DEAL is an initiative of the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany. It negotiates nationwide transformative "Publish and Read" agreements with the largest commercial publishers of scholarly journals on behalf of German research institutions (including universities, universities of applied sciences, research institutes, state and regional libraries), which are executed by MPDL Services gGmbH.
MPDL Services gGmbH (MPDLS) 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, MPDLS 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.