ICANN Request for Proposal: Domain Name Consumer Surveys 2024

Today, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) issued a request for proposal (RFP) to identify provider(s) to survey domain name registrants, Internet end-users, and trademark holders. The survey to be conducted will focus on perspectives about the introduction of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) into the domain name system (DNS) resulting from the New gTLD Program.

As part of its work to evaluate the 2012 round of the New gTLD Program, the Competition, Consumer Trust, and Consumer Choice review team (CCT-RT) contracted Nielsen to conduct a set of surveys in 2015 and 2016, and an additional survey in 2017:

Nielsen, ICANN Global Registrant Survey (September 2015),
Nielsen, ICANN Global Registrant Survey Wave 2 (August 2016),
Nielsen, ICANN Global Consumer Research (April 2015),
Nielsen, ICANN Global Consumer Research Wave 2 (June 2016),
Nielsen, INTA New gTLD Cost Impact Survey (April 2017).

These surveys targeted domain name registrants, Internet end-users, and trademark holders to evaluate the impact of the New gTLD Program and understand factors such as consumer awareness, experience, choice, and trust with new gTLDs and the DNS in general. The surveys referenced in the RFP are intended to repeat these earlier surveys. The goal is to measure and better understand any changes in these groups' views over time and the impact of the program on competition, choice, trust, and trademark protections in new gTLDs.

Through the issuance of this RFP, ICANN solicits proposals from qualified vendors for the design and administration of the surveys. Read the full RFP Project Overview for more information, including a detailed timeline.

Indications of interest should be emailed to ICANN-Domain-Name-Consumer-Surveys-RFP@icann.org and provide the following information: 1. company name, 2. contact person name, and 3. contact person e-mail address.

Proposals should be electronically submitted using ICANN's sourcing tool by 23:59 UTC on 20 September 2024 at the latest. Access to this tool may be requested via the same e-mail.