Initial Evaluation

The Initial Evaluation is a process that all applications go through as part of the New gTLD Program created by ICANN. The process ensures that the applicants are suited to be approved for delegation to the Root Zone of the DNS. The process was established and outlined in the Applicant Guidebook.

The Applicant Guidebook outlines the evaluations performed during the Initial Evaluation process:

The following assessments are performed in the Initial Evaluation:

• String Reviews
  • String similarity
  • Reserved names
  • DNS stability
  • Geographic names
• Applicant Reviews
  • Demonstration of technical and operational capability
  • Demonstration of financial capability
  • Registry services reviews for DNS stability issues

An application must pass all these reviews to pass the Initial Evaluation. Failure to pass any one of these reviews will result in a failure to pass the Initial Evaluation.

There are 3 possible outcomes for applications after going through Initial Evaluation:

• Pass - The application has satisfied the necessary requirements of the evaluation

From Name.com:

"During the initial evaluation, ICANN has multiple panels reviewing applications. Each panel is named for the service it provides, and the panels included in initial evaluation are:

• Background screening: The background screening process is already partially complete. ICANN already checked to make sure that those applying are who they say they are, but now ICANN will need to evaluate the background of the applicant to make sure there are no conflicts of interest, such as a former cyber-squatter applying for administration rights of nTLDs.
• String similarity: During the initial evaluation, ICANN will be checking each applicant to make sure proposed nTLDs are not too similar to one another, or to previously released gTLDs, in order to prevent string contentions.
• DNS stability: ICANN will make sure each applicant has the DNS (domain name system) capability to support the administration and registry of their proposed nTLD.
• Geographic names: During this phase of evaluation, ICANN makes sure that no proposed strings are in contention with geographical TLDs. Swiss Airlines already had to withdraw their application to .SWISS for this exact reason.
• Financial: In order to properly administrate a nTLD, the applicant needs to have the financial stability to properly run and support the needs of the registry.
• Technical and operational: Another initial evaluation check to make sure the applicants proposing nTLDs have the capability to run and support an entire registry for their nTLD(s).
• Registry services: During this evaluation, applicants will be checked to make sure the manner in which they will be registering their nTLD conforms to ICANN guidelines, and that the proposed use of a string, as expressed in the application, meshes with the ICANN guidelines concerning how to provide registry services."