The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has extended the submission deadline for the Applicant Support Program (ASP) as part of the new Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) Program. The aim is to give applicants more time to prepare and submit their applications in full.
Organizations that enter their company information into the ICANN system by November 19, 2025, now have until December 19, 2025, to submit their complete ASP applications. The extension is intended to enable applicants to make the best possible use of the available support services. At the same time, it gives ICANN the necessary time to prepare internally and externally for the scheduled opening of the application window for new gTLDs.
ICANN notes that applicants who have not entered their organizational data by November 19, 2025, will not be able to submit complete applications in this round. A total of 45 support slots are available. Early application is therefore strongly recommended to ensure the best chances of receiving support.
Background: The New gTLD Program and the Applicant Support Program (ASP)
With the New gTLD Program, ICANN is expanding the Internet’s namespace with new generic top-level domains (e.g., .shop, .city, .eco) to promote innovation, competition, and diversity in the Domain Name System (DNS).
The Applicant Support Program (ASP) is aimed at organizations and communities with limited financial or technical resources – particularly those in emerging and developing countries. The program offers both financial and non-financial support to facilitate participation in the application process. Its goal is to bring new actors into the domain industry and to promote greater geographical, cultural, and linguistic diversity within the global Internet.
eco welcomes deadline extension
The eco Association supports the program’s goal of fostering greater diversity and innovation in the domain market and expressly welcomes the decision to extend the deadline.
“The Applicant Support Program is an important step toward making access to new domain extensions more inclusive worldwide,” explains Lars Steffen, Head of International, Digital Infrastructures & Resilience. “Extending the deadline provides potential applicants with greater planning security and helps ensure that smaller organizations and communities can also benefit from the opportunities offered by the new gTLD round.”
eco recommends that interested organizations familiarize themselves with the application requirements at an early stage and make use of the resources provided.
Further information can be found on the official ICANN website for the New gTLD Program.
