SCOSS is backed by a coalition of Open Science leaders representing regions from across the globe with a thorough understanding of what is needed to deliver on Open Access and Open Science.

At present, the coalition is comprised of the following with representatives from most continents: Association of African Universities (AAU), Association of Research Libraries (ARL), Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL), the Council of the Australian University Librarians (CAUL), EIFL, Qatar National Library, LIBER, Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, France, Latindex and SPARC Europe. Membership is open to organisations that can represent significant communities of research funding and/or performing organisations, including those that represent libraries and researchers.

Also involved in the initial planning for the coalition were the Australasian Open Access Strategy Group (AOASG), The Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR), The European Research Council (ERC), The European University Association (EUA), The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and Science Europe. Initial input was also provided by SPARC.