Minutes | Meeting of the Finance Committee of the Board (BFC) | 13 January 2026

BFC Attendees: Alan Barrett, Patricio Poblete, Sajid Rahman (Chair), Amitabh Singhal, and Tripti Sinha

BFC Member Apology: Byron Holland

ICANN Staff Attendees: Steve Allison (Director, Relationship & Delivery Management), Xavier Calvez (SVP, Planning and Chief Financial Officer), Franco Carrasco (Board Operations Manager), Rob Gomez (Vendor Management Associate Manager), Marika Konings (VP, New gTLD Program Lead), Wendy Profit (Board Operations Senior Manager), Shani Quidwai (VP, Finance), Vivek Sengupta (Senior Director, Procurement), and Amy Stathos (Deputy General Counsel)

Invited Guest: ICANN Vendor Strategist/Sourcing Consultant

The following is a summary of discussions, actions taken, and actions identified:

1. Agenda Review – The BFC reviewed the agenda for the meeting and conducted a conflicts check.
2. New gTLD Program: Surplus and Deficit Plan – The BFC considered a proposed New gTLD Program: 2026 Round Budget Surplus/Deficit Plan (Plan) for managing potential surpluses or deficits of implementation costs from the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round. To address potential deficits for implementation costs if there is low application volume, the BFC considered various options. In a surplus scenario where the implementation costs are over-collected, ICANN intends to issue volume refunds to applicants. During this discussion, the BFC noted that a final determination of any surplus beyond implementation costs can only be determined once all applications and disputes are fully resolved – a process that often spans several years. ICANN staff clarified that application fees are structured to cover implementation costs, processing, and contingencies for hard to predict costs, such as legal fees for litigation and accountability mechanisms, among other unexpected costs. A decision on the allocation of auction proceeds will be deferred until they are generated, and the programs financial status is assessed, at which point, the Board will consider a formal recommendation from ICANN staff. Following discussion, the BFC recommended that the Board approve the Plan for managing any surplus/deficit implementation costs as a result of the New gTLD Program, and authorize the President and CEO, or his designee(s), to execute on the Plan accordingly.
   • Action: ICANN staff to prepare relevant materials for Board consideration.
3. New gTLD Program: Next Round Vendor Agreements – ICANN staff presented the BFC with the Batch 2 of vendor service contracts for the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round which are the vendors with which contracts are expected to be needed in the next six to 12 months and that are expected to exceed US$500,000. These contracts cover services for the following evaluations: (i) String Similarity; (ii) Variant String Evaluations; (iii) Community Priority Evaluations (CPE); and (iv) Safeguard Assessment. ICANN clarified that while CPE costs are separately borne specifically by the applicants that trigger the process, the other three evaluations are covered by the general application fee. To manage the uncertainty of application volumes, the contracts utilize a tiered pricing structure on a per-evaluation basis. The BFC noted that the 30% contingency built into the application fee provides necessary fiscal flexibility for vendor negotiations and unforeseen expenses. Having determined that the procurement process was followed and that costs remain affordable, the BFC recommended that the Board authorize the President and CEO, or his designee(s), to take all steps necessary to contract for, and make disbursements in furtherance of, the Batch 2 of contracts for the 2026 Round.
   • Action: ICANN staff to prepare relevant materials for Board consideration.
4. Contract Extension for TLD Application Management System (TAMS) Development – ICANN staff presented a contract extension for professional services to continue the implementation of the TAMS Platform. ICANN staff noted the extension will focus on the transition to operational support and completion of late-phases of the development tasks that were previously deferred to manage scope complexity. Staff explained that the extension is deemed more pragmatic than a new Request for Proposal, as it leverages the current vendor's deep technical expertise and avoids significant on-boarding delays. Following discussion, the BFC recommended that the Board authorize the President and CEO, or his designee(s), to take all steps necessary to contract for, and make disbursements in furtherance of, the contract with the existing vendor: (i) to use the platform and enterprise support needed for the 2026 Round; and (ii) for professional services to assist ICANN with application development atop the platform.
   • Action: ICANN staff to prepare relevant materials for Board consideration.
5. Preview of BFC Agenda for 16 Feb 2026 Meeting – ICANN staff provided the BFC a preview of the upcoming agenda for the 16 February 2026 BFC meeting.