Developing a scalable and sustainable model for doing digital in Edo State, Nigeria
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News: King’s Award honours Public Digital’s role in global digital innovation
Public Digital (PD) has today been honoured with the King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.
This accolade - the highest official UK award celebrating outstanding achievement by a British business - recognises our success in helping governments and businesses worldwide deliver smarter, fairer services through digital innovation and structural reform.
Founded in 2015 by the team behind the UK’s Government Digital Service and GOV.UK, PD delivers highly impactful projects improving the lives of citizens in the UK and around the world through digital, data and technology. The company has grown fast in recent years and we now employ 90 permanent staff across seven countries, operating out of offices in London, Toronto and Abuja, and is supported by a global network of over 250 experts.
Alongside our significant UK public and private sector projects, the firm builds lasting local capabilities in countries where there are limited or no digital government services. PD helps governments worldwide build or improve digital services to better meet the needs of their citizens and accelerate national progress.
A few examples of our recent work include:
Edo State, Nigeria: In partnership with the Gates Foundation, we helped civil servants design user-centred services to improve access for women and marginalised groups - demonstrating how digital tools can support inclusion and lasting institutional change.
Maipú, Chile: With support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, we worked with one of the country’s largest municipalities to use data to rebuild public trust. The result was a new public safety data hub, real-time citizen feedback tools, and a measurable improvement in service delivery, all within a year.
Madagascar: Collaborating with the World Bank, we supported the government to launch a digital identity system, form a dedicated digital team, and simplify business registration - cutting red tape and laying the groundwork for more equitable access to public services for everyone.
Other examples of our work include launching Peru’s first unified government website, rolling out Argentina’s digital driving licence, helping establish the Canadian Digital Service and advising Australia’s Turnbull administration on its national digital agenda.
Ben Terrett, CEO of Public Digital, said:
“Winning the King’s Award for Enterprise is a proud moment for us. It recognises not just our international growth, but the kind of work we care deeply about - helping governments and organisations build better, fairer public services through lasting, local capability. From Africa to South America and beyond, this is proof that a small UK team can have a big, global impact when it focuses on trust, inclusion, and doing the right thing.
“With the need for digital transformation growing and growing, this award will power us forward on our mission to drive positive change for citizens worldwide."
