ICANN launches tender for name collision mitigation in 2026 domain expansion
ICANN has issued a public request for proposals to appoint a provider to manage the Name Collision Temporary Delegation process during the 2026 round of new generic top-level domains.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has issued a request for proposal (RFP) seeking a service provider to operate the Name Collision Temporary Delegation process for the 2026 round of its New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program.
Name collision occurs when a domain name intended for use in one naming environment is inadvertently resolved within another system. This can lead to unintended consequences, including misdirected or disrupted communications. To manage such risks, ICANN has established procedures that apply to certain applied-for domain strings during the evaluation phase.
Under the Temporary Delegation process, ICANN will delegate a new gTLD string from the Internet’s root zone to the selected provider’s Domain Name System (DNS) servers for a limited period. According to ICANN, this period may range from 90 days to one year, depending on determinations made by its Technical Review Team. After this interval, the temporary delegation will be removed.
In some cases, referred to as “visual interruption,” the provider may also be required to receive and monitor network traffic directed to specific addresses associated with the gTLD. This is intended to help identify and mitigate potential technical conflicts before a domain is fully operational.
The RFP is open to all qualified vendors. ICANN will evaluate proposals based on capability and expertise. Interested organisations must submit indications of interest by email and provide formal responses through ICANN’s sourcing tool by 6 April 2026 at 23:59 UTC.
The Temporary Delegation process forms part of ICANN’s broader risk management framework for introducing new domain extensions into the global domain name system.
