About DEAS
DEAS is jointly supported by central German research organizations and institutions and serves the practical implementation of Open Access. As a non-profit service provider, it brings together research institutions, libraries, and publishers, and operationally implements the nationwide DEAL agreements. In doing so, it supports the establishment of transparent, publication-based cost models and strengthens the position of German research in the transition to an open, fair publication system.
Background
DEAS was founded in 2018 under the name MPDL Services GmbH to implement the first contracts negotiated by the DEAL initiative launched by the Alliance of Science Organizations as there was a need for a central organization capable of serving as the contractual partner for both publishers and participating institutions of a nationwide consortium with over 1,000 eligible institutions. Since 2022, the company has been recognized as a non-profit gGmbH and is supported by leading German science organizations. In its first five years, DEAS facilitated the publication of over 105,000 open access articles under the DEAL agreements and contributed to the fact that today, around three-quarters of all scientific journal publications from Germany that appear annually are freely accessible.
Mission
The DEAL Open Access Services (DEAS) gGmbH boosts the research capacity of the scientific community in Germany by securing open access publishing services and access to scientific literature for researchers.
We provide the infrastructure and the know how that makes it possible for research institutions across Germany to benefit, collectively and equitably, from the cost-effectiveness of the nationwide DEAL agreements with scholarly publishers.
Comprising members of the Alliance of Science Organization in Germany and other research and research infrastructure organizations, DEAS is the organizational framework that enables the open access transition in Germany, supporting institutions as they reorient their investments in scholarly publishing around open dissemination of research.
We operate as a charity organization (gGmbH) for the public benefit.
Contributing Partners
DEAS is supported by a broad alliance of German research institutions. This diverse shareholder structure ensures that DEAS represents the interests of the entire German research system and can act independently. The following organizations and institutions are participating:
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft e.V. (31,25 %)
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. (31,25 %)
- Stiftung zur Förderung der Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (11 %)
- Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (8,5 %)
- Herrmann von Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren e.V. (5 %)
- Leibniz-Gemeinschaft e.V. (5 %)
- Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina e.V. - Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften (3 %)
- GFZ Helmholtz-Zentrum für Geoforschung (3 %)
- Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB) (2 %)
Team
DEAS operates with a lean, flexible organizational model: In addition to the managing directors (Christian Agi and Dr. Frank Sander), the company does not employ its own staff. For the operational implementation of the DEAL agreements, DEAS draws on the expertise of the "DEAL Services" team at the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) of the Max Planck Society. MPDL brings many years of experience in managing Open Access agreements and was centrally involved in the DEAL project from the beginning. This cooperation is complemented by external service providers for accounting, legal and tax advisory services, as well as IT infrastructure. This model enables DEAS to deliver highly specialized services flexibly and economically.