Landmark publishing agreements for UK universities
Negotiations successfully conclude with all five major academic publishers.
Today, we can announce the successful conclusion of negotiations, led on behalf of the UK higher education sector, with all five leading academic publishers – Taylor & Francis, Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, and Sage – conducted under our Next generation open access programme.
The agreements will enable universities to both read academic papers and publish their research as open access articles, meaning the research will be freely accessible to anyone worldwide, without paywalls.
They are the largest single publishing contracts globally, covering publishers that collectively publish over 11,000 peer-reviewed journals and more than one million research articles annually, spanning every academic discipline.
Within the agreements, a new trial will remove fees on a per article basis from certain journals, converting to a fully open access model when thresholds are met. It is a global first for agreements to include a non article-based model of this nature.
It marks a key milestone for UK research, positioning UK universities at the forefront of efforts to reform scholarly publishing and create a system that is more sustainable, equitable, and focused on quality.
The agreements prioritise:
- research integrity – ensuring that publishing decisions are based on merit, not volume of academic articles
- reduced administrative burden – simplifying processes for academics and universities
- sustainable practices – creating fairer, more transparent publishing models for the long-term
By negotiating simultaneously with all five major publishers, the UK higher education sector has set a new benchmark for collaboration and competitive pressure. This unified approach has resulted in strong, market-leading offers that maximise value and deliver savings compared to historic pricing, demonstrating the power of collective action in shaping the future of scholarly communication.
Anna Vernon, our head of research licensing, says:
“Securing these agreements is a major achievement for the UK higher education and research communities. By working collectively with the sector, we’ve delivered agreements that not only offer excellent value but also set new standards for open research and sustainability. We recognise, however, the unprecedented financial crisis impacting institutions across the sector, meaning some will simply not be able to participate in these offers. Jisc will continue to offer tailored support to help institutions navigate these challenges while ensuring access to research remains a priority.”
Liam Earney, our managing director, HE and research adds:
"These agreements show what can be achieved when the sector works together. By negotiating collectively, we’ve delivered efficiencies, competitive pricing, and improved access to research that no single institution could secure alone. This collaborative approach further champions the principles laid out by the Universities UK Transformation and Efficiency Taskforce, reinforcing the sector’s commitment to sustainable, joined-up solutions for the long term.”
The next generation open access programme will continue to challenge historic pricing practices, promote integrity and ensure governance of data and AI in research publishing. We remain committed to working with institutions, funders, and international partners to deliver lasting sustainable models.
Institutions will soon be able to order the new agreements through our License subscriptions manager.
Contact your relationship manager for more information.