Award

Open Journals Collective

JISC SERVICES LIMITED

UK5: Transparency notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-002175

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-06037d (view related notices)

Published 12 January 2026, 11:00am

Scope

Reference

Proc3133

Description

The Open Journals Collective (OJC) is a new initiative co-designed by libraries, scholars, and nonprofit publishers. It establishes the necessary collaborative infrastructure and governance to support diamond open access journals. Building on more than a decade of experience in nonprofit digital journals publishing, the members of the OJC collectively publish c. 300 diamond open access journals published across AHSS and STEM subjects.

Launching in January 2026, the OJC Collections bring together existing journals published by OJC members, including the Open Library of Humanities, UCL Press, LSE Press, Edinburgh Diamond at the University of Edinburgh, Aberdeen University Press, University of Westminster Press, MPub at the University of Michigan Press, eScholarship at the University of California, Stockholm University Press, and others.

Commercial tool

Establishes a framework

Framework

Maximum percentage fee charged to suppliers

Contracting authorities that may use the framework

The scope of the framework covers purchases by the following:

• Higher Education institutions

• Further Education institutions

• Consortiums and any other Organisation or Body whose core purpose is the support or advancement of further or higher education or of research

• Any other education institute

• Multi Academy Trusts and other organisations established and acting on behalf of Colleges

• Specialist Colleges

• Research councils and other such organisations

This framework is open to organisations in England, Wales, Northern Ireland & Scotland

Members of these consortia are eligible to purchase from this framework by virtue of its membership, as will members of any other similar purchasing consortium in higher or further education that might be formed during the lifetime of the framework

• www.lupc.ac.uk/member-list

• www.supc.ac.uk/about-us/our-members/our-members

• www.nwupc.ac.uk/our-members

• www.neupc.ac.uk/members

• www.hepcw.ac.uk/members

• www.apuc-scot.ac.uk/#!/members

Contract 1

Supplier

OPEN JOURNALS COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Contract value

£416,666.67 excluding VAT
£500,000 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Earliest date the contract will be signed

22 January 2026

Contract dates (estimated)

22 January 2026 to 31 December 2026
Possible extension to 31 December 2028
2 years, 11 months, 10 days

Description of possible extension:

Two further 12 month extensions are permissible beyond the initial so I.e. 1+1+1

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

80000000 - Education and training services

Contract locations

UK - United Kingdom

Other information

Conflicts assessment prepared/revised

Yes

Procedure

Procedure type

Direct award

Direct award justification

Single supplier - intellectual property or exclusive rights
Single supplier - technical reasons

Jisc Services Limited will enter into a contract with the provider, though this contract is for use by Jisc Members only and not for Jisc's own use. The publishers working with the provider are the rightsholders and sole supplier of these products.

Supplier