diff --git a/.changeset/honest-planets-sin.md b/.changeset/honest-planets-sin.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bb55e881c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/honest-planets-sin.md
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend': minor
+---
+
+Fixed a bug in `publish:github` action that didn't permit to add users as collaborators.
+This fix required changing the way parameters are passed to the action.
+In order to add a team as collaborator, now you must use the `team` field instead of `username`.
+In order to add a user as collaborator, you must use the `user` field.
+
+It's still possible to use the field `username` but is deprecated in favor of `team`.
+
+```yaml
+- id: publish
+  name: Publish
+  action: publish:github
+  input:
+    repoUrl: ...
+    collaborators:
+      - access: ...
+        team: my_team
+      - access: ...
+        user: my_username
+```
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
index 1b2676cd00..e2cfc8da13 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
@@ -284,10 +284,20 @@ export function createPublishGithubAction(options: {
   requiredStatusCheckContexts?: string[] | undefined;
   repoVisibility?: 'internal' | 'private' | 'public' | undefined;
   collaborators?:
-    | {
-        username: string;
-        access: 'pull' | 'push' | 'admin' | 'maintain' | 'triage';
-      }[]
+    | (
+        | {
+            user: string;
+            access: 'pull' | 'push' | 'admin' | 'maintain' | 'triage';
+          }
+        | {
+            team: string;
+            access: 'pull' | 'push' | 'admin' | 'maintain' | 'triage';
+          }
+        | {
+            username: string;
+            access: 'pull' | 'push' | 'admin' | 'maintain' | 'triage';
+          }
+      )[]
     | undefined;
   token?: string | undefined;
   topics?: string[] | undefined;
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts
index be1ac4b369..ff20d1014b 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts
@@ -399,41 +399,35 @@ describe('publish:github', () => {
         collaborators: [
           {
             access: 'pull',
-            username: 'robot-1',
+            user: 'robot-1',
           },
           {
             access: 'push',
-            username: 'robot-2',
+            team: 'robot-2',
           },
         ],
       },
     });
 
     const commonProperties = {
-      org: 'owner',
       owner: 'owner',
       repo: 'repo',
     };
 
-    expect(
-      mockOctokit.rest.teams.addOrUpdateRepoPermissionsInOrg.mock.calls[1],
-    ).toEqual([
-      {
-        ...commonProperties,
-        team_slug: 'robot-1',
-        permission: 'pull',
-      },
-    ]);
+    expect(mockOctokit.rest.repos.addCollaborator).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      ...commonProperties,
+      username: 'robot-1',
+      permission: 'pull',
+    });
 
     expect(
-      mockOctokit.rest.teams.addOrUpdateRepoPermissionsInOrg.mock.calls[2],
-    ).toEqual([
-      {
-        ...commonProperties,
-        team_slug: 'robot-2',
-        permission: 'push',
-      },
-    ]);
+      mockOctokit.rest.teams.addOrUpdateRepoPermissionsInOrg,
+    ).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      ...commonProperties,
+      org: 'owner',
+      team_slug: 'robot-2',
+      permission: 'push',
+    });
   });
 
   it('should ignore failures when adding multiple collaborators', async () => {
@@ -465,11 +459,11 @@ describe('publish:github', () => {
         collaborators: [
           {
             access: 'pull',
-            username: 'robot-1',
+            team: 'robot-1',
           },
           {
             access: 'push',
-            username: 'robot-2',
+            team: 'robot-2',
           },
         ],
       },
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.ts
index 73c0b10bca..d9a7112fc9 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.ts
@@ -58,10 +58,21 @@ export function createPublishGithubAction(options: {
     requireCodeOwnerReviews?: boolean;
     requiredStatusCheckContexts?: string[];
     repoVisibility?: 'private' | 'internal' | 'public';
-    collaborators?: Array<{
-      username: string;
-      access: 'pull' | 'push' | 'admin' | 'maintain' | 'triage';
-    }>;
+    collaborators?: Array<
+      | {
+          user: string;
+          access: 'pull' | 'push' | 'admin' | 'maintain' | 'triage';
+        }
+      | {
+          team: string;
+          access: 'pull' | 'push' | 'admin' | 'maintain' | 'triage';
+        }
+      | {
+          /** @deprecated This field is deprecated in favor of team */
+          username: string;
+          access: 'pull' | 'push' | 'admin' | 'maintain' | 'triage';
+        }
+    >;
     token?: string;
     topics?: string[];
   }>({
@@ -160,22 +171,39 @@ export function createPublishGithubAction(options: {
           },
           collaborators: {
             title: 'Collaborators',
-            description: 'Provide additional users with permissions',
+            description: 'Provide additional users or teams with permissions',
             type: 'array',
             items: {
               type: 'object',
-              required: ['username', 'access'],
+              additionalProperties: false,
+              required: ['access'],
               properties: {
                 access: {
                   type: 'string',
                   description: 'The type of access for the user',
                   enum: ['push', 'pull', 'admin', 'maintain', 'triage'],
                 },
+                user: {
+                  type: 'string',
+                  description:
+                    'The name of the user that will be added as a collaborator',
+                },
                 username: {
                   type: 'string',
-                  description: 'The username or group',
+                  description:
+                    'Deprecated. Use the `team` or `user` field instead.',
+                },
+                team: {
+                  type: 'string',
+                  description:
+                    'The name of the team that will be added as a collaborator',
                 },
               },
+              oneOf: [
+                { required: ['user'] },
+                { required: ['username'] },
+                { required: ['team'] },
+              ],
             },
           },
           token: {
@@ -306,22 +334,40 @@ export function createPublishGithubAction(options: {
       }
 
       if (collaborators) {
-        for (const {
-          access: permission,
-          username: team_slug,
-        } of collaborators) {
+        for (const collaborator of collaborators) {
           try {
-            await client.rest.teams.addOrUpdateRepoPermissionsInOrg({
-              org: owner,
-              team_slug,
-              owner,
-              repo,
-              permission,
-            });
+            if ('user' in collaborator) {
+              await client.rest.repos.addCollaborator({
+                owner,
+                repo,
+                username: collaborator.user,
+                permission: collaborator.access,
+              });
+            } else if ('username' in collaborator) {
+              ctx.logger.warn(
+                'The field `username` is deprecated in favor of `team` and will be removed in the future.',
+              );
+              await client.rest.teams.addOrUpdateRepoPermissionsInOrg({
+                org: owner,
+                team_slug: collaborator.username,
+                owner,
+                repo,
+                permission: collaborator.access,
+              });
+            } else if ('team' in collaborator) {
+              await client.rest.teams.addOrUpdateRepoPermissionsInOrg({
+                org: owner,
+                team_slug: collaborator.team,
+                owner,
+                repo,
+                permission: collaborator.access,
+              });
+            }
           } catch (e) {
             assertError(e);
+            const name = extractCollaboratorName(collaborator);
             ctx.logger.warn(
-              `Skipping ${permission} access for ${team_slug}, ${e.message}`,
+              `Skipping ${collaborator.access} access for ${name}, ${e.message}`,
             );
           }
         }
@@ -391,3 +437,11 @@ export function createPublishGithubAction(options: {
     },
   });
 }
+
+function extractCollaboratorName(
+  collaborator: { user: string } | { team: string } | { username: string },
+) {
+  if ('username' in collaborator) return collaborator.username;
+  if ('user' in collaborator) return collaborator.user;
+  return collaborator.team;
+}