Oxford, UK – 17th September 2025: Nominet, guardian of the .UK domain, today announces the launch of the Nominet DNS Fund to improve the security, long-term sustainability, and resilience of DNS open source projects.
Critical digital infrastructure, which the entire online world benefits from, often relies on the unpaid labour of a few individuals. As a part of the internet community, Nominet believes it’s essential to support this crucial backbone.
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a critical, foundational layer of the internet, translating domain names into IP addresses to enable all online services. Open source projects have been the primary way to build and maintain this global infrastructure. In addition, open source technology matters because it ensures tools are accessible and transparent.
Many essential open source projects, including those related to DNS, struggle to secure sustainable funding. This is because their work is often “invisible” and difficult to monetise, making it hard for others to see its value – even though everyone relies on it. This lack of resources poses significant risks including burnout for those maintaining the technology, delayed security updates, insufficient audits or even project abandonment. Ultimately, underfunded DNS projects create systemic risks, exposing billions of users to vulnerabilities and threatening the stability and security of the entire internet.
“Many companies, including Nominet, rely on these open source technologies,” comments Paul Fletcher, CEO of Nominet. “But while we all benefit from the stability, security, and innovation provided by open source projects, not enough resources – financial or otherwise – are given back to the people maintaining these systems. We want to be part of changing this.”
The Nominet DNS Fund specifically focuses on open-source critical infrastructure components relevant to the development, deployment, and operation of the global DNS. In its first year, Nominet expects to grant up to £370,000 across all the successful proposals – with no minimum amount that must be applied for. This is to ensure the funding is responsive to the needs of both larger projects and individual maintainers, including those working across multiple projects.
To be eligible for funding, proposals must benefit the public and respond to core DNS needs. All source code developed or modified with support from the Fund must be publicly released under a licence approved by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) or the Free Software Foundation (FSF). And all documentation must be released under a Creative Commons-style licence.
To shape the programme, an expert advisory panel has been created. These are a range of independent experts from across the internet and open source community, including experts from ICANN, Sovereign Tech Agency, Linux Foundation, and Nominet membership, who will assess all applications and make recommendations on which proposals should be funded.
“What excites me the most about the DNS Fund is its vision to deliver real, lasting impact for the open source community while nurturing new innovation that will benefit all that use the internet,” adds Fletcher. “Our hope is that by investing in both the maintenance and evolution of open source, we can be part of the solution and encourage others to also support the unsung heroes who maintain the critical infrastructure we all rely on.”
Applications for the Nominet DNS Fund are open now. These are submitted exclusively via our online form, and applications close on the 26th October 2025.
To find out more, and submit a proposal, visit our website.
About Nominet
Nominet is the guardian of the UK’s national domain name registry, driven by a commitment to be a force for good in the nation’s digital economy and the global internet community. Since 1996, Nominet has operated at the heart of the internet, protecting and connecting over 10 million domains within the .UK namespace, and underpinning critical internet infrastructure that government services rely on. Through our work and the projects we fund, we aim to create positive societal impact; transforming lives by shaping a safer, more interconnected and inclusive world.
Find out more at nominet.uk