Parish Council Domains Helper Service 2024-25

The Parish Council Domains Helper Service has a funding update for the financial year 2024/25 for local (parish and town) councils considering moving to a .gov.uk domain.

The Cabinet Office has secured funding to help local councils set up a .gov.uk domain. This discount is £100 + VAT applied at the point of purchase by those Approved Registrars participating in the Parish Council Domains Helper Service.

Councils need to note that this funding can help a maximum of 1,000 councils move to a .gov.uk domain and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Funding will run until March 2025. After this time, the Parish Council Domains Helper Service cannot say whether funding will be available for future years. They aim to make it easier for councils to move across to and enjoy the benefits of a .gov.uk domain. To this end, we will continue looking for ways to lower costs and hope to share news.

Important cost considerations for all councils

The Cabinet Office funding is available to:

• Councils that want to move to a .gov.uk domain OR

• Councils that already have a .gov.uk domain and want to purchase other associated services such as email or a website.

• Funding can only be claimed via Approved Registrars participating in the Parish Council Domains Helper Service. They will apply a discount of £100 + VAT at the point of purchase.

Funding is not designed to cover the whole cost of moving over to a .gov.uk domain:

Depending on individual requirements, councils will need to budget for additional services, such as emails, a website, and data migration.

A .gov.uk domain and all associated services are subscriptions, and councils must factor these costs into their annual precept budget. 

Registration and help

If your council wants to move to a .gov.uk domain, please register your interest by completing the short form. For all enquiries, please contact the Parish Council Domains Helper Service at parish.helper@domains.gov.uk.