Application Evaluation takes place after an application has passed String Evaluation and is not in contention with another application, or after an applicant has successfully resolved any contention. It is typically conducted in parallel with the Applicant Evaluation process, based on the application's priority number, unless other processes (e.g., objection, GAC Consensus Advice) prevent the application from proceeding.
Nevertheless, some components of the Application Evaluation may happen earlier for certain applications depending on circumstances. For example, if an applicant for a .Brand TLD submits a Brand String Change request, or a Community Applicant elects to participate in the Community Priority Evaluation, the respective components of the Application Evaluation would need to be performed earlier in the evaluation process to ensure dependent processes can proceed.