New infrastructure option to support sustainable, affordable open research
We have introduced a new approach to licensing open infrastructure solutions designed to help UK institutions adopt cost-effective, collaborative, and strategically aligned research alternatives.
Our new offering advances open infrastructure as part of a diverse range of solutions and vendors.
This initiative, developed with the support of the equitable licensing oversight group, reinforces our commitment to advancing open research by strengthening the underlying infrastructure that helps counter rising costs. It addresses several pressure points for institutions, including the growing demands on academic workloads from increased article volumes and high per-article charges. Investment in open infrastructure reduces the risk to institutions of reliance on costly systems, and supports innovation, restoring academic control over research outputs.
The new offering will present open infrastructure as a credible alternative across the research lifecycle, highlighting tools and platforms that support open research at every stage.
In this initial phase, it spotlights open solutions that provide publishing and dissemination services, offering institutions greater transparency on the costs of individual service components, and helping to mitigate research integrity concerns linked to rapid article growth. By reducing reliance on costly read-and-publish agreements, universities may redirect investment towards sustainable, community-driven solutions that align with sector priorities.
Through sector-negotiated agreements, we increase trust in open solutions as a robust and scalable option, encouraging ongoing investment into open infrastructure and securing future sustainability.
This initiative demonstrates that open tools are a credible and strategically sound option. Our robust evaluation process, building on assessments carried out by Invest in Open Infrastructure (IOI) and the Global Sustainability Coalition for Open Science Services (SCOSS), ensures that all included suppliers have passed comprehensive checks, providing evidence of their sustainability, compliance with open standards, and software compatibility. The evaluation aligns with the Principles of Open Scholarly Infrastructure, a set of guidelines by which open infrastructure organisations can be run sustainably.
Open infrastructure supports key priorities such as REF Strategy, People and Research Environment (SPRE) indicators, open research policies, and financial sustainability, by increasing research visibility and preservation, removing barriers to re-use, and increasing opportunities for international collaboration. It also enables engagement with open research practices beyond open publishing, embedding these tools into institutional workflows to ensure alignment with digital strategies and strengthen the UK’s research ecosystem.
“Open infrastructure is essential for a sustainable research future. By offering credible alternatives to commercial systems, we’re helping institutions protect budgets, meet strategic goals, and invest in solutions that serve the whole sector.”
-Caren Milloy, director of licensing, Jisc.
Open infrastructure fosters cross-institutional connectivity, enabling researchers and libraries to work seamlessly across platforms. By highlighting mature, reliable open solutions, this offering encourages institutions to direct resources towards infrastructure that delivers shared, lasting benefit for the sector.
Looking ahead
We will work with the sector to empower libraries and advocates to champion open infrastructure within their institutions. Future phases will extend beyond publishing to include infrastructure supporting broader university activities.
View our listing of licence agreements for secure and sustainable digital research infrastructure.