EIFL, AJOL (African Journals Online) and WACREN (the West and Central African Research and Education Network) invite African organizations - legal entities that own open access (OA) journals that do not charge any fees for either authors or readers (often referred to as Diamond OA journals), and where editorial teams are based - to participate in this call for proposals. 

This is the second of two open calls for proposals that aim to enhance the quality and strengthen the sustainability of Diamond OA publishing in Africa, while maintaining its diversity. See 17 projects that received financial support through the first call last year. The calls are part of a three-year project launched in November 2023 with funding from Wellcome. 

Eligibility criteria

• Applications can only be submitted by African organizations - legal entities, e.g. universities, research institutes, learned/academic societies and other public non-profit institutions registered in Africa that own Diamond OA journals and where editorial teams are based, and / or manage platforms that host Diamond OA journals. An organization may submit a maximum of one application. 
• Organizations can apply for support for a single Diamond OA journal or more than one Diamond OA journal they publish. We also invite applications from organizations hosting journal platforms that include Diamond OA journals. 

Maximum funding available per project proposal:

• If you are applying for a single journal, the requested amount must not exceed 20,000 USD 
• If you are applying for more than one journal or a journals hosting platform, the requested amount must not exceed 30,000 USD

Projects should last no longer than 12 months, and should start from September 2025. 

The deadline for applications is 23:59 UTC on 6 June 2025. 

See the full details about eligibility and guidance on application requirements and procedures for applying. The application form is available in English, French and Portuguese.

To support organizations that wish to apply, we have scheduled five online sessions for you to ask questions about the call. The sessions are open to all potential applicants  -

• Monday, May 19 at 9:00 UTC: registration link
• Wednesday, May 21 at 9:00 UTC: registration link
• Thursday, May 22 at 10:00 UTC: registration link
• Friday, May 23 at 9:00 UTC: registration link
• Tuesday, May 27 at 9:00 UTC: registration link 

More about the Collaboration for sustainable open access publishing in Africa project.