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Nominet DNS Fund opens second application window with £650,000 available
Nominet has opened the second application window for its DNS Fund, with up to £650,000 available for open source projects and maintainers working on the Domain Name System.
The window opened on 25 June 2026 and closes on 17 August 2026 at 9am BST. The fund is aimed at practical DNS infrastructure work: the software, libraries, testing tools, security components and operational services that help keep the internet stable, secure and resilient.
For Acorn Domains and DNForum readers, this is a relevant development. Nominet is not funding general internet research here. The DNS Fund is aimed at the technical foundations that registries, registrars, hosting companies, DNS operators, security teams and domain owners rely on every day.
What the DNS Fund is for
The Domain Name System is the layer that turns domain names into the addresses computers use to reach websites, email servers and online services. Much of that work depends on open source software maintained by small teams, non-profits, researchers or individual developers.
Nominet’s DNS Fund is designed to support open source projects that are important to the global DNS. Nominet lists examples such as:
The fund is not aimed at standalone academic research. Nominet says hardware may be considered only when it is core to DNS operation, for example performance testing infrastructure.
What is new in this application window
The second window appears to be a clear expansion of the pilot round.
The main changes are:
This is important because DNS infrastructure work is not always a one-off project. Sometimes the most valuable work is maintenance: fixing bugs, replacing old test systems, improving documentation, updating code for new standards, or making sure important tools do not quietly become abandoned.
How applications are assessed
Applications are assessed by the DNS Fund Expert Advisory Panel, which makes recommendations to Nominet.
The current assessment principles are:
Nominet’s DNS Fund page lists the panel as Sara Dickinson, Michele Neylon, Peter Stevens, Roy Arends and Cailean Osborne.
That gives the panel a mix of DNS engineering, registry, registrar, hosting, open source and internet governance experience. For domain industry readers, Michele Neylon of Blacknight and Peter Stevens of Mythic Beasts will be especially familiar names.
First round: who was funded
Nominet announced the first five successful DNS Fund projects on 25 March 2026.
The first funded projects were:
These are significant names. The first cohort includes one of the world’s most important DNS server projects, a DNS and DNSSEC validation tool, a major cryptographic library, a new DNSSEC signer, and a public-interest DNS resolver.
The first named recipients are global rather than UK-only: ISC, OARC and OpenSSL Foundation are in the United States, NLnet Labs is in the Netherlands, and Quad9 Foundation is in Switzerland.
How much money has been spent
Nominet says £370,000 of funding is supporting the first-round projects. The new second window makes up to £650,000 available.
That means the publicly announced funding envelope across the first two DNS Fund windows is up to £1.02 million.
The public figures currently available are:
However, Nominet does not appear to have published a per-project breakdown for the first five recipients. It has not publicly listed exactly how much each project received, how much has already been paid, or how much is tied to future milestones.
That is an important transparency point. The community can see which projects were selected and the total first-round figure, but not yet the exact grant amount per project.
BIND 9 by ISC
The Internet Systems Consortium project focuses on replacing the BIND 9 scalability and performance test bed.
BIND 9 is one of the most widely used DNS software projects in the world. It is used by root, TLD and second-level domain operators. As DNS traffic grows and hardware changes, BIND needs realistic performance testing so developers can find bottlenecks before they affect operators.
Nominet says the project will help developers identify performance issues earlier and ensure BIND 9 keeps up with modern hardware and growing internet demand.
ISC has also said publicly that Nominet is supporting the purchase of new test equipment for its BIND 9 performance monitoring lab. This is a practical infrastructure investment, not a theoretical research grant.
OARC validns
OARC’s validns is a DNS and DNSSEC zone file validator.
Its role is to check DNS data before it is published. That matters because bad zone data can cause outages, broken resolution, DNSSEC validation failures or security problems.
Nominet describes validns as a tool that checks large sets of internet address data quickly and efficiently before publication. The funded work should help the tool keep up with new standards, new DNS record formats, cryptographic changes, bugs and performance needs.
For registries and DNS operators, this type of tooling is easy to ignore until something goes wrong. It is internet plumbing, but it is essential.
OpenSSL Library
The OpenSSL Foundation funding is focused on improving testing for the OpenSSL Library.
OpenSSL is not only a DNS project, but it is a critical security dependency across the internet. Secure websites, applications, devices and infrastructure depend on it. Modern DNS security and encrypted DNS transport also rely on strong cryptographic foundations.
Nominet says the funded work will improve:
A visible early outcome is that OpenSSL Foundation has contracted Jakub Zelenka, with support from the Nominet DNS Fund, to work on the OpenSSL Library test suite.
Better testing may sound quiet, but for global infrastructure it is high-impact work. Finding bugs earlier and improving test coverage can reduce risk for a very large number of dependent systems.
Cascade by NLnet Labs
NLnet Labs received support for Cascade, a new DNSSEC signing solution.
Cascade is designed as a modern DNSSEC signer, initially aimed at top-level domain operators. It focuses on transparency, control and operational confidence, giving operators clearer insight into what the signer is doing.
NLnet Labs has already shown public progress. Cascade beta 1 was released in June 2026. NLnet Labs has also said that support from the Nominet DNS Fund allowed it to dedicate a team of five developers to the project.
For the registry community, this is highly relevant. DNSSEC signing is part of the trust model for domain names. Better signing tools can help TLD operators and large DNS operators reduce operational risk.
Quad9 Foundation
Quad9 Foundation operates a public-interest DNS resolver service focused on security, privacy and accessibility.
Quad9 blocks known malicious domains using threat intelligence from multiple partners. It also takes a privacy-focused approach to user data. Unlike commercial resolver services built around advertising or broader cloud platforms, Quad9 is run as a non-profit public-interest service.
Nominet says its support will help Quad9 tackle technical debt, strengthen infrastructure and continue providing safer DNS services to users and communities around the world.
This is operational infrastructure funding. Quad9 is not just code in a repository. It is a live resolver service that needs servers, networks, monitoring, maintenance and continued investment.
What previous applicants achieved
The first funded projects are still early in their delivery cycle, but public evidence already shows progress.
Known public progress includes:
The strongest visible technical milestone so far appears to be Cascade beta 1. For the other projects, the public information points mostly to resourcing, equipment and planned technical improvements rather than completed final outcomes.
That is not surprising. The first cohort was announced in March 2026, so many funded activities are likely still underway.
Previous applicants and what is not public
Nominet has publicly named the first five successful applicants. It has not published a complete list of all applications received.
That means the following information is not currently public:
Nominet has also previously indicated that smaller organisations and maintainers would be supported and announced later. At the time of writing, the public successful applicants page still highlights the first five named projects.
For a fund financed from registry resources, more disclosure would be useful. Exact award amounts and outcome reports would help the wider domain community understand what DNS maintenance really costs and how the Fund is performing.
Why this matters to domain professionals
This is one of Nominet’s more directly relevant public benefit initiatives for the domain name industry.
The funded work touches infrastructure that domain professionals actually use:
For registrants, DNS is usually invisible. For registrars, registries, hosting companies and DNS operators, it is daily infrastructure. A failure in this layer can mean broken websites, broken email, security risk and loss of trust.
That is why the DNS Fund is worth watching. It is not a generic charity programme loosely connected to the internet. It is money going into the technical layer that the domain market depends on.
The wider signal
The wider message is also important. A major national registry is saying that open source DNS maintenance is not someone else’s problem.
Many widely used DNS tools do not have simple commercial funding models. Everyone benefits from them, but not everyone contributes back. If Nominet’s DNS Fund encourages other registries, registrars and infrastructure companies to fund similar work, the impact could go beyond the announced £1.02 million envelope.
Key dates
Who can apply
Current Nominet employees, Nominet Board members, DNS Fund Advisory Panel members and their immediate families are not eligible.
Conclusion
Nominet’s second DNS Fund window is a meaningful expansion of its support for open source DNS infrastructure.
The headline number is £650,000. The bigger story is that Nominet is backing the people and projects that maintain the DNS layer: servers, validators, signing tools, cryptographic libraries, resolvers and testbeds.
The first cohort included BIND 9, validns, OpenSSL, Cascade and Quad9. Early signs of progress are visible, especially around Cascade beta 1, OpenSSL testing work and BIND 9 performance lab support.
The programme would benefit from more transparency around exact grant amounts, milestone delivery and final outcomes. But the direction is positive. For the domain industry, this is the kind of public benefit spending that connects directly to the health of the namespace.
Applications are open now and close on 17 August 2026 at 9am BST.
Sources
Nominet has opened the second application window for its DNS Fund, with up to £650,000 available for open source projects and maintainers working on the Domain Name System.
The window opened on 25 June 2026 and closes on 17 August 2026 at 9am BST. The fund is aimed at practical DNS infrastructure work: the software, libraries, testing tools, security components and operational services that help keep the internet stable, secure and resilient.
For Acorn Domains and DNForum readers, this is a relevant development. Nominet is not funding general internet research here. The DNS Fund is aimed at the technical foundations that registries, registrars, hosting companies, DNS operators, security teams and domain owners rely on every day.
What the DNS Fund is for
The Domain Name System is the layer that turns domain names into the addresses computers use to reach websites, email servers and online services. Much of that work depends on open source software maintained by small teams, non-profits, researchers or individual developers.
Nominet’s DNS Fund is designed to support open source projects that are important to the global DNS. Nominet lists examples such as:
- Authoritative DNS servers
- Recursive resolvers
- DNS software libraries
- DNSSEC components
- DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-QUIC
- Monitoring, testing and diagnostic tools
- Standards work that supports DNS sustainability
The fund is not aimed at standalone academic research. Nominet says hardware may be considered only when it is core to DNS operation, for example performance testing infrastructure.
What is new in this application window
The second window appears to be a clear expansion of the pilot round.
The main changes are:
- Up to £650,000 is available in the 2026 window.
- Organisations can apply for up to £100,000 per financial year.
- Organisations may apply for support for up to three years.
- Individual maintainers can now apply directly.
- Individual maintainers can apply for up to £15,000 per financial year.
- Only a limited number of projects are expected to receive full multi-year support.
This is important because DNS infrastructure work is not always a one-off project. Sometimes the most valuable work is maintenance: fixing bugs, replacing old test systems, improving documentation, updating code for new standards, or making sure important tools do not quietly become abandoned.
How applications are assessed
Applications are assessed by the DNS Fund Expert Advisory Panel, which makes recommendations to Nominet.
The current assessment principles are:
- Public benefit
- Core need
- Deployment pathway
- The right people
- Value and sustainability
Nominet’s DNS Fund page lists the panel as Sara Dickinson, Michele Neylon, Peter Stevens, Roy Arends and Cailean Osborne.
That gives the panel a mix of DNS engineering, registry, registrar, hosting, open source and internet governance experience. For domain industry readers, Michele Neylon of Blacknight and Peter Stevens of Mythic Beasts will be especially familiar names.
First round: who was funded
Nominet announced the first five successful DNS Fund projects on 25 March 2026.
The first funded projects were:
- Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. for BIND 9
- OARC Inc. for validns
- OpenSSL Foundation for the OpenSSL Library
- NLnet Labs for Cascade
- Quad9 Foundation for Quad9
These are significant names. The first cohort includes one of the world’s most important DNS server projects, a DNS and DNSSEC validation tool, a major cryptographic library, a new DNSSEC signer, and a public-interest DNS resolver.
The first named recipients are global rather than UK-only: ISC, OARC and OpenSSL Foundation are in the United States, NLnet Labs is in the Netherlands, and Quad9 Foundation is in Switzerland.
How much money has been spent
Nominet says £370,000 of funding is supporting the first-round projects. The new second window makes up to £650,000 available.
That means the publicly announced funding envelope across the first two DNS Fund windows is up to £1.02 million.
The public figures currently available are:
- First window: up to £370,000 available.
- First named cohort: Nominet says £370,000 is supporting DNS software libraries, testbeds and operational tools.
- Second window: up to £650,000 available.
- Total announced funding envelope across both windows: up to £1.02 million.
However, Nominet does not appear to have published a per-project breakdown for the first five recipients. It has not publicly listed exactly how much each project received, how much has already been paid, or how much is tied to future milestones.
That is an important transparency point. The community can see which projects were selected and the total first-round figure, but not yet the exact grant amount per project.
BIND 9 by ISC
The Internet Systems Consortium project focuses on replacing the BIND 9 scalability and performance test bed.
BIND 9 is one of the most widely used DNS software projects in the world. It is used by root, TLD and second-level domain operators. As DNS traffic grows and hardware changes, BIND needs realistic performance testing so developers can find bottlenecks before they affect operators.
Nominet says the project will help developers identify performance issues earlier and ensure BIND 9 keeps up with modern hardware and growing internet demand.
ISC has also said publicly that Nominet is supporting the purchase of new test equipment for its BIND 9 performance monitoring lab. This is a practical infrastructure investment, not a theoretical research grant.
OARC validns
OARC’s validns is a DNS and DNSSEC zone file validator.
Its role is to check DNS data before it is published. That matters because bad zone data can cause outages, broken resolution, DNSSEC validation failures or security problems.
Nominet describes validns as a tool that checks large sets of internet address data quickly and efficiently before publication. The funded work should help the tool keep up with new standards, new DNS record formats, cryptographic changes, bugs and performance needs.
For registries and DNS operators, this type of tooling is easy to ignore until something goes wrong. It is internet plumbing, but it is essential.
OpenSSL Library
The OpenSSL Foundation funding is focused on improving testing for the OpenSSL Library.
OpenSSL is not only a DNS project, but it is a critical security dependency across the internet. Secure websites, applications, devices and infrastructure depend on it. Modern DNS security and encrypted DNS transport also rely on strong cryptographic foundations.
Nominet says the funded work will improve:
- Unit testing
- Memory validation testing
- Mocking capabilities
- Testing infrastructure
A visible early outcome is that OpenSSL Foundation has contracted Jakub Zelenka, with support from the Nominet DNS Fund, to work on the OpenSSL Library test suite.
Better testing may sound quiet, but for global infrastructure it is high-impact work. Finding bugs earlier and improving test coverage can reduce risk for a very large number of dependent systems.
Cascade by NLnet Labs
NLnet Labs received support for Cascade, a new DNSSEC signing solution.
Cascade is designed as a modern DNSSEC signer, initially aimed at top-level domain operators. It focuses on transparency, control and operational confidence, giving operators clearer insight into what the signer is doing.
NLnet Labs has already shown public progress. Cascade beta 1 was released in June 2026. NLnet Labs has also said that support from the Nominet DNS Fund allowed it to dedicate a team of five developers to the project.
For the registry community, this is highly relevant. DNSSEC signing is part of the trust model for domain names. Better signing tools can help TLD operators and large DNS operators reduce operational risk.
Quad9 Foundation
Quad9 Foundation operates a public-interest DNS resolver service focused on security, privacy and accessibility.
Quad9 blocks known malicious domains using threat intelligence from multiple partners. It also takes a privacy-focused approach to user data. Unlike commercial resolver services built around advertising or broader cloud platforms, Quad9 is run as a non-profit public-interest service.
Nominet says its support will help Quad9 tackle technical debt, strengthen infrastructure and continue providing safer DNS services to users and communities around the world.
This is operational infrastructure funding. Quad9 is not just code in a repository. It is a live resolver service that needs servers, networks, monitoring, maintenance and continued investment.
What previous applicants achieved
The first funded projects are still early in their delivery cycle, but public evidence already shows progress.
Known public progress includes:
- NLnet Labs released Cascade beta 1 in June 2026.
- NLnet Labs said Nominet DNS Fund support allowed it to dedicate five developers to Cascade.
- OpenSSL Foundation has contracted Jakub Zelenka to improve the OpenSSL Library test suite.
- ISC has said the Fund is supporting new BIND 9 performance monitoring lab equipment.
- Quad9 has publicly confirmed Nominet investment in its public-interest DNS resolver work.
The strongest visible technical milestone so far appears to be Cascade beta 1. For the other projects, the public information points mostly to resourcing, equipment and planned technical improvements rather than completed final outcomes.
That is not surprising. The first cohort was announced in March 2026, so many funded activities are likely still underway.
Previous applicants and what is not public
Nominet has publicly named the first five successful applicants. It has not published a complete list of all applications received.
That means the following information is not currently public:
- How many applications were submitted in the first window.
- Which applicants were unsuccessful.
- Whether any applications were deferred.
- Exact funding per successful applicant.
- Detailed payment schedules.
- Detailed milestone status for each project.
- Final impact reports.
Nominet has also previously indicated that smaller organisations and maintainers would be supported and announced later. At the time of writing, the public successful applicants page still highlights the first five named projects.
For a fund financed from registry resources, more disclosure would be useful. Exact award amounts and outcome reports would help the wider domain community understand what DNS maintenance really costs and how the Fund is performing.
Why this matters to domain professionals
This is one of Nominet’s more directly relevant public benefit initiatives for the domain name industry.
The funded work touches infrastructure that domain professionals actually use:
- BIND 9 performance testing helps operators that rely on BIND.
- validns helps catch bad DNS and DNSSEC data before publication.
- Cascade aims to improve DNSSEC signing workflows.
- OpenSSL testing improves a critical security dependency.
- Quad9 provides public-interest DNS resolution with a security and privacy focus.
For registrants, DNS is usually invisible. For registrars, registries, hosting companies and DNS operators, it is daily infrastructure. A failure in this layer can mean broken websites, broken email, security risk and loss of trust.
That is why the DNS Fund is worth watching. It is not a generic charity programme loosely connected to the internet. It is money going into the technical layer that the domain market depends on.
The wider signal
The wider message is also important. A major national registry is saying that open source DNS maintenance is not someone else’s problem.
Many widely used DNS tools do not have simple commercial funding models. Everyone benefits from them, but not everyone contributes back. If Nominet’s DNS Fund encourages other registries, registrars and infrastructure companies to fund similar work, the impact could go beyond the announced £1.02 million envelope.
Key dates
- 25 June 2026: second application window opened.
- 7 July 2026: Nominet webinar from 15:00 to 16:00 BST.
- 17 August 2026 at 9am BST: application deadline.
- Week commencing 17 August 2026: eligibility screening.
- 24 August to 11 September 2026: Expert Advisory Panel selection stage.
- September 2026: applicants expected to be informed.
- October 2026: contracting and Statements of Work.
- November 2026: delivery expected to begin.
Who can apply
- Formally registered organisations with a bank account in the organisation’s name.
- Individual open source maintainers.
- Organisations applying for up to £100,000 per financial year.
- Individual maintainers applying for up to £15,000 per financial year.
- Applicants not based in sanctioned regimes and not listed on UK, EU, US or UN sanctions lists.
Current Nominet employees, Nominet Board members, DNS Fund Advisory Panel members and their immediate families are not eligible.
Conclusion
Nominet’s second DNS Fund window is a meaningful expansion of its support for open source DNS infrastructure.
The headline number is £650,000. The bigger story is that Nominet is backing the people and projects that maintain the DNS layer: servers, validators, signing tools, cryptographic libraries, resolvers and testbeds.
The first cohort included BIND 9, validns, OpenSSL, Cascade and Quad9. Early signs of progress are visible, especially around Cascade beta 1, OpenSSL testing work and BIND 9 performance lab support.
The programme would benefit from more transparency around exact grant amounts, milestone delivery and final outcomes. But the direction is positive. For the domain industry, this is the kind of public benefit spending that connects directly to the health of the namespace.
Applications are open now and close on 17 August 2026 at 9am BST.
Sources
- Nominet second application window:
Nominet DNS Fund opens second application window - Nominet
Oxford, UK – 25th June 2026: Nominet, guardians of the .UK domain, has now opened the Nominet DNS Fund for new applications. £650,000 is available to support open source projects and maintainers that keep the internet running. The Domain Name System (DNS) sits at the heart of the internet...
nominet.uk
- Nominet DNS Fund:
Nominet DNS Fund - Nominet
The Nominet DNS Fund (Fund) has been set up as part of Nominet’s work to support the Internet Community. To improve DNS open source projects.
nominet.uk
- Nominet DNS Fund application page:
Nominet DNS Fund Application - Nominet
Make an application for the Nominet DNS Fund, to help support your underfunded DNS project and improve resilience for the internet community.
nominet.uk
- Nominet successful applicants:
Nominet DNS Fund Successful Applicants - Nominet
Find out more about the funded projects of the Nominet DNS Fund and how each contributes to the wider DNS ecosystem.
nominet.uk
- Nominet first funded projects:
Nominet supports foundations of the Internet with first DNS Fund projects announced - Nominet
Nominet, announces the first projects to receive support from its new Nominet DNS Fund - investing in the stability and resilience of open source DNS.
nominet.uk
- Nominet first cohort explainer:
Investing in the internet’s essential technology: inside the first Nominet DNS Fund projects - Nominet
Discover more about the first five projects funded in the Nominet DNS Fund and their impact in the wider DNS ecosystem.
nominet.uk
- NLnet Labs Cascade beta 1:
Cascade: Start your engines!
By Ximon Eighteen Cascade beta 1 “Slàinte mhath” is out, so this is your opportunity to kick the tires and take it for a spin around your testing grounds! Cascade is our new purpose built hidden DNSSEC signer. Those lucky enough to be at DNS OARC 46 in Edinburgh in
blog.nlnetlabs.nl
- Quad9 Nominet announcement:
- Domain Incite coverage:
Nominet opens $500,000 fund for open source projects - Domain Incite
Nominet plans to grant almost half a million dollars worth of funding to DNS-related open source projects. The .uk registry said it has opened the Nominet DNS Fund, which will make up to £370,000 available to eligible projects in its first year of operation. In a press release, Nominet explained...
domainincite.com
