Latest news
The last Grant Program session took place at ICANN78 on Thursday, 26 Oct @ 11:15 UTC (13:15 Hamburg local time).
Background
The ICANN Board reviewed the recommendations of the Cross-Community Working Group on New gTLD Auction Proceeds (CCWG-AP) and feasibility information related to the recommendations against the 2018 Board Principles and an ICANN Org assessment document.
As a result of this review, on 12 June 2022, the Board formally approved the recommendations of the CCWG-AP and directed ICANN’s President and CEO, or his designee(s), to take all actions as directed within the Board Scorecard no later than within 120 days following the Board resolution to ultimately implement an ICANN Grant Program aligned with ICANN’s mission and based in sound governance practices.
On 10 October 2022, ICANN org provided the Board with an overview of the Preliminary Design and Implementation Plan for the ICANN Grant Program in line with the Board's Scorecard.
Since then, work has been ongoing to design the program and to establish the resources needed for its implementation.
Two community webinars took place in Q4 2022. The last webinar took place on 1 June 2023.
FAQs
What is the ICANN Grant Program?
It is an international grant-making program funded by the proceeds received from last-resort auctions in the 2012 New gTLD Program. The ICANN community convened a working group that developed a Final Report with recommendations on how these proceeds should be allocated. On 12 June 2022 the ICANN Board adopted the recommendations. As a result, ICANN org has started to develop a Grant Program. Once established, this program will exist until the proceeds are depleted.
How much funding is available?
The total net auction proceeds fund amounts to $210 million as of 30 June 2022. This may not be the final amount of proceeds available for distribution, as a portion of the auction proceeds funds under management are still subject to disputes. Additionally, costs to run the program will be covered by the auction proceeds fund.
The Grant Program will operate in a series of cycles. During each cycle, a portion of the total fund will be available for distribution for successful applications. For the first cycle, $10 million will be the overall amount available for distribution. Within the first cycle, grant awards will range between $50,000 up to $500,000. These award thresholds are for the first cycle only and will be reassessed for future cycles.
When will applications for the program open?
Based on current planning, we project that the application window for the first cycle will open March 2024. This timeline takes into account the work to finalize the program design, including setting up the Grant Program department, developing and launching an awareness campaign, and implementing the necessary processes and procedures.
Who can apply?
All eligible applicants must be:
- Be a charitable organization.
- Organizations within the U.S. must have a 501(c)(3) determination from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
- Non-U.S. equivalent of 501(c)(3)
- an equivalency determination must be made by a qualified tax practitioner
- Meet all applicable U.S. trade laws and regulations and must not be the subject of any U.S. sanctions
- Meet all applicable standards for reputation and background checks
May an applicant submit more than one application?
ICANN org is evaluating possible scenarios to handle applications from the same applicant during a grant cycle. ICANN org's current planning includes the ability for a single applicant to submit more than one application within the first cycle. The rules regarding limitations on the ability for an applicant to have more than one successful application per cycle and applicants identifying preferences amongst their applications are still being considered. This is also an aspect of the Grant Program that we anticipate will be evaluated for subsequent cycles.
What types of projects will be eligible
Applications must be for projects consistent with ICANN's mission and aligned with the objectives of the Grant Program. Additional eligibility criteria are being defined and will be published, along with other details about the application process as soon as this work is finalized.
While the full scope of eligibility criteria is still under development, projects that include any aspect of political or lobbying activities, or projects that include activities that are already conducted within ICANN will not be eligible for funding.
Who will evaluate the applications?
There will be different levels of evaluation that are still being developed, such as background checks/eligibility, and confirmation of consistency with ICANN's mission. Once those preliminary checks are completed, an Independent Application Assessment Panel will be responsible for the evaluation of applications against the objectives of the program.
Given the importance of ensuring the independence of this panel, ICANN org will select a third party to design and form the Panel with the ultimate objectives of maximizing Panel independence from the ICANN Board, org, and community. Additionally, procedures will be in place to handle conflict of interest at the panel level and throughout the program.
How will the funds be disbursed to the grantees?
Disbursement of the grants will occur in installments. The first installment will be disbursed to the grantee in a timely manner after the signing of the grant agreement. Following installments will be disbursed after the submission and approval of regular reports that the grantee is expected to produce and submit.
What will be required from the grantees
Grantees will be expected to complete interim reports throughout the duration of the grant to document the progress of the project and the use of the funds. A final report will also be due at the conclusion of the project and should detail achievement of goals and objectives and final expenditures for the project.
Projects may be subject to additional monitoring activities, such as site visits to verify and document project activities as reported. On the occasion of any such activity, iCANN will contact the grantee directly to make arrangements for the visit at no cost to the grantee.
Grantees may also be subject to periodic reviews and evaluations. This may include surveys, participation in virtual or in-person meetings and interviews with ICANN staff, or other activities that require data collection related to implementation of the project and use of grant funds.
