Our institutional partnership plans
Agreements that support sustainable open access to science for both institutions and researchers
We're committed to simplifying our institutional partnerships, ensuring that more researchers than ever can benefit from open access publishing. As your trusted partner we provide access to high-quality journals and a platform to help you maximize your impact.
Our payment models offer a flexible, cost-effective, and predictable approach to managing your institution's publishing activities - allowing you to focus more time on disseminating impactful research.
Find the right payment plan for you
Not all partner institutions have the same financial resources or funding structures. Our payment models accommodate these differences by allowing you to choose the funding approach that aligns with your financial situation and goals.
Plan | How it works | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|
Supporter membership | Institution pays an annual fee; every affiliated author gets an automatic discount on their APC. | No central OA budget, want to support authors anyway |
Direct invoicing | Pay per article as each one is approved. No commitment, full control over what you fund. | Low or occasional publishing volume |
Monthly invoicing | Same approval control as Direct, but approved articles are billed together once a month. | Prefer one predictable bill over many |
Prepayment | Deposit any amount upfront; APCs are drawn from the balance as articles are approved. Top up any time. | Want a clear spending cap, with flexibility |
Annual prepayment | One annual payment based on publishing history, with approval control kept in place. Reconciled at renewal. | Want predictable pricing but still approve each article |
Flat fee | One fixed annual payment covers unlimited publishing — no approvals, no invoices, no per-article admin. | High-volume institutions wanting the simplest author experience |
Not sure which plan fits your institution? Contact us
Our fully open flat fee model
Launched in 2023, Frontiers' flat fee model complements our well-proven metered central invoicing models offered through our institutional partnerships program.
This new approach allows for the enablement of improved open access budget planning with a single, predictable annual fee, reducing administrative work for your institution while providing unlimited open-access publication for your researchers.
More about benefits and impact >
Transparent and collaborative agreements
Our partnerships are founded on transparency and collaboration. We understand that each institution has unique needs, so we provide you with personalized support to ensure a smooth experience throughout our agreement.
If you are interested in setting up an institutional partnership and need some more information, please contact us today.
Speak with our partnerships team