Applications Not Included in the Prioritization Draw in the next Round of new gTLDs

In the upcoming 2026 Round of New gTLDs, the Prioritization Draw remains an optional but highly recommended step for applicants who want to control their "speed to market."
Applications "not included" in the draw generally fall into two categories: those that choose not to participate and those that are disqualified from participating due to procedural failures.

1. Voluntary Non-Participants
Participation in the Prioritization Draw is not mandatory. If an applicant chooses not to buy a ticket (historically around $100) or fails to send a representative to the live draw event, their application is handled as follows:

• The "Late Batch" Treatment: These applications are not ignored; they are simply assigned a priority number after all the participating applications have been drawn.
• Randomized Order: Once the "ticket-holders" are all assigned numbers, ICANN will use the same randomized process to assign numbers to the remaining non-participating applications.
• Processing Delay: Historically, being at the end of the queue can delay your evaluation results and ultimate delegation into the root zone by several months or even over a year, depending on the total volume of applications.

2. Ineligible or Disqualified Applications
Some applications may be excluded from the draw entirely if they do not meet the strict administrative and legal criteria set for the 2026 round:

• Failure of Administrative Check: Applications that do not pass the "Admin Check" (which happens between August and October 2026) are not eligible for the draw. This includes applications with missing mandatory documents or incorrect entity information.
• Non-Payment of Fees: The full evaluation fee (approximately $227,000) must be paid within seven days of the application window closing. Failure to pay by August 19, 2026, results in immediate rejection.
• Ineligible Entities: Applications from individuals or entities that do not yet legally exist (like a "pending" joint venture) are prohibited and will not reach the draw stage.
• Tampering: ICANN reserves the right to disqualify any applicant found to be "gaming" the ticket process or attempting to sell/transfer their priority numbers, which are strictly non-transferable.