Public

What Public does

PUBLIC Group International Ltd is a London-headquartered digital transformation consultancy founded in 2016 that helps UK public sector bodies turn innovative ideas into operational public services. It serves central government departments (Ministry of Defence, NHS, Department for Business and Trade, Department for Science Innovation and Technology, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Justice, DCMS, DLUHC), more than 100 local authorities, and supranational organisations including NATO and the European Commission, alongside selected enterprise partners such as AWS and BT Group.

Its service portfolio spans six expertise areas — Commercial/Spend and Impact, Security and Online Safety, Local Government, Digital and Technology, Open Innovation Programmes, and Learning and Workforce Transformation — delivered through accelerator and challenge programmes (GovStart since 2017, AWS Defence Accelerator, AWS Healthcare Accelerator, AWS AI in the Public Sector Showcase, MHCLG PropTech Innovation Fund, Prison Leavers Innovation Challenge, GovTech Connect for the European Commission), three-year research and evaluation mandates, and the Public School of Technology training programme. Internally, the firm maintains proprietary assets including a Digital Maturity Assessment Model built from evaluating 60+ local government digitalisation programmes covering £80m+ of government funding, and an Innovation in Procurement Toolkit co-developed with London boroughs.

PUBLIC earns revenue primarily through professional services contracts with government clients and as delivery partner for government-funded innovation challenges such as the £2.4m PropTech Innovation Fund Round 6. In February 2025, Solita — a Nordic technology, data and design company owned by approximately 700 employees and the Apax Digital Fund I — acquired PUBLIC Group International Limited as Solita's entry into the UK market, embedding PUBLIC within a 2,200-person European delivery network spanning ten countries while PUBLIC continues to operate as an independent UK entity.

Name

Public

Legal name

PUBLIC Group International Ltd

Website

https://public.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

PUBLIC is a London-headquartered digital transformation consultancy founded in 2016 that helps UK central government, the NHS, local authorities and supranational bodies adopt technology, run innovation programmes, and build digital capability. Acquired by Solita in February 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Sector Digital Transformation Consulting

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (9211), Other General Government Support (92119), Administration of Economic Programs (926)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Government Digital Service & eGovernment (Service Delivery, IDs, Portals) (BPAIAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL), Public Communications, Transparency & Open Government (BPAIAAAH), Public Procurement & Contracting (BPAIAEAE), Civil Service & Public Administration (HR, Org Dev, Workforce Policy) (BPAIAAAD)

Keywords

• Digital transformation consulting
• Public sector advisory
• Government innovation programmes
• Startup accelerator programmes
• Govtech venture services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Digital Transformation Consulting: Professional services providing advisory, research, and implementation support to public sector organisations undergoing digital transformation. Includes programme design, evaluation, and capability building.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PUBLIC provides professional services that help UK and European public sector organisations undergo digital transformation. Its work spans advisory and implementation support, open innovation programme design and delivery (including the GovStart startup growth programme and co-delivered accelerator programmes with AWS and MHCLG), research and evaluation of digitalisation programmes for bodies such as DLUHC, and capability building through the Public School of Technology. Customers are primarily UK central government departments, local authorities, the NHS, and supranational organisations including NATO and the European Commission.

Product overview

PUBLIC is a digital transformation partner that helps the public sector turn innovative ideas into practical solutions. The company offers a portfolio of expertise areas (Commercial/Spend & Impact, Security & Online Safety, Local Government, Digital & Technology, Open Innovation Programmes, Learning & Workforce Transformation) alongside accelerator programmes (GovStart, AWS Defence Accelerator, AWS Healthcare Accelerator, PropTech Innovation Fund), research and evaluation services, and the Public School of Technology for public sector workforce training. PUBLIC joined forces with Solita in February 2025 as an independent entity within the Solita Group, a European technology, data, and design company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GovStart: A six-month growth programme helping tech startups transform the public sector with tailored support, strategy and networks. Since 2017, the programme has supported companies achieving £59m investment raised, £19m public sector contracts won, and 47 public sector pilots agreed.
• PUBLIC School of Technology

Products and services

• GovStart A six-month growth programme helping tech startups transform the public sector with tailored support, strategy, and networks. Since 2017 the programme has supported 48 companies achieving £59m investment raised, £19m public sector contracts won, and 47 public sector pilots agreed.
• PropTech Innovation Fund MHCLG's flagship innovation programme supporting testing and scaling of digital innovation across planning and housebuilding, delivered in partnership with PUBLIC across multiple funding rounds.
• AWS Defence Accelerator Defence-focused accelerator programme partnering with AWS and the UK Ministry of Defence, supporting dual-use startup solutions and innovation training for defence organisations.
• AWS Healthcare Accelerator Programme Healthcare-focused accelerator programme co-delivered with AWS, supporting startups to advance growth and deployment in the UK public sector including the NHS.
• GovTech Connect European Commission-funded project supporting public sector access to the European GovTech ecosystem and driving the green transition, including delivery of European boot camps.
• Public School of Technology A centre of education dedicated to teaching public servants about digital technology and innovation, offering courses to civil servants and elected officials across the UK public sector.
• Local Government Digitalisation Evaluation 3-year research evaluation of 60+ local government digitalisation programmes working with DLUHC, collecting data from 100+ local authorities totalling over £80 million in assessed funding.
• AWS AI in the Public Sector Showcase Showcase event in partnership with AWS driving adoption of AI-powered solutions to improve government services across UI optimisation, case management, and compliance monitoring.
• Future of Digital Government (Report / Research Engagement) PUBLIC research and report commissioned by BT Group titled 'The Future of Digital Government: A blueprint for the future of digital public services in the UK', exploring citizen attitudes toward digital public services.

Quantifiable outcome

• GovStart programme companies raised £59m investment, won £19m in public sector contracts, completed 47 pilots, and developed 18 new products
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• SolitacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2025Solita, a European technology, data, and design company, acquired PUBLIC Group International Limited in February 2025. This strategic move marked Solita's entry into the UK market. PUBLIC continues to operate as an independent entity within the Solita Group. The combined entity employs over 2,200 professionals across ten countries in Europe.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPUBLIC collaborated with AWS on multiple accelerator programmes including AWS Defence Accelerator (AWS's first defence accelerator), AWS Healthcare Accelerator, and AWS AI in the Public Sector Showcase. These programmes scout, mentor, and connect startups with UK government and defence organisations.
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-delivery of MHCLG's PropTech Innovation Fund with MHCLG's Digital Planning Programme. PUBLIC supports programme design, consortium selection, and delivery support across multiple rounds of the £2.4m+ grant funding programme.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPUBLIC supports the European Commission through the GovTech Connect project, helping empower public sector access to the European GovTech ecosystem and drive the green transition. Boot camps have been delivered across Europe including in Madrid.
• City of The HagueflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with the City of The Hague and Netherlands Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations to host the GovTech Summit, the world's premier GovTech event. The 2021 edition themed 'Build Back Digital' brought together European GovTech leaders.
• Faculty AIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in the Online Safety Data Initiative consortium alongside OSTIA. Faculty leads development of novel data science prototype projects while PUBLIC leads the discovery phase understanding data needs across the Safety Tech sector.
• BT GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBT commissioned PUBLIC to develop the report 'The Future of Digital Government: A blueprint for the future of digital public services in the UK', exploring citizen attitudes toward digital public services during and after COVID-19.
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with DCMS to operate the UK's first Safety Tech Challenge Fund, a grant programme aimed at empowering safety tech innovation to enhance child online safety. Cross-Whitehall initiative involving Home Office, National Crime Agency.
• Ministry of JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ministry of Justice on the Prison Leavers Innovation Challenge (PLIC), testing innovative ways to reduce reoffending through technological and digital interventions. Includes funding of up to £350k for piloting phase.
• London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with LOTI to assess barriers preventing procurement collaboration between London boroughs. Created the Innovation in Procurement toolkit following GDS best practice for use by London's commercial and service teams.
• DataGuardminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerData protection advisory firm that assisted in creating PUBLIC's privacy policy documentation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Sopra Steria: European IT services group with significant UK and Nordic public sector presence delivering digital transformation, systems integration, and managed services; comparable to PUBLIC's advisory+delivery model across European government clients.
• Netcompany: Nordic-headquartered IT services firm that has scaled UK government digital delivery; comparable to PUBLIC in targeting public sector digital transformation mandates, with complementary geographic reach.

Broad incumbents

• Capita: Large UK public services outsourcer and consultancy with broad government transformation and digital capabilities; competes with PUBLIC for major departmental transformation mandates but operates at substantially greater scale and across a wider service portfolio.
• Civica: Major UK software and services vendor for local government, health, and central departments; competes with PUBLIC on digital transformation, procurement modernisation, and council digitalisation programmes.
• PA Consulting: Global innovation and transformation consultancy with a strong public sector practice including digital government and innovation strategy; overlaps with PUBLIC on advisory and accelerator-style engagements but is broader in scope.

Emerging players

• Faculty AI: UK applied AI consultancy that partners with government on safety, defence, and public sector AI deployments; co-partner with PUBLIC on the Online Safety Data Initiative and competes in AI-for-government advisory space.

Direct peers

• FutureGov: UK-based GovTech specialist delivering digital transformation and service design for local authorities and health partners; similar advisory positioning to PUBLIC in local government digitalisation.
• Made Tech: UK-based digital transformation consultancy delivering software and services to central and local government; directly competes with PUBLIC on agile delivery and user-centred public service design mandates, including GDS-aligned engagements.
• Methods: UK public sector technology and digital transformation consultancy with comparable expertise in digital service design, data, and modern delivery for central and local government clients.
• dxw: UK public sector digital, data, and technology consultancy working with departments like DLUHC, DWP, and HMRC; competes head-to-head with PUBLIC on digital transformation advisory and delivery engagements across Whitehall.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/11078705
• Xx.com/public_team

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments37 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Public