "dot brand" TLD)
- A string that is, or is based on, a geographic name
- Sponsors or partners who are bankrupt or under bankruptcy protection
- Sponsors or partners who are ubject of litigation or criminal investigation
- Otherwise incapable of meeting any of the Applicant Guidebook's due diligence procedures
Although not part of the required criteria as expressed above, the WG also agreed that other forms of social benefit (including but not limited to: increasing skills; investment in the skills base of a target community; fostering gender balance and presence of minorities; positive contribution to regional or national economies) could be considered if required.
Applications by governments or government-owned entities
(NOTE: By consensus of the WG, purely Governmental or para-statal applicants have been listed as not entitled to receive support. However, at the ICANN San Francisco meeting the WG received a request from the GAC to consider including Government applications from Developing Countries for support. The WG will work to obtain a mutually acceptable definition and criteria to fit Government applications with the GAC WG, but recognizes the difficulty in measuring a government’s “need” and concern of the appropriateness of offering support for one government over another if resources are limited. The GAC WG has offered to review the JAS criteria and provide its recommendations on a formulation of a solution for possible support to Developing Country Government applications.)
Applicants will be expected give a self-declaration that they are eligible to receive support under these criteria
3.1 Notes on the application's public interest qualifications
3.1.1 - Support by and/or for distinct cultural, linguistic and ethnic communities
The “.cat” Catalonian TLD is seen by many linguistic, ethnic and cultural communities as a success story that has helped to preserve and indeed grow the language and culture. Many such groups -- especially those with geographically dispersed diasporas -- see a TLD as unifying icon that will facilitate Internet use while encouraging community growth. The WG agreed that the applications by such communities, should they meet the requirements of need, should be eligible for relief/support.
3.1.2 Service in an under-served language, the presence of which on the Internet has been limited
A number of WG members have advocated support for the build out of TLD strings in non-Latin scripts by communities that use these scripts and have to date been un-served or under-served on the web.
As a part of this, the group has identified two categories of groups that might receive support – communities that regularly use more than one script but might otherwise be unable to afford full-price build out of two scripts; and smaller script communities whose scripts are very limited on the web.
To address the needs of these groups, partial (but not consensus) support has been expressed for concept of “bundling” -- that is, reducing the price of a TLD string in an “underserved” IDN script that accompanies a conventional application for the similar string in a Latin script. The WG achieved a consensus that as long as the Applicant is providing build-out of a language whose web-presence is limited and they meet the other criteria, price support should be recommended.
The WG did achieve consensus that as long as the Applicant is providing build-out of a language whose web-presence is limited and they meet the other criteria we should give support.
3.1.3 - Operation in an emerging market or nation
The WG achieved full consensus in agreeing that the criteria offered to judge applications give preference to those originating within the world’s poorer economies. Rather than having ICANN undertake the distracting task of determining where such economies are located, we would refer instead to the internationally agreed upon UN DESA list:
- Least developed countries: category 199;
- Landlocked Developing Countries: category 432; or
- Small Island Developing States: category 722.
- Indigenous Peoples (according to definitions by the ILO and others)
Wiki Markup \[ possibly \-\- per EBW and pending refinement \-\- a designation that would be inclusive of indigenous groups in developed economies as well as within non-national entities (ie, Palestine)
3.1.5 Operated by local entrepreneur, in those geographic areas where market constraints make normal business operations more difficult
While for-profit companies, private-public partnerships and hybrid entities can be eligible, the WG agrees that this support program must not be used as a substitute for conventional business risk; and the applicants set out in 3.3 are not eligible for support. It should be used to enable new gTLDs that could -- without this program -- be unimaginable.
3.2 Financial Need
The overriding consensus of the WG is that financial need is the primary criteria for determining eligible applications. It is important that, while determining need, that the applicant also demonstrate sufficient stability and sustainability. It is undesirable that a TLD would fail, for instance, if its sponsor was wholly dependent on external grants without long-term commitments. So while maximum operating metrics are to be established to demonstrate need, minimum metrics will also be required to demonstrate stability and sustainability.
Amongst the criteria proposed as required for an applicant to demonstrate financial need are:
- Minimum gross income covering at least the Financial Continued Operation Instrument Obligation described in the Applicant Guidebook that applies for the applicant;
- Maximum annual income, unencumbered assets or liquid resources being not more than the conventional cost of obtaining a gTLD (currently set at $185,000)
- (EBW to provide non-income based criteria here)
Applicants will be expected give a self-declaration that they are eligible to receive support under these criteria
3.1 Notes on the application's public interest qualifications
3.1.1 - Support by and/or for distinct cultural, linguistic and ethnic communities
The “.cat” Catalonian TLD is seen by many linguistic, ethnic and cultural communities as a success story that has helped to preserve and indeed grow the language and culture. Many such groups -- especially those with geographically dispersed diasporas -- see a TLD as unifying icon that will facilitate Internet use while encouraging community growth. The WG agreed that the applications by such communities, should they meet the requirements of need, should be eligible for relief/support.
3.1.2 Service in an under-served language, the presence of which on the Internet has been limited
A number of WG members have advocated support for the build out of TLD strings in non-Latin scripts by communities that use these scripts and have to date been un-served or under-served on the web.
As a part of this, the group has identified two categories of groups that might receive support – communities that regularly use more than one script but might otherwise be unable to afford full-price build out of two scripts; and smaller script communities whose scripts are very limited on the web.
To address the needs of these groups, partial (but not consensus) support has been expressed for concept of “bundling” -- that is, reducing the price of a TLD string in an “underserved” IDN script that accompanies a conventional application for the similar string in a Latin script. The WG achieved a consensus that as long as the Applicant is providing build-out of a language whose web-presence is limited and they meet the other criteria, price support should be recommended.
The WG did achieve consensus that as long as the Applicant is providing build-out of a language whose web-presence is limited and they meet the other criteria we should give support.
3.1.3 - Operation in an emerging market or nation
The WG achieved full consensus in agreeing that the criteria offered to judge applications give preference to those originating within the world’s poorer economies. Rather than having ICANN undertake the distracting task of determining where such economies are located, we would refer instead to the internationally agreed upon UN DESA list:
- Least developed countries: category 199;
- Landlocked Developing Countries: category 432; or
- Small Island Developing States: category 722.
- Indigenous Peoples (according to definitions by the ILO and others)
Wiki Markup \[ possibly \-\- per EBW and pending refinement \-\- a designation that would be inclusive of indigenous groups in developed economies as well as within non-national entities (ie, Palestine)
3.1.5 Operated by local entrepreneur, in those geographic areas where market constraints make normal business operations more difficult
While for-profit companies, private-public partnerships and hybrid entities can be eligible, the WG agrees that this support program must not be used as a substitute for conventional business risk; and the applicants set out in 3.3 are not eligible for support. It should be used to enable new gTLDs that could -- without this program -- be unimaginable.
Although not part of the required criteria as expressed above, the WG also agreed that other forms of social benefit (including but not limited to: increasing skills; investment in the skills base of a target community; fostering gender balance and presence of minorities; positive contribution to regional or national economies) could be considered if required.
3.2 Notes on Financial Need
The overriding consensus of the WG is that financial need is the primary criteria for determining eligible applications. It is important that, while determining need, that the applicant also demonstrate sufficient stability and sustainability. It is undesirable that a TLD would fail, for instance, if its sponsor was wholly dependent on external grants without long-term commitments. So while maximum operating metrics are to be established to demonstrate need, minimum metrics will also be required to demonstrate stability and sustainability.
Amongst the criteria proposed as required for an applicant to demonstrate financial need are:
- Minimum gross income covering at least the Financial Continued Operation Instrument Obligation described in the Applicant Guidebook that applies for the applicant;
- Maximum annual income, unencumbered assets or liquid resources being not more than the conventional cost of obtaining a gTLD (currently set at $185,000)
- (EBW to provide non-income based criteria here)
Note that in the Milestone Report the WG agreed by consensus that Applicants who are financially eligible or needy must not benefit from more than 50% of the reduced fee provided by ICANN, therefore the Applicant must be able to meet its self-financing responsibility for at least 50% of the reduced fee. No limits have been imposed to the manner in which fundraising for the other 50% of the reduced fee is done by the financially eligible or needy Applicant.
3.3
Applications by governments or government-owned entities
(NOTE: By consensus of the WG, purely Governmental or para-statal applicants have been listed as not entitled to receive support. However, at the ICANN San Francisco meeting the WG received a request from the GAC to consider including Government applications from Developing Countries for support. The WG will work to obtain a mutually acceptable definition and criteria to fit Government applications with the GAC WG, but recognizes the difficulty in measuring a government’s “need” and concern of the appropriateness of offering support for one government over another if resources are limited. The GAC WG has offered to review the JAS criteria and provide its recommendations on a formulation of a solution for possible support to Developing Country Government applications.)Note that in the Milestone Report the WG agreed by consensus that Applicants who are financially eligible or needy must not benefit from more than 50% of the reduced fee provided by ICANN, therefore the Applicant must be able to meet its self-financing responsibility for at least 50% of the reduced fee. No limits have been imposed to the manner in which fundraising for the other 50% of the reduced fee is done by the financially eligible or needy Applicant.
Part 4 - What benefits do qualified applicants receive?
The 3.3The WG recommends a number of different kinds of support to be made available for eligible applicants, which fall into the following categories:
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