The internet depends on infrastructure that is often invisible to the every-day user. Behind every website, email and online service is a complex ecosystem of tools that keep the Domain Name System (DNS) running. But many of these components are maintained by small teams with limited resources. And in some cases, by single volunteers.
Research Nominet commissioned reinforced the scale of this issue and highlighted how the underfunding of these projects can lead to significant risks such as delayed security updates, insufficient audits or even project abandonment. Ultimately, underfunded DNS projects create systemic risks, exposing millions of users to vulnerabilities and threatening the stability and security of the entire internet.
That’s why we created the DNS Fund: to provide dedicated support for the projects and organisations that quietly keep the internet secure, stable, and working for those who need it. Earlier this year, we shared the first projects supported by the Nominet DNS Fund. We have renewed our commitment to this programme by launching a second opportunity for open source maintainers of DNS to apply for funds.
We’ve listened to our applicants, to the wider open source community, and to the experts working across DNS ecosystem. We wanted to understand what was working, and how we could improve our funding programme.
What we learned from the first cohort
In many ways, the first year of funding confirmed what we expected – there is a real need to support the maintainers and projects that keep DNS infrastructure running. We also heard encouraging feedback about the application process – compared to other funding routes, it felt more accessible and responsive.
Now, as we open applications for a second time, we’re building on what we’ve learned. The aim is to make the fund more accessible, process and expectations clearer, and align better with how open source communities work in practice.
These insights have shaped the changes we’ve made for the latest application window.
More funding
In 2026, we’re increasing the available funding to £650,000. This reflects both the level of interest we’ve seen and our commitment to scaling support where it’s needed most.
Support for longer-term sustainability
One of the strongest themes we heard was the importance of stable and regular funding. Many maintainers are working on projects that need ongoing support. So, we’ve introduced the option for multi-year funding for up to three years. We hope this gives the ability for projects and their maintainers to plan, build resilience, and sustain critical infrastructure over time.
Funding for individual maintainers
In this round of funding, individuals can apply for funding of up to £15,000. Independent, one-person teams play an important role in keeping widely used tools and systems running, and we want the fund to reflect this.
Focused on strengthening essential infrastructure
We’ve also made changes to improve clarity around what we’re looking to fund, specifically updating our proven use principle to “Deployment Pathway”. The DNS Fund is focused on supporting widely used, real-world technologies, where underinvestment creates potential risks for internet stability.
That means prioritising maintenance and sustainability, incremental improvements and modernisation, and ensuring continuity of essential infrastructure. We are looking for evidence of coherence, viability and demonstrable use cases or demand.
Making applications easier
Applications will continue to be assessed against our published principles, outlined in a new form, with funding decisions informed by our independent Expert Advisory Panel. We hope this will make it easier for applicants to understand what we’re looking for and how decisions are made.
Keeping the conversations going
One of the most important lessons from the first cohort is that this work doesn’t happen in isolation. We’ve spent time with peers and continued talking with applicants – including those who weren’t selected – to better understand the challenges facing the DNS ecosystem and how funding can make the biggest difference.
We’re committed to learning as we go, and to shaping the fund alongside the community it’s designed to support. With the second round of applications now open, we’re excited to see the next wave of applications.
If you’re working on a project that supports widely used DNS technologies, we’d love to hear from you.
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