Instititional support

Open Access University Presses and library presses often receive some form of institutional support, ranging from financial support for the full range of costs involved in running a press to partial support – for example, to cover some staffing costs, or in-kind support, as well as covering overheads. Examples include Helsinki University Press, Stockholm University Press, University of Ljubljana Press, and Amherst College Press. In some countries, presses receive financial support from government schemes. For example, FF Open Press (Croatia) relies on subsidies from the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Culture. The ministry announces calls for titles and interested presses (both conventional and Open Access presses, commercial and not-for-profit) submit applications, one for each title.

The challenge for a new press embedded within an institution or receiving direct government funding is to determine both the amount of support as well as its duration. The goal should be to obtain as much clarity as possible about the expectations for a press to generate revenue alongside the support it receives from its host/funder.