What RNID does

RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) is the UK's national charity supporting more than 18 million people who are deaf, have hearing loss, or tinnitus, founded in 1911 and headquartered in Peterborough with a secondary postal address in York. The organisation was rebranded from Action on Hearing Loss in 2022 and is governed as a registered charity (England & Wales 207720, Scotland SC038926). Its core service portfolio comprises four anchor products: a free 3-minute Online Hearing Check (used by 752,171+ people cumulatively, with 230,000 users in the latest reporting year) built on speech-in-noise testing; RNID Near You, a face-to-face drop-in support network at UK libraries and community centres serving 38,371 people in person in the latest year; the RNID Helpline, reachable via phone, email, live chat, text, Relay UK, and BSL video through Convo; and CPD-accredited e-learning courses for deaf awareness, BSL, and accessible workplace practices. Supporting products include RNID Connect (12-month subscription), a Research Panel of people with lived experience, the Hearing Therapeutics Initiative (translational biomedical research), and assistive-technology information delivered through the Connevans partnership.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid charitable and commercial model: individual donations and regular giving, a weekly £1 Lottery plus biannual Superdraw (£172,601.76 raised in 2024), fundraising activities (£13.2m raised in the latest reporting year), gifts in Wills, trust-based philanthropy, enterprise consultancy and corporate partnerships (HSBC UK, BT, Contacta, Shionogi, Sonos, Virgin Atlantic, Sela/Newcastle United), and a 10% donation share from Connevans product sales. The go-to-market is multi-modal: community-led delivery via UK-wide volunteers and NHS audiology partners, direct-to-consumer digital engagement through the website, hearing check, email and social channels, and enterprise field sales targeting UK employers and healthcare professionals. Patient/beneficiary segmentation spans individuals with hearing loss/deafness/tinnitus, BSL users, employers and HR functions, and healthcare professionals (NHS and private).

Since 2000, RNID has funded more than £31 million across 472 research projects and operates under multiple compliance credentials including Helplines Partnership membership, Fundraising Regulator registration, Cyber Essentials Certified Plus, and Investing in Volunteers (2023). The charity is led by CEO Harriet Oppenheimer, with Ewen Stevenson serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Name

RNID

Legal name

Royal National Institute for Deaf People

Website

https://rnid.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

RNID is the UK national charity, founded 1911, supporting more than 18 million people who are deaf, have hearing loss, or tinnitus through free online hearing checks, face-to-face drop-in services, a multi-channel helpline, CPD-accredited e-learning, biomedical research funding, and corporate accessibility partnerships with organisations such as HSBC UK and BT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Peterborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, including direct donations, regular giving, payroll giving, and donations in memory of loved ones. The charity also receives gifts in Wills.
2. Lottery and Gaming: Weekly Lottery (41 chances to win cash prizes, £1 per entry, prizes up to £500) and Superdraw (biannual jackpot of £5,000). In 2024, lottery raised £172,601.76.
3. Volunteering (Non-monetary): Volunteers provide face-to-face support at RNID Near You sessions across the UK. Volunteers with lived experience of hearing loss deliver services, though this is not direct revenue.
4. Corporate Partnerships and Consultancy: Paid consultancy and partnership services to organizations seeking to improve workplace accessibility and deaf awareness. Partners include BT, HSBC UK, Contacta, Connevans, and Shionogi.
5. Membership (RNID Connect): 12-month subscription service providing BSL learning, communication tips, and deaf awareness resources. Builds ongoing supporter relationships.
6. Philanthropy and Trusts: Major donor and trust-based fundraising for specific research projects and initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

RNID is the UK national charity supporting more than 18 million people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. It delivers a portfolio of free information and support services (online hearing check, helpline, face-to-face RNID Near You sessions), CPD-accredited deaf awareness and BSL training for employers, biomedical research funding, and policy advocacy. Revenue is generated through donations, lottery sales, corporate partnerships, and a subscription membership (RNID Connect).

Product overview

RNID offers a comprehensive suite of services for people who are deaf, have hearing loss, or tinnitus. The core service portfolio includes the free Online Hearing Check (a 3-minute speech-in-noise test available on desktop and mobile), RNID Near You (face-to-face drop-in support across UK venues), and the Contact RNID Helpline (accessible via phone, email, live chat, text, Relay UK, and BSL video). The organisation provides extensive information resources covering hearing aids and implants, assistive technology and devices (available through partner Connevans), tinnitus management, and hearing loss. Additional offerings include CPD-accredited e-learning training courses for employers, the RNID Connect 12-month subscription for deaf awareness, campaign programs advocating for accessible healthcare and workplace inclusion, a Research Panel for community-led research participation, and the Hearing Therapeutics Initiative for research translation. RNID also operates fundraising products including a weekly lottery and Superdraw. The portfolio functions as an integrated support ecosystem rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Hearing Check Free 3-minute online hearing test measuring speech hearing in background noise; users receive personalised next-steps guidance by email. Targeted at UK adults 18+ without a hearing loss diagnosis.
• RNID Near You Face-to-face drop-in support across UK community venues offering hearing aid maintenance, hearing checks, and information about deafness, hearing loss and tinnitus. Delivered by volunteers.
• Contact RNID Helpline Free confidential information and support accessible via phone, email, live chat, text message, Relay UK, and BSL video call (via Convo) for deaf and hard-of-hearing people and their families.
• RNID Connect 12-month paid subscription providing BSL learning, communication tips, and resources to support people becoming deaf awareness allies.
• E-Learning Training Courses CPD-accredited, award-winning e-learning courses for businesses covering deaf awareness, BSL, and recruiting/managing/supporting deaf employees in the workplace. Sold to employers and HR/L&D teams.
• RNID Weekly Lottery and Superdraw Weekly charity lottery at £1 per entry with 41 chances to win cash prizes up to £500, plus a semi-annual Superdraw with a £5,000 jackpot. Funds RNID's charitable activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 230,000 people took the hearing check in the last year
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• HSBC UKflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partnership to break down barriers and create an inclusive workplace. RNID provided bespoke deaf awareness training to 3,800+ HSBC employees. Partnership includes workplace accessibility consultancy and employee education programs.
• BTflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partnership to support deaf and hard-of-hearing employees and customers. BT collaborates with RNID on inclusion initiatives.
• Contacta Systems LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationContacta installs and maintains hearing loops for accessibility. RNID receives 5% donation for every hearing loop system referred. Partnership helps organisations comply with equality legislation.
• ConnevanscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRNID Connevans partnership offers assistive technology products. 10% of each purchase is donated to RNID. Products include hearing aids accessories, alert devices, and communication tools.
• ShionogiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with pharmaceutical company Shionogi focused on hearing health research and accessibility initiatives.
• BioIndustry Association (BIA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRNID was BIA's charity of the year in 2024, working with BIA members on hearing research and accessibility.
• National Portrait GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccessibility improvement project with Contacta Systems to make the National Portrait Gallery accessible for visitors with hearing loss through hearing loop installations.
• Virgin AtlanticminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership to uncover new insights around travelling for people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.
• Zoonou and Department of Health and Social CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRNID supported Zoonou and DHSC to improve accessibility of NHS Couch to 5K running app for deaf users.
• Sela (Newcastle United)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRNID's research supports Sela's introduction of haptic shirts enabling deaf fans to feel the atmosphere of the crowd for Premier League games.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• National Deaf Children's Society: UK charity supporting deaf children and their families. Operates in the same hearing-loss and deafness charitable space as RNID, with overlapping donor pools, volunteer bases, and policy influence.
• British Deaf Association: UK charity led by deaf people that campaigns for sign language rights and equality. Directly competes with RNID for the BSL community, policy influence, and donor mindshare in the UK deaf advocacy space.
• SignHealth: UK charity delivering health and social care services to deaf people, including therapy and advocacy. A direct UK peer to RNID focused specifically on the health needs of the deaf community.
• Hearing Dogs for Deaf People: UK charity that trains dogs to assist deaf people. A direct peer in the UK hearing-loss charity space, competing for donors, volunteers, and corporate partnerships targeting the same beneficiary population.
• Sense: UK charity supporting people who are deafblind or have complex disabilities. A direct peer in the UK disability charity space, sharing donor segments, volunteer networks, and policy advocacy channels.
• British Tinnitus Association: UK charity dedicated to tinnitus support, research, and information. A direct peer that competes with RNID for tinnitus-specific donors, volunteers, and policy attention within the same UK hearing-loss ecosystem.
• Royal Association for Deaf People: UK charity providing services, advocacy, and community support to deaf people, including BSL users. A direct UK peer serving overlapping beneficiary segments and competing for similar grant and donor funding.

Regional players

• Hearing Loss Association of America: US-based national association for people with hearing loss, providing education, advocacy, and support. Comparable in mission and operating model to RNID but operates in a different geography (United States).

Broad incumbents

• Cochlear Limited: Global manufacturer of cochlear implant systems, with whom RNID has historical collaboration on the first UK cochlear implant. A broad incumbent in the hearing-loss treatment space whose commercial activities intersect with RNID's research and advocacy mission.
• Amplifon: Global hearing care retailer providing hearing aids and audiology services. A broad incumbent in the hearing care ecosystem whose retail and clinical services overlap with the populations RNID serves and supports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@rnid
• Facebookfacebook.com/rnid
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rnid
• Instagraminstagram.com/rnid_uk
• Xx.com/rnid

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about RNID