The .CO Founders Program

Thank you to all who applied to participate in the .CO Founders Program.  The Program is now over and no new applications will be accepted.  We are eager to see all the great things that will be created by our .CO Founders — and invite you to learn more by visiting www.Opportunity.co, which will be updated in the coming weeks and months to showcase the sites being developed by our .CO Founders. Ready to create your opportunity with a .CO domain? Simply go to your favorite registrar to find the perfect .CO domain name to build your business or brand online!

The .CO Founders Program is an initiative designed to engage early adopters, also known as .CO Founders, to proactively develop and maintain domains with the .CO extension prior to the public launch in July 2010. This is a tremendous opportunity for applicants to secure memorable domain names and get a jump on the competition by developing their .CO domains before the masses.

Who should participate?
You should! The .CO Founders program is appropriate for individuals, businesses, big brands, agencies, bloggers, affiliate and Internet marketers, developers, advertisers, non-profits and entrepreneurs of every kind – anyone interested in building a brand online, launching a website, blog, or community, and those who want get in on the next big thing.

What's in it for you?
You get a premium, memorable domain name in the .CO space to build and develop before the rest of the world has access to register .CO domains. This is a true first mover advantage! You get the benefit of our marketing efforts as we showcase each of our .CO Founders on our website and through other global outreach efforts.

What's in it for us?
We get smart, talented people like you to help us to build and develop the .CO space by posting credible content on .CO domains. By having great COmpanies, COntent and COmmunities on .CO domains, we can better promote the .CO extension and awareness of this exciting, new opportunity in online branding.

Here’s how it works:

1. Create: You come up with a great idea that you’d like develop on a .CO domain. It should be something that will serve as a showcase site for future .CO registrants or otherwise benefit the greater .CO community.
2. Apply: You submit an application explaining the .CO domain you’d like to develop and provide details on how you’ll develop and market the domain.
3. Review: We will review applications for compliance with program criteria and assess whether the proposed plan will contribute to the .CO community in a meaningful way.
4. Approve: We will approve only a limited number of applications meeting our criteria, making this a very exclusive opportunity.
5. Launch: You develop, launch and market your .CO domain per your proposal and our agreement.

The fine print:
The .CO Founders Program is available for a limited time only. To be eligible to participate as a .CO Founder, you must submit a complete Application by June 15, 2010, and contractually agree to specified program terms and conditions. All decisions regarding the program will be made by .CO Internet in its sole and absolute discretion. 

In addition to submitting a brief proposal explaining how you would build, develop and market your preferred .CO domain, you will need to demonstrate your ability to execute on your plans, and to adequately promote and market your .CO domain.
 
You must use your best efforts to launch your site within 30 days of signing the .CO Founders Contract, and in any event before July 20, 2010.
 
You must agree that your site will remain in good working order, with unique, meaningful content; user-friendly interfaces; and broad user appeal, for a minimum of 2 years (potentially longer for domains considered “Super Premium” by .CO Internet). Use of each .CO Founder domain will be licensed to the winning applicant until this commitment has been met (subject to all other program terms and conditions), at which point the applicant will be permitted to register their domain name with an accredited .CO registrar of their choice (standard registration fees will apply).

During the license period, you must agree to actively market and promote the .CO domain in a manner that is likely to produce widespread awareness of your site based on industry best practices.