ICANN Grant Program

Latest News

  • 28 January 2025 - We are happy to announce that the ICANN Board has officially approved the final slate of applications to proceed to contract negotiations in the first cycle of the ICANN Grant Program. Congratulations to our future grantees and thank you to everyone who participated by applying. The funded projects will be disclosed only after all grant agreement negotiations are complete and the agreements are signed, which we expect to happen by the end of March 2025. This marks an exciting milestone, and we look forward to seeing the impact these grants will have!

  • 25 May 2024 - The application window for the ICANN Grant Program first cycle closed at 20:00 UTC on 24 May 2024. Thanks to all the applicants. 

 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. 

The application window for the first grant cycle opened on 25 March and closed on 24 May 2024. The assessment of the 247 submitted applications for the ICANN Grant Program's first cycle  concluded at the end of 2024

Five community webinars took place since Q4 2022. The last Grant Program session took place at ICANN79.