In today’s blog, we’re going to talk about the new .au Co-Marketing and Innovation Fund which aims to build capacity in and promote the .au namespace.

The domain name industry is a competitive one, with hundreds of top-level domain names available for people to register. We want .au to continue to be the go-to for Australian businesses and organisations and for it to be recognised globally as one of the most trusted and secure domain extensions. The Co-Marketing and Innovation Fund will achieve this by supporting accredited .au registrars, who know the industry and registrants better than anyone else.

What does Afilias Australia/auDA hope to achieve through the fund?

We want .au to continue to be the most popular and reputable domain name extension in Australia as it is a critical part of Australia’s digital economy. The .au namespace is already one of the most secure in the world and we wish to strengthen this position through supporting registrars by building capacity in the industry and responsibly promoting the .au brand.

How much is available for registrars?

The program is part of auDA’s $12 million investment in the .au namespace. $2 million per year over 4 years will go to registrars in vouchers, grants, and rebates; and $1 million per year over 4 years will be invested directly in the .au brand.

Who is eligible for funding?

This program is open to accredited .au registrars.

What kind of funding options are available?

There are three funding streams:

Voucher–Available up to a value of $25,000. Can be used for small advertising campaigns, training, marketing consultation, social marketing, etc.

Grant–Available to a value of $25,000-$250,000. Can be used for major advertising campaigns, partnership/collaborative programs, social marketing, incentivisation of resellers, and larger, left-of-field projects. Requires co-funding–this will be determined by the size of the registrar, i.e. smaller registrars will be required to contribute less.

Rebate–Available to a value of $50,000-$250,000. Based on agreed performance targets, e.g. 25,000 new creates = X rebate per registration.

How does a registrar apply for the funding?

They will be required to fill in an application form outlining the objectives, detailed plan, reporting metrics, and funding requirements of their campaign. This will be reviewed by Afilias Australia and auDA before being approved and the funding earmarked. The campaign will then be reviewed on a periodic basis to ensure it delivers what it promised to deliver. Funds will be released to registrars per the terms of the individual programs.

More detailed information and the application form has been sent to all accredited .au registrars, as well as the detailed steps on how to lodge an application. Also, see the auDA website.

Have a question or want to suggest a topic for us to cover? Email us at transformationblog@afilias.com.au.

More information on Afilias plc is located at www.afilias.info.