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JSTOR Path to Open 2027-2029

Jisc

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

21 Oct 2026 at 09:40

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

20 Oct 2026 at 14:24

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Jisc is procuring access for its member institutions to JSTOR Path to Open, a collection of electronic books built around frontlist university press monographs. The service uses a sustainable publishing model: participating members pay an annual fee to access the collection, with titles made available as open access three years after publication. The contract is for use by Jisc members, not for Jisc’s own use. The content is supplied by JSTOR, part of ITHAKA, and access is delivered across the United Kingdom. The requirement combines scholarly ebook content with subscription access and an open-access publishing model, rather than a general-purpose software or education service.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded to Ithaka Harbors Inc. d/b/a, trading as JSTOR, through a direct award. Jisc states that the supplier holds the intellectual property rights to the content and is the sole supplier of this unique resource. The award value is USD 450,000 gross, and the contract runs from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2029. The award is recorded as pending. There is one completed lot, identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. A service fee of 1% of the award value is due from 1 August 2028. The opportunity is available to eligible Jisc members, including higher and further education institutions, education bodies and research organisations across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

For suppliers outside this award, the procurement shows demand for institution-wide access to scholarly monographs through a member purchasing organisation, with an open-access publishing element tied to a delayed release of titles. A credible future competitor would need rights to the relevant university press content, or another clearly differentiated collection, alongside the infrastructure to provide reliable electronic-book access to higher and further education institutions and research organisations. The buyer’s stated reason for selecting JSTOR was its exclusive intellectual property rights and sole-supplier position, so content ownership or defensible access rights are central to competing for this specific requirement. Suppliers should also be able to operate an annual-fee subscription model for a broad group of member institutions and support the transition of published monographs into open access.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

JSTOR Path to Open 2027-2029

Notice Description

Jisc Services Limited is entering into a contract with JSTOR, a part of ITHAKA, to give Jisc member institutions the opportunity to support the JSTOR Path to Open monographs. Path to Open is a sustainable publishing model for supporting frontlist university press monographs. Members that participate will pay an annual fee to access a collection of electronic books that will be made available in an open access model in the January of the calendar year three years after the year of publication on JSTOR. This contract will be with Jisc Services Limited as a subsidiary of Jisc. This contract is for use by Jisc Members only and not for Jisc's own use.

Procurement Information

The supplier is the rightsholder to the IP of the content and the sole supplier of this unique resource.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078bf6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099274-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

22 - Printed matter and related products

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

22212000 - Periodicals

48000000 - Software package and information systems

72320000 - Database services

79980000 - Subscription services

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£450,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
21 Oct 20266 days ago
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 31 Dec 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Jisc
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS1 6NB
Postcode Area
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK51 Bristol, City of
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Bristol, City of
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Bristol Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Ithaka Harbors Inc. d/b/a

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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