What Kreisverwaltung Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis does

Kreisverwaltung Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis is a district-level (Landkreis) public administrative authority in the German state of Hesse, headquartered in Bad Schwalbach. It delivers mandated governmental services to the residents of the Rheingau-Taunus region, which encompasses 17 municipalities. Core service lines include vehicle registration, public health services, social welfare administration, education oversight, waste management, rescue services, youth and family services, refugee integration, and economic development support. The administration operates physical service points in Bad Schwalbach, Idstein, Rüdesheim, and Taunusstein.

The authority has been designated a federal pilot county (Modellprojekt) for the digitization of citizen services, operating a digital citizen portal that complements its in-person service infrastructure. Its disclosed technology stack centers on open-source public-sector tools: Matomo for web analytics, OpenStreetMap for cartographic services, and a partnership with ekom21 (a Hessian municipal IT cooperative) for IT and security operations. The executive leadership consists of Landrat Sandro Zehner.

The entity's business model is that of a sovereign local-government unit: it is funded primarily through the Kreisumlage (a levy charged to constituent municipalities), state and federal allocations, and earmarked fees for specific administrative acts (e.g., vehicle registration). It does not sell products or services commercially and operates as a legally mandated monopoly for district-level public administration within its geographic boundary. The administration has publicly flagged structural underfunding of approximately €100 million, equivalent to more than 20% of its total budget, and has joined the "Berliner Appell" alongside 294 German counties to advocate for municipal finance reform.

Name

Kreisverwaltung Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis

Legal name

Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis - Der Kreisausschuss

Website

https://rheingau-taunus.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kreisverwaltung Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis is a district-level public administrative authority in Hesse, Germany, delivering mandated governmental services (vehicle registration, social welfare, public health, education oversight) to residents across 17 municipalities under a federal digitization pilot program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Administration Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Other General Government Support (92119), Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs (926120)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Transportation, Parking & Mobility Administration (BPAIACAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Public administration services
• District government services
• Municipal digital services
• Public safety coordination
• Social welfare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Schwalbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal taxes and allocations: Funded through municipal taxes, state allocations, and federal transfers. Participates in nationwide action days highlighting structural underfunding of approximately 100 million euros.
2. Childcare fees (Kindertagespflege): Parents pay €1.73 per approved childcare hour (from March 2023) for daycare services. Income-based cost contributions.
3. Fire alarm system fees: Monthly fee of €53.00 per connected fire alarm system for the public fire alarm receiving center
4. Rescue service fees: €84.00 per dispatched emergency/first responder mission through the central dispatch center
5. Municipal audit fees: Time-based fees of €68.75 per auditor per hour for audit services provided to other municipalities

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kreisverwaltung Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis is a German district administration providing public administrative services to residents and businesses of the 17-municipality district in Hessen. Core offerings include digital citizen services, vehicle registration, health office services, youth and family welfare, refugee integration, waste management, emergency dispatch and rescue coordination, social benefits administration, and economic development programs. As a federal pilot county for digitization, RTK delivers modern digital administrative services through its online portal and the 115 government hotline.

Product overview

Kreisverwaltung Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis is a German county administration (Kreisverwaltung) providing public administrative services to citizens through its website portal at www.rheingau-taunus.de. The administration offers digital citizen services (Digitale Anträge), including TOP service offerings with contact persons, across various life situations such as health, auto/transport, construction/housing, family/children, education, security/order, social services, environment, and economic/regional development. The website serves as the primary digital interface for administrative tasks, public announcements, job postings, press releases, procurement notices, and general county information. The administration operates multiple physical locations throughout the district including Bad Schwalbach (headquarters), Idstein, Rüdesheim am Rhein, and Taunusstein.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RTK: Abbreviation used for Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in internal and external communications

Products and services

• Digital Citizen Services (Digitale Anträge) Online portal providing digital applications and administrative services for citizens across various life situations including health, auto/transport, construction/housing, family/children, education, security/order, social services, environment, and economic/regional development.
• Vehicle Registration and Driver's License Services (Zulassungsbehörde / Fahrerlaubnisbehörde) Vehicle registration (Zulassungsbehörde) and driver's license (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde) services for residents of the district, including license plate issuance and driver licensing.
• Health Office Services (Gesundheitsamt) Public health office services for district residents including health coordination, veterinary services, and the 'Herzensangelegenheiten' resuscitation training project delivered in local swimming pools.
• Childcare Services (Kindertagespflege) Child daycare services (Tagespflege) for district families, with parents paying €1.73 per approved childcare hour from March 2023 (reduced by 50% for siblings). Calculated as weekly hours × 4.33 × hourly rate.
• Fire Alarm Monitoring (Brandmeldeanlage) Public fire alarm receiving center service connecting fire alarm systems to the central dispatch, with a monthly fee of €53.00 per connected fire alarm system.
• Rescue Service Dispatch (Zentrale Rettungsleitstelle) Central emergency dispatch coordinating rescue services and fire department responses, charging €84.00 per dispatched emergency/first responder mission order.
• Waste Management and Recycling Services (Eigenbetrieb Abfallwirtschaft / EAW) Waste management and recycling services for the district via the wholly-owned subsidiary Eigenbetrieb Abfallwirtschaft (EAW) Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, including Wertstoffhof (recycling center) and Kompostanlage (composting facility) operations.
• Youth Welfare Services (Jugendhilfe) Youth welfare services including Erziehungsberatung (parenting counseling) in Idstein and Rüdesheim, Erzieherische Jugendhilfe (educational youth welfare), Jugendbildungswerk (youth education), and Pflegekinderdienst (foster care service).
• Refugee and Migration Services (Flüchtlingsdienst / Migration) Integration support, language courses, residence permits, and social integration services for immigrants and refugees, operated through the Flüchtlingsdienst/Migration office in Bad Schwalbach.
• Municipal Audit Services (Rechnungsprüfungsamt) Time-based municipal audit services provided to other municipalities by the Rechnungsprüfungsamt at €68.75 per auditor per started hour (net), plus €10 per additional report copy.
• 115 Government Service Hotline Central 115 government service hotline available 8:00-18:00 weekdays answering questions about services from federal, state, and municipal levels, free to citizens.
• Economic Development and Tourism Promotion (Wirtschaft & Regionalentwicklung) Economic development support, tourism promotion, business licensing, and the 'Zehner auf Zukunftstour' company visits program (11 companies visited during 2026 edition to strengthen local economy).
• Social Benefits and Housing Allowance (Wohngeldbehörde) Social benefits administration including housing allowance (Wohngeld) and welfare support services, plus the Pflege (care) coordination through the Kompetenzzentrum Pflege.
• Senior Care Coordination (Kompetenzzentrum Pflege) Senior care coordination and nursing care support services for elderly residents, including the nursing homes support and the Sommerfest für Pflege- und Adoptivfamilien event.
• Education Oversight and Schooling (Schule & Bildung) Education oversight and schooling services, including the nationwide all-day school claim from 2026 requiring €57 million in investment from 17 municipalities and the district.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 companies visited during 'Zehner auf Zukunftstour 2026' to strengthen local economy
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ekom21 - KGRZ Hessen (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts)coreTechnology or IntegrationExternal service provider for network and IT security services. Handles network infrastructure and IT security for the district's internet presence and operations.
• State of Hessen (Land Hessen)coreOthersState government providing regulatory framework, partial funding for services, and administrative oversight. District participates in state programs including 'Präventionsketten Hessen' and 'Zehner auf Zukunftstour'.
• Abwasserverband 'Obere Aar' (Sewage Association Upper Aar)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSewage association managing wastewater treatment. District participates in association governance; management delegated to Taunusstein city staff.
• Regionalentwicklung Taunus e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development association for Taunus region. RTK is a founding member; association coordinates LEADER regional development strategy covering Untertaunus and three municipalities in Hochtaunus.
• Municipalities in Rheingau-Taunus-KreiscoreOthers17 cities and municipalities in the district collaborate on joint resolutions, economic development, and shared service initiatives.
• Deutscher Landkreistag (German County Association)coreOthersRTK participates in the national association of 294 German counties. Signed the 'Berliner Appell' calling for municipal finance reform and structural underfinancing solutions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Main-Kinzig-Kreis: Larger Hessen Landkreis offering a like-for-like benchmark on citizen services, Eigenbetrieb waste operations, and Jobcenter administration. Comparable on funding structure and federal pilot opportunities within Hessen.
• Lahn-Dill-Kreis: Mid-sized Hessen Landkreis with comparable administrative functions and a documented track record in digitization of citizen services. Useful benchmark for RTK's eGovernment pilot trajectory and inter-municipal service delivery.
• Landkreis Offenbach: Hessen Landkreis in the Rhine-Main metropolitan region with comparable density of citizens and a similar mix of urban and rural municipalities. Comparable on digitization priorities and structural funding advocacy.
• Hochtaunuskreis: Adjacent Hessen Landkreis sharing the Taunus geography and overlapping municipal cooperation (Regionalentwicklung Taunus e.V.). Comparable in headcount scale, citizen services portfolio, and engagement with federal digitization initiatives.
• Main-Taunus-Kreis: Neighboring Hessen Landkreis (Landkreis) with a comparable administrative mandate across the Rhine-Main region. Directly comparable in service scope (vehicle registration, social services, youth welfare) and budget structure, making it a natural benchmark for RTK's funding and digitization efforts.
• Landkreis Bergstraße: Hessen Landkreis with similar geographic mix (Rheingau-equivalent wine region) and a comparable service portfolio. Benchmark for tourism-economic development programs and citizen engagement initiatives.
• Landkreis Limburg-Weilburg: Neighboring Hessen Landkreis with similar administrative scope including rescue dispatch coordination, social services, and youth welfare. Directly comparable funding model and structural underfunding exposure, also party to the Berliner Appell.
• Landkreis Groß-Gerau: Regional Hessen Landkreis with overlapping service scope including vehicle registration, health office, and refugee integration services. Comparable scale, demographic profile, and structural funding challenges.

Emerging players

• Stadt Münster: German city recognized as a leader in municipal digitization and open government initiatives. Relevant peer for benchmarking how district-level digital services mature and integrate with statewide platforms like the 115 hotline.

Broad incumbents

• Stadt Bonn: Larger municipal government with a national reputation for eGovernment and citizen service digitization. While a city rather than a Landkreis, Bonn's federal pilot initiatives and digital service platform provide a scaling benchmark for what RTK's pilot status could evolve into.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQXAPthctyZOYbVhMyh7PBg
• Facebookfacebook.com/RheingauTaunusKreis
• Instagraminstagram.com/rheingautaunuskreis/?hl=de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rheingautaunuskreis

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kreisverwaltung Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis