Quota-based publishing agreements: caps expected in 2026

Several publishers have quota-based open access agreements. Once the agreed quota has been used up, the cost of open access publishing is no longer covered centrally.

Based on publication data up to and including May 2026 and current publication trends, the following caps are expected to be reached in 2026:

• Oxford University Press (OUP), hybrid journals – end of August
• Springer – last week of September
• Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) – first week of October
• Emerald – first week of October
• Oxford University Press (OUP), full open access journals – mid-October
• Taylor & Francis (T&F) – first week of December

At present, sufficient quota remains available under the Cambridge University Press (CUP) agreement.

These dates are indicative. Publication patterns may fluctuate, and authors may adjust their publishing choices in response to the forecast. The estimates will therefore be updated in August.

Please take this into account when submitting to these publishers or completing the publication process. After a cap has been reached, a publisher may still offer open access publication, but the article processing charge (APC) will no longer be covered by the national agreement and may be invoiced to the author.

Check the latest status on the publisher deals page and in the Open Access Journal Browser, and consult your institution’s open access support or library before accepting any charges.

Alternative routes to open access

If your article is affected by a cap, there may still be other routes to open access. Under the Taverne Amendment, eligible short scientific works can be made openly available through the institutional repository six months after publication.

If you have not yet submitted your manuscript, consider using the Rights Retention Strategy, especially if your funder requires immediate open access. For advice on the options available to you, contact your institution’s open access support or library.