cyber centre of excellence

What cyber centre of excellence does

Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCoE) is a not-for-profit initiative launched in 2023 by iESE Limited (a UK local government consultancy) to deliver cybersecurity products and services to UK public sector organizations that lack central IT infrastructure. The entity operates from Chatham, UK, with a headcount of 1-10 employees, and functions as a shared service rather than a profit-maximizing business.

The company's portfolio is organized around a Protect Suite of five sector-specific bundled packages (Care Protect, Councillor Protect, Parish & Town Council Protect, Small Business Protect, and Sole Trader Protect), each combining AppGuard SOLO endpoint protection (US defence-grade technology), F-Secure mobile security, NCSC-assured e-learning modules, and vCISO health check consultations. Beyond the Protect Suite, CCoE offers standalone AppGuard SOLO licences (£35/unit), a catalogue of individually-priced e-learning courses, instructor-led certification training (e.g., NCSC/APMG-certified Data Protection & GDPR Practitioner Course), and a Managed Services framework divided into Learn (training), Test (assurance and system testing), and Protect (monitoring, endpoints, malware mitigation) pillars. Underlying technology is largely assembled through partnerships rather than developed in-house, with key integrations including AppGuard for endpoint security, F-Secure for mobile, ONCA Technologies for vCISO delivery, and OSP Cyber Academy/Cyber Prism for training content.

CCoE monetizes through a hybrid model: annual subscription Protect Packages priced £99.60 (individual) to £2,600.07 (16-20 user tier), per-seat e-learning subscriptions with volume discounts down to £4.50/seat, one-time instructor-led training fees of £295-£2,195, and pay-as-you-go vCISO consultations at £25-£60. Distribution is primarily through self-serve e-commerce on ccoe.org.uk with Stripe payment processing, supplemented by enquiry-based bulk purchasing for councils and organizations. The go-to-market leverages iESE Group's existing local authority relationships and community trust as a "by the sector, for the sector" not-for-profit, with no external venture funding disclosed in the source data.

Name

cyber centre of excellence

Legal name

iESE Limited

Website

https://ccoe.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cyber Centre of Excellence is a UK not-for-profit initiative by iESE Group delivering bundled cybersecurity protection packages, NCSC-assured training, and vCISO advisory services to local authorities, parish councils, care providers, councillors, and small businesses lacking central IT infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Services

NAICS

Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621), Security Systems Services (56162), Software Publishers (5132)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Security & Privacy Services (DLP, Encryption, Privacy Ops) (BPAKAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Penetration Testing, Red Team & Ethical Hacking (EDAOAIAH), Information Security, Privacy & IT Governance (CISSP CPE, Privacy CE) (EDAAALAL)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity services
• Endpoint protection
• Cyber awareness training
• NCSC assured courses
• VCISO consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Protect Packages (Subscription): Annual subscription packages bundling software protection, e-learning courses, and vCISO services for councillors, care providers, parish/town councils, small businesses, and sole traders. Includes tiered pricing based on user count (1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20 users).
2. E-Learning Courses (Per Seat): Individual training courses sold per seat with volume discounts. Annual subscriptions with 6-12 month access periods. Pricing tiers from 1-50 users up to 5001+ users with decreasing per-unit costs.
3. Training Sessions (Virtual & Classroom): Virtual and classroom-based training sessions for cyber risk resilience, GDPR awareness, and data protection. Pricing varies by format (half-day, full day) and delivery method.
4. Software Licences: AppGuard SOLO licence sales at £35.00 per unit for Microsoft device protection. Volume discounts available for bundled Protect Packages.
5. vCISO Consultations: Virtual Chief Information Security Officer health check consultations available in 15-minute, 30-minute, and 1-hour formats (£25-£60).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CCoE sells bundled cybersecurity Protect Packages tailored to UK public sector and small organisation segments (Care, Councillor, Parish & Town Council, Small Business, Sole Trader), each combining AppGuard endpoint protection, F-Secure mobile security, NCSC-assured e-learning, and vCISO advisory. It also sells standalone AppGuard SOLO licences, individual NCSC-aligned e-learning courses, certified practitioner training, and vCISO health check consultations, all delivered via the ccoe.org.uk e-commerce site and direct channels.

Product overview

The Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCoE) is a not-for-profit initiative by iESE Group delivering cybersecurity products and services to UK public sector organisations. The offering is structured as a platform-plus-modules architecture consisting of: (1) the Protect Suite containing five sector-specific protection packages (Care Protect, Councillor Protect, Parish & Town Council Protect, Small Business Protect, and Solo Protect/Sole Trader Protect), each bundling security software (AppGuard SOLO, F-Secure), multiple NCSC-aligned e-learning courses, and vCISO health check consultations; (2) standalone products including AppGuard SOLO endpoint protection licence, individual e-learning courses (Cyber Security Staff Awareness, GDPR Staff Awareness, OT Cyber Security, Mobile Device Security, etc.), professional certification courses (Data Protection & GDPR Practitioner, Board & Executive Awareness), and vCISO Health Check consulting; and (3) Managed Services covering Learn (Awareness/Education/Training), Test (Test Assurance, People & Processes, Test Systems), and Protect (Monitoring, Endpoints, Malware mitigation). The portfolio targets organisations without central IT infrastructure, particularly local authorities, care providers, councillors, and small businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Protect Suite: Cybersecurity protection packages tailored for different sectors including Care Protect, Councillor Protect, Parish & Town Council Protect, Small Business Protect, and Sole Trader Protect.

Products and services

• Protect Suite Bundled annual cybersecurity protection packages tailored for specific UK public sector and small organisation segments. Each Protect Suite package combines endpoint security (AppGuard SOLO), mobile protection (F-Secure), NCSC-aligned e-learning courses, board or staff awareness training, and vCISO health check into a single subscription.
• Care Protect Annual protection package for care providers including security software, NCSC-aligned e-learning, and vCISO support. Tiered from £800.05 (1–5 users) to £2,600.07 (16–20 users).
• Councillor Protect Off-the-shelf individual annual cyber protection package for councillors working without central IT infrastructure. Includes AppGuard, e-learning modules, vCISO support and a support helpline. Price: £99.60.
• Parish & Town Council Protect Annual protection package for parish and town councils without central IT. Bundles AppGuard SOLO, F-Secure mobile protection, multiple e-learning courses, virtual Board awareness training and vCISO health check. Tiered from £800.05 (1–5 users) to £2,600.07 (16–20 users).
• Small Business Protect Annual protection package for small businesses without central IT infrastructure, covering 5–20 device licences. Includes security software, NCSC-aligned e-learning and expert support. Tiered from £1,499.53 (6–10 users) to £2,600.07 (16–20 users).
• Sole Trader Protect (Solo Protect) Annual individual protection package for sole traders covering laptop/desktop and mobile. Includes AppGuard SOLO, five e-learning courses (Cyber Secure at Home, Phishing & Social Engineering, Mobile Device Security, Password & Access Management, Ransomware & Malware) and vCISO support. Price: £99.60.
• AppGuard SOLO Licence Standalone one-time licence for Zero Trust endpoint protection on Microsoft laptops and desktops. Designed in the US defence environment; prevents never-before-seen cyber-attacks by stopping malware and ransomware before installation. Price: £35.00 per licence (discounted to £26.03–£31.36 within Protect Packages).
• Cyber Security Staff Awareness Course Annual e-learning course for staff cybersecurity awareness, sold per seat with volume discounts. From £18.00 per seat.
• GDPR Staff Awareness Course Annual NCSC-assured e-learning course covering the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR. Accredited via the Institute of Information Security Professionals (IISP) with CPD credits. From £9.00 per user with volume discounts.
• Data Protection & GDPR Practitioner Course 3.5-day intensive certification course for Data Protection Officers and practitioners requiring detailed GDPR knowledge. Virtual or classroom format. APMG/NCSC certified, includes exam. Priced from £1,795.00 (virtual) to £2,195.00 (classroom).
• Data Protection & GDPR Awareness Course One-day course covering GDPR aims, definitions, principles, processing, consent, subject rights and DPIA. Delivered virtually or in classroom. Price: £495.00 (virtual) to £695.00 (classroom).
• Full Day Cyber Risk & Resilience Board & Executive Awareness Course One-day NCSC-assured workshop for board members and executive managers covering cyber risk governance and strategic implementation against UK NCSC CAF and US NIST CSF frameworks. Virtual or classroom. Price: £895.00–£1,195.00.
• Half Day Cyber Risk & Resilience Board & Executive Awareness Course Half-day NCSC-assured course on cyber risk and resilience governance for board and executive teams. Virtual or classroom delivery. Price: £495.00.
• OT Cyber Security Awareness Course Annual e-learning introduction to Operational Technology Security for industrial control systems. Covers OT vs IT differences, segregation, system hardening and risk management. Author is a Fellow of the British Computer Society and NCSC Lead Practitioner. From £18.00 per user (down to £9.00 at 5001+ users).
• vCISO Health Check Pay-as-you-go Virtual Chief Information Security Officer consultation providing a cyber health check overseen by a CISSP-qualified professional. Sessions of 15 minutes (£25), 30 minutes, or 1 hour (£60).
• Managed Services - Learn Managed cybersecurity training services delivered under three pillars (Awareness, Education and Training). Includes NCSC-aligned e-learning courses and instructor-led virtual and classroom sessions.
• Managed Services - Test Managed cyber defence testing services covering Test Assurance, People & Processes assessment, and Test Systems evaluation for organisations.
• Managed Services - Protect Managed cybersecurity protection services including Monitoring & Detection, Mobile Detection & OT, Endpoints & Servers protection, and Malware & Ransomware mitigation for organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Prevent never-before-seen cyber attacks from impacting devices
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• iESE GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCoE is part of the iESE Group, a not-for-profit local government consultancy. iESE created CCoE as an initiative aimed at all local authorities and UK public bodies to help them stay abreast of cyber threats and gain access to military-grade protection at affordable prices.
• AppGuardcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership providing AppGuard SOLO endpoint protection software designed in the US defence environment. CCoE offers this technology at preferential rates for UK local government and public sector organizations.
• F-SecurecoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile security partnership providing F-Secure protection for Android and iOS devices, included in Protect Packages for comprehensive mobile security.
• ONCA TechnologiescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvider of vCISO (virtual Chief Information Security Officer) services. CCoE shares customer personal data (name and email) with ONCA to provide vCISO health check services. vCISO is a qualified member of Certified Information Systems Security Professionals.
• OSP Cyber AcademycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTraining service provider for course delivery. Partnership for NCSC certified training courses including Data Protection & GDPR Practitioner courses.
• Cyber PrismminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndustrial cyber security experts who co-produced the OT Cyber Security Awareness Course with OSP Cyber Academy. Author is a Fellow of the British Computer Society and Lead Practitioner Cyber Security/IA Auditor.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CyberSmart: UK cybersecurity platform delivering endpoint protection, compliance (Cyber Essentials) and training targeted at SMBs and small public-sector organizations — directly comparable to CCoE's Protect Suite bundling endpoint software, training and certification.
• CybSafe: UK-based security awareness and behaviour analytics platform used by UK public sector and regulated enterprises. Closely comparable on the awareness/training and risk-reduction outcomes CCoE markets.
• MetaCompliance: UK/Northern Ireland-headquartered provider of security awareness, GDPR and policy training — competes directly with CCoE's NCSC-aligned e-learning catalogue and GDPR Practitioner Course.
• The Security Company (TSC): UK-based e-learning and security awareness training provider with NCSC-aligned content targeting SMBs and public sector — directly competitive with CCoE's awareness and education offerings.
• The Defence Works: UK security awareness and phishing simulation vendor serving councils, NHS and SMBs — comparable in scope (awareness training, public-sector focus) and NCSC-aligned curriculum.
• IASME Consortium: UK body that administers Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials PLUS certifications and sells associated products/services to UK public sector and SMBs — comparable to CCoE on certification-led offerings and the local-authority buyer.

Broad incumbents

• KnowBe4: Global leader in security awareness training and phishing simulation, selling heavily into UK councils and SMBs. Overlaps with CCoE's e-learning and awareness course portfolio but at vastly greater scale.
• Bridewell: UK-headquartered cybersecurity consultancy offering managed detection, testing and advisory to UK critical infrastructure and public sector — overlaps with CCoE's Test and Protect managed services at a broader, enterprise scale.
• Sophos: Global cybersecurity vendor widely deployed across UK local authorities and SMBs for endpoint, mobile and managed security — the broad incumbent against which CCoE's AppGuard/F-Secure bundle competes.

Regional players

• Cyber Resilience Centres (UK network): UK-wide network of regional Cyber Resilience Centres (often police-led) that deliver affordable cyber resilience services to SMBs, charities and local public-sector bodies — adjacent public-sector competitor and potential partner channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cyber-centre-of-excellence

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 cyber centre of excellence