Digital Kent

What Digital Kent does

Digital Kent is the Digital Inclusion & Capabilities service of Kent County Council, established during the COVID-19 pandemic (founded 2020/2021) to address digital exclusion across Kent's 12 local authority districts. It operates as part of KCC's Helping Hands Scheme and provides a coordinated portfolio of services: the Hardware Access Scheme (gifting remanufactured Lenovo Yoga 11e two-in-one laptops), the Connectivity Access Scheme (SIM cards sourced via the National Databank/Good Things Foundation), the Digital Employability Experience (DEX) online platform aligned with the Government's Essential Digital Skills Framework, the Social Connectivity Project for gigabit broadband in social housing, and a network of 40+ Local Digital Hubs in libraries staffed by trained Digital Champion volunteers. All services are free to eligible Kent residents, with the stated beneficiary pool described as tens of thousands of digitally excluded residents including the elderly, low-income households, people with disabilities, NEET youth, and veterans.

The business model is entirely government-funded, not commercially revenue-generating. Funding streams include Kent County Council's Helping Hands Scheme, NHS Kent & Medway ICB, Health Education England, the European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF), Southern Gas Network (SGN), and individual district councils (e.g., Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council). The go-to-market motion is community-led and partnership-driven: services are delivered through a network of community Digital Hubs, professional referral channels (GPs, social workers, teachers, employment advisors), and self-service online booking. The headcount is 9 employees, supplemented by a volunteer-led Digital Champion Network. The organization has no private investment, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and no disclosed operating budget. The legal entity is Kent County Council, a UK government local authority headquartered in Maidstone. Recent portfolio signals are mixed: the Device Recycling Scheme is closing on 31 January 2026 due to funding pressures, while the Hardware Access Scheme is in procurement for a Spring 2026 relaunch.

Name

Digital Kent

Legal name

Kent County Council

Website

https://digitalkent.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Digital Kent is Kent County Council's Digital Inclusion & Capabilities service, providing free devices, connectivity, digital skills training, and employability support to tens of thousands of digitally excluded residents across Kent's 12 districts via 40+ Digital Hubs and a volunteer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Inclusion Services

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Inclusion & Public Tech Access Training (Device/Internet/Basic IT) (EDAAAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK)

Keywords

• Digital inclusion services
• Community digital training
• Device gifting program
• Connectivity access scheme
• Social broadband tariffs

Headquarters

HQ city

Maidstone

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Public Funding: Digital Kent operates as part of Kent County Council's Helping Hands Scheme. Primary funding sources include: COVID-19 Grants from government, NHS Kent & Medway funding for patient connectivity and health outcomes, European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF), and Southern Gas Network (SGN) grants. All services are provided free to eligible residents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Digital Kent is Kent County Council's Digital Inclusion & Capabilities service that provides free digital inclusion support to digitally excluded Kent residents. Its core offerings include gifting remanufactured digital devices (Hardware Access Scheme), distributing free SIM cards for internet access (Connectivity Access Scheme), and delivering digital skills training and employability support. The service is delivered through a network of over 40 Local Digital Hubs in libraries, Community Digital Hubs, Digital Champion volunteers, and the Digital Employability Experience (DEX) online platform.

Product overview

Digital Kent is Kent County Council's digital inclusion and capabilities service, part of the Helping Hands Scheme, offering a coordinated portfolio of schemes to address digital exclusion across Kent. The core offerings include the Hardware Access Scheme (providing devices), Connectivity Access Scheme (providing SIM cards via the National Databank), Social Tariffs guidance for discounted broadband, and the Digital Employability Experience (DEX) platform for skills development. These are complemented by a network of over 30 Digital Hubs and Community Digital Hubs staffed by trained Digital Champion volunteers, alongside the Device Recycling Scheme and Social Connectivity Project for broadband infrastructure. Together, these services form a holistic ecosystem addressing the barriers of access, engagement, skills, and affordability to enable Kent residents to participate in the digital world.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digital Champion Network: Network of trained Digital Champion volunteers who provide digital support and guidance to residents.
• Digital Hubs
• Community Digital Hubs
• Digital Employability Experience (DEX)
• Hardware Access Scheme
• Connectivity Access Scheme
• Social Tariffs
• Device Recycling Scheme
• Digital Energy Support

Products and services

• Digital Employability Experience (DEX) A free online platform designed to improve employability and digital skills for Kent and Medway residents aged 13+, supporting NEET individuals, unemployed persons, career changers, and veterans. The platform aligns with the Government's Essential Digital Skills Framework covering problem solving, communicating, handling information, transacting, and being safe and legal online.
• Hardware Access Scheme (Device Access Scheme) Provides digitally excluded Kent residents with digital devices (remanufactured two-in-one laptops, typically Lenovo Yoga 11e) with no requirement to return them. The devices are carbon-neutral and BSI kitemarked with a 12-month warranty. Eligible residents include those in financial hardship, veterans, education pathway young people, and NEET individuals.
• Connectivity Access Scheme Provides digitally excluded Kent residents with access to the internet through SIM cards, delivered by Kent County Council's Digital Inclusion & Capabilities service. SIM cards are provided via the National Databank from the Good Things Foundation and distributed to eligible beneficiaries who cannot afford existing contracts or have no home internet access.
• Digital Hubs A network of over 40 Local Digital Hubs across Kent where residents can access support to become or remain digitally included. Sessions run monthly for two hours with 30-minute bookable slots, delivered by Digital Champion volunteers who provide help with online shopping, scam awareness, device navigation, digital contact with family, and job searching.
• Community Digital Hubs A scheme supporting local organisations already serving their communities to help more people get online. Digital Kent provides Digital Champions volunteers and ongoing support; partner organisations provide trusted spaces and community connections.
• Digital Champion Network A volunteer network of trained Digital Champions who provide digital support and guidance to residents at Digital Hubs and Community Digital Hubs. Champions deliver one-to-one guidance tailored to individual needs.
• Social Tariffs for Broadband Information resource directing Kent residents to discounted broadband packages (social tariffs) offered by providers such as BT (from £15/month), TalkTalk (6 months free for Universal Credit recipients), and Virgin Media (£15/month for Universal Credit recipients). Could save eligible households approximately £200 per year. Digital Kent does not set pricing or negotiate terms.
• Device Recycling Scheme A scheme enabling residents and businesses to recycle old and unwanted devices for reuse by digitally excluded Kent residents. The scheme is closing on 31 January 2026 due to funding pressures.
• Social Connectivity Project A Kent County Council Broadband team initiative to create and promote a toolkit for district councils and housing associations to ensure Kent residents have access to gigabit fibre broadband, addressing challenges around legal agreements (wayleave agreements) and communication between housing providers and telecom companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to £200 per year savings on broadband through social tariffs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and supporting.

• NHS Kent & MedwaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021NHS Kent & Medway ICB provides funding to Digital Kent to support patients and improve health outcomes through digital inclusion. Projects include NHS Digital Support Sessions at GP practices, funded jointly with Health Education England.
• Kent County CouncilcoreOthersDigital Kent is part of Kent County Council's Helping Hands Scheme. KCC provides overall governance, funding coordination, and institutional framework for Digital Kent's digital inclusion initiatives across Kent.
• Good Things FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood Things Foundation delivers the National Databank, which provides SIM cards to Kent County Council for the Connectivity Access Scheme. The SIM cards are distributed to digitally excluded Kent residents who lack internet access.
• District Councils (Kent)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 12 Kent district councils including Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Folkestone & Hythe, Gravesham, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge & Malling, and Tunbridge Wells. Councils support digital inclusion initiatives and can refer residents.
• Medway CouncilsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedway Council is listed alongside Kent district councils as a partner for digital inclusion initiatives, though certain schemes (like Connectivity Access) exclude Medway from eligibility.
• Housing AssociationskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organizations working with Kent County Council's Broadband team on the Social Connectivity Project. Housing associations help ensure social housing residents have access to gigabit fibre broadband infrastructure.
• Digital ChampionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVerified and approved volunteers trained by Digital Kent who deliver digital support to residents at Community Digital Hubs and through the Digital Champion Network. They provide one-to-one guidance tailored to individual needs.
• CompaidsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner providing tailored digital skills support experience for Kent residents. Digital Kent connects with Compaid to deliver collaborative digital inclusion services.
• Tonbridge & Malling Borough CouncilsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBorough council providing funding to Digital Kent to deliver digital support services to digitally excluded residents of the district.
• KCC Positive Wellbeing ServicesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternal Kent County Council service partnership to support residents in a tailored and holistic way, combining digital inclusion with wellbeing support services.
• Firmstep LTDsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCase management software provider used by Digital Kent's Financial Hardship team to process applications and manage service delivery.
• Cantium Business Solutions LtdsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSoftware support provider for Digital Kent's systems and case management infrastructure.
• Agilisys LTDsupportingTechnology or IntegrationKent County Council's contact centre provider that Digital Kent may liaise with for resident support and service coordination.
• Money and Pensions Service (MaPS)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner providing access to the Money Adviser Network (MAN) service, enabling Digital Kent to refer individuals to debt agencies for free financial advice.
• OfcomsupportingOthersUK communications regulator that provides information and resources about social tariffs for broadband, urging broadband firms to support low-income households with discounted packages.
• Broadband Providers (BT, TalkTalk, Virgin Media)supportingOthersTelecommunications providers offering social tariff broadband deals for eligible households. Digital Kent provides information about these deals but does not set pricing or negotiate terms.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Barclays Digital Eagles: Bank-sponsored community digital skills programme with volunteer Digital Eagles; mirrors Digital Kent's volunteer-based outreach model at greater scale and with corporate funding.
• Age UK: Major national charity running digital skills support for older people, overlapping significantly with Digital Kent's elderly segment but operating at much larger scale across England and Wales.
• Lloyds Bank Academy: Bank-funded digital skills training programme offering free online and in-person sessions; comparable to Digital Kent's Digital Hubs and DEX platform, though commercial-funded rather than grant-funded.
• BT Skills for Tomorrow: Telco-funded digital skills programme offering free training modules and partner programmes, with scope and resourcing comparable to Digital Kent but operated nationally as part of BT's social purpose commitments.

Direct peers

• Citizens Online: Digital inclusion charity delivering community-based digital skills programmes and device access schemes across the UK; closely aligned with Digital Kent's hub-and-volunteer delivery model.
• RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People): National charity providing accessible digital skills support and assistive technology to blind and partially sighted people, overlapping Digital Kent's device access and skills training for people with disabilities.
• Digital Unite: Provider of Digital Champion training and network infrastructure, the same volunteer-led digital support approach Digital Kent uses through its Digital Champion Network.
• AbilityNet: UK charity providing free digital skills support and assistive technology to disabled people, directly overlapping Digital Kent's device gifting and digital skills training mission for vulnerable residents.
• Good Things Foundation: UK charity operating the National Databank that supplies SIM cards for Digital Kent's Connectivity Access Scheme. Both organisations deliver device, connectivity, and skills interventions to digitally excluded populations via a national/local hub model.

Emerging players

• ClearCommunity Web: Smaller UK digital inclusion charity focused on accessible web and digital skills training, particularly for older and disabled adults; addresses an overlapping beneficiary set to Digital Kent but at a more focused scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DigitalKent
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digitalkent
• Instagraminstagram.com/digitalkent.uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Digital Kent