Sponsoring LIR for Provider Independent Space Explained

By Savvas Bout, Founder of Prefixx. Last updated 10 November 2026.

If you run independent address space (i.e. not allocated from another organization) without having your own LIR membership, you hold address space that the registries recognize, but you don’t have the administrative status to manage this space directly.

A sponsoring LIR acts as your registered contact for RIPE NCC purposes, enabling you to manage your provider independent PI prefixes and AS Numbers in a fully compliant manner. This arrangement ensures that your resources remain properly registered and that any future allocations or modifications to your address space follow the correct procedural pathways.

However, whereas some providers treat the role of sponsoring LIR as more than a simple annual subscription object, with others you get precious little. This leaves you to manage creation of RPKI ROAs, IRR route objects, geolocation updates, and your internet router's interconnectivity reputation with transit providers separately. Effective routing depends on maintaining accurate records and proper coordination across the network operator ecosystem.

This article explains what a sponsoring LIR actually does, what to expect from a good provider, and how providers charge for sponsoring a PI space.

Whether you are a legacy space holder of an enterprise, a PI space holder of a hosting operator or the network team of a company that has just gone through an inter-RIR transfer , this article will help you to make the right choice for your needs.

First of all, we will explain what PI space is and why a sponsor is needed in the first place. Understanding your organization's routing requirements and how the address space integrates with your existing network architecture is essential before selecting a sponsoring partner.

What is a sponsoring LIR for internet registry independent resources

carrier-neutral (PI) space is at the heart of the RIPE NCC’s way of handling direct end-user assignments.

Provider independent vs provider aggregatable IP address space

The PI address space is assigned to end users by the RIPE NCC, not through your transit provider.

Sponsoring LIR pa space: the intermediary requirement

The RIPE NCC service no longer processes end-user resource requests. For all new PI assignments and PI ASNs within the RIPE NCC service region, a LIR sponsor (local internet registry) with a current service agreement with the RIPE NCC is required. This LIR also countersigns the end-user organization’s contract. The administrative workflow ensures that each application follows the documented approval process before resources are formally registered.

A practical example: A company uses a /24 for multihoming with a sponsor on record for the RIPE NCC assigned provider-independent address space. When the sponsor closes down, the company must change sponsoring LIR or find a new one, otherwise the assignment will lapse. Maintaining continuity of the assignment ensures the company's routing announcements and network operations remain unaffected during any sponsor transition.

RIPE LIR sponsorship for PI holders and ASN holders without their own membership is available from Prefixx. Organizations requiring ASN sponsorship alongside their address space can arrange both services through a single provider relationship.

What documents does RIPE NCC require to approve a pi assignment?

RIPE NCC requires:

• A completed end-user assignment request form.
• Proof of multihoming or justified need for provider-independent IP address space.
• A signed end-user agreement countersigned by the sponsoring LIR.
• A Network plan showing the intended use of the IP address block.

Our consultants work with clients to ensure all requirements are met. This saves time rechecking with RIPE NCC and keeps the client on track. The IP sponsorship provider will then record the new relationship in the RIPE database, which is where the actual administrative mechanics of the relationship reside. The same approach applies when coordinating with other organisations that may hold related records or dependencies.

How sponsoring LIR provider independent space works in RIPE database

The relationship between a company holding network-portable (PI) address space that is not held under the company’s own LIR and a RIPE sponsor for that address space can be quite complex. The way this relationship is registered with RIPE NCC, and what is not transferred to you, is critical to understand prior to signing on the dotted line. The contractual documents are typically signed online through the RIPE NCC portal, establishing the formal relationship between the holder and the sponsor.

How RIPE database objects build network infrastructure

The sponsoring registry creates or updates the relevant RIPE database objects: the inetnum (or aut-num for an ASN) and the associated organisation object. It then sets itself as the sponsoring-org attribute. RIPE NCC accepts the assignment only once a valid sponsoring relationship is on record. Without it, the objects cannot be maintained. The sponsor ensures that all technical and administrative details in these objects remain accurate and compliant with RIPE policy requirements.

Two contracts apply here. On the one hand, the end user concludes a service contract with the LIR that sponsors him/her/it. On the other hand, the LIR as a member of the RIPE NCC concludes a Registration Services Agreement with the RIPE NCC. Both agreements need to be up to date in order to be sponsored. The end user organisation must maintain accurate contact details and technical documentation throughout the sponsorship period.

Does a sponsoring LIR own your pi space or account?

No. The LIR sponsorship service does not get any routing right to the sponsorised prefix. The end user is the owner of the prefixed IP addresses, which are recorded in the ripe database under the respective organisation object of the end user.

The administrative task of the LIR is to guarantee the end user and to keep the respective ripe objects up to date. The LIR is not allowed to reassign, to route or to transfer the allocated space without the explicit consent of the end user. When changes are required to resource records, the sponsoring organization must coordinate with the resource holder to prepare and submit those modifications through the appropriate channels.

IPv6 pi assignment and cross-region scope

This also applies to IPv6 PI address block. For Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia the RIPE NCC is the RIR and thus every holder of a PI in that region without LIR status needs a sponsor for his space. Prefixx offers RIPE LIR sponsorship for PI and/or ASN holders.

For each new assignment, the client must pay a one-time start-fee along with an annual per-object-fee for the sponsored objects. In addition, Prefixx will handle the request to update the corresponding RIPE databases for the client. The start-fee covers the initial administrative setup and the first registration of your resources on the official registry page.

There are a number of technical criteria that need to be met with your networking infrastructure before RIPE NCC will approve your allocation. Meeting these technical requirements involves a careful review process to verify that your infrastructure can properly announce and maintain the requested resources.

IPv4 pi and IPv6 pi: what the RIPE NCC service region covers

The RIPE NCC service region comprises Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia. As one of the five regional internet registry territories world-wide it determines how operator-agnostic address space is assigned to end users, enabling them to hold address space as so called resource for direct use by themselves, without it being allocated from a parent allocation and then routed by them.

This framework distinguishes between allocations made to LIRs for subsequent distribution and assignments issued directly to organizations for their own operational use.

What happens when a local internet registry is refused resources

Assignments of IPv6 PI addresses are available from RIPE NCC directly. End users apply for an IPv6 PI assignment via a regional sponsor. The LIR then vouches for the applicant and is responsible for the object in the RIPE database afterwards. The sponsor remains the point of contact for the IPv6 PI assignment throughout its lifecycle.

Note that for IPv4 PI blocks the RIPE NCC's free pool of IPv4 addresses was exhausted years ago. Any organization requiring an IPv4 PI block today has to acquire it on the secondary transfer market first and then register the transfer of that block with a RIPE NCC sponsor. The registry no longer allocates IPv4 PI blocks from its own inventory due to pool exhaustion.

Can I hold an ASN without being a RIPE NCC member if I have a sponsoring LIR?

Yes. The same model as provider-independent IP block for the ASN sponsorship. The sponsoring internet registry places the request for the ASN and the RIPE NCC allocates the ASN to the end user. The resource holder is the end user but not a full RIPE NCC member. The IP block sponsor remains responsible for the object till the sponsorship agreement has ended. The end user retains full control over how the autonomous system number is used for routing policy and peering arrangements.

How this differs from the asia pacific region

The Asia Pacific region is covered by APNIC and has its own set of policies. The rules for sponsorship, minimum allocations and transfer of IP addresses between registries can differ significantly. Minimum allocations thresholds and documentation requirements vary between regions, affecting how organizations plan their address space needs.

Prefixx is a registered broker with the RIPE NCC and can act as sponsoring member for customers holding a PI or an ASN in the RIPE region. The yearly fee for the sponsoring object has to be paid by Prefixx and does not require the customer to become a full LIR member. The annual sponsorship cost covers administrative maintenance of your resources, with no separate setup fee charged for establishing the sponsoring relationship.

Even when everything is in order with the new contract and sponsor, circumstances can change at some point. The next section outlines the ripe policies and circumstances for a change of LIR sponsorship partner and how you can do this smoothly.

Why Prefixx offers pi address space and ASN sponsorship via RIPE LIR

Prefixx is a registered RIPE NCC broker for IPv4. As a full IPv4 brokerage service, we offer LIR sponsorship to our end users. This allows them to have a single contact point from the assignment of their PI up to the corresponding routing. Our sponsorship model supports clients holding various types of independent address allocations under RIPE policy frameworks.

• transparent pricing, 300 EUR setup fee + 300 EUR per year per object, no hidden fees.
• We take care of white-glove routing paperwork for you. This includes the LOA, RPKI ROA and IRR route objects.
• Tixx quality control. We run ownership, blacklist, and routing-hygiene checks on every block we acquire through Prefixx before we start sponsoring them.
• Escrow-secured acquisition. We can facilitate the acquisition of your PI subnet on the secondary market and manage the transfer and escrow process for you.
• We have a multilingual team of staff who are able to communicate with customers and Internet users in 5 RIR regions including RIPE NCC coverage area covering Europe, MENA region and Central Asian region.

Need a address space sponsor, a change of sponsoring network registry or even multihomed address space for the first time?

A PI sponsor relationship is more than a formal agreement. Your provider-independent address block will be registered under your organization in the RIPE database, but it will only remain valid as long as your independent resource sponsor has a valid contract with the RIPE NCC.

Another surprising fact for organizations is that they can request the portability of the sponsoring ISP. In theory, switching to a new sponsoring LIR is easy but in reality it needs a new sponsorship contract and some careful coordination to make sure there are no breaks in the RPKI chain.

If you need a LIR sponsor for your PI IP space or ASN, Prefixx offers RIPE LIR sponsorship alongside full white-glove routing support. Contact the team at Prefixx.net to get your objects in order.