# OMB Revises Federal Grant Publication Rules

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is revising federal grant regulations to make publication costs, specifically Article Processing Charges (APCs) paid to commercial publishers, unallowable expenses across most federal agencies. This policy change directs agencies to rely on free federal repositories for public access to federally funded research, aiming to reduce billions in dissemination costs and limit dependence on high-cost commercial publishing. Procurement professionals should anticipate adjustments in grant budgeting and contract terms related to research dissemination services.

- Agencies will no longer allow APCs as reimbursable expenses in grant awards, impacting budgeting and vendor negotiations for research dissemination.
- This shift encourages use of federal repositories, potentially reducing demand for commercial publishing services and altering market dynamics.
- Contractors providing publishing or dissemination services should evaluate how this policy affects contract scopes and explore opportunities supporting repository infrastructure or alternative dissemination models.
- Procurement teams must update grant administration guidelines and communicate changes to researchers and vendors to ensure compliance with new OMB rules.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Professional Services
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** September 17, 2026

### Government Entities
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
- Government Accountability Office (GAO)

### Key Quotes
> There is no cost to comply with a public access mandate. Authors can freely deposit articles into federal repositories, and no agency should treat an APC as something researchers need help affording rather than a discretionary purchase they9re free to decline paying for.
> — Heather Joseph, Executive Director of SPARC

### Sources
- [Why federal agencies must stop treating publisher fees as necessary](https://thehill.com/opinion/education/6094581-end-publisher-apc-costs) - The Hill