What is the National Device Bank and How Does it Work?

The National Device Bank is powered by the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation and their exclusive technology partner, Reconome. It provides laptops, mobile phones and tablets for individuals who may not have access to a device, turning surplus IT from organisations into life-changing technology for digitally excluded people across the UK.

Who operates the National Device Bank?

Reconome is Good Things Foundation’s exclusive technology partner, responsible for the end-to-end device processing operations that power the National Device Bank: from collection and secure data wiping through to refurbishment and preparation of devices for distribution.

Over 95 public and private sector organisations have contributed their surplus IT assets to date. These are the organisations whose devices ultimately reach digitally excluded individuals, families and communities.

Good Things Foundation coordinates where devices are distributed through its National Digital Inclusion Network, a network of over 8,000 community organisations across the UK that help people access and learn to use the internet. Members of this network, known as Digital Inclusion Hubs, can apply for devices from the National Device Bank once a quarter. These hubs then gift the devices directly to people in their local communities who lack access to a suitable one.

How does the National Device Bank work?

Reconome manages the operational process that turns surplus IT into devices ready for distribution. The process follows six key stages:

What has the National Device Bank achieved so far?

Since April 2022, the National Device Bank has distributed 37,592 devices, with 43,346 household members benefitting when a device is shared within a family or community. As a result of this, over 200,000kg of electronic waste has been reused instead of disposed of.

Under an expanded partnership announced in February 2026, Reconome has become Good Things Foundation’s exclusive technology partner for the National Device Bank. Together, the two organisations have committed to delivering 85,000 devices to digitally excluded people across the UK by June 2029.

How can organisations contribute their surplus IT?

Any public or private sector organisation with surplus IT can contribute to the National Device Bank through Reconome. Reconome collects and processes laptops, desktop PCs, tablets, mobile devices, monitors and screens, and servers or network switches. The process includes secure, certified data erasure, full environmental compliance, and detailed impact reporting, giving organisations the evidence to showcase the social and environmental value of their IT asset disposition.

Organisations that contribute IT assets to the National Device Bank can also become signatories of the government-backed IT Reuse for Good Charter, co-developed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), VodafoneThree, Deloitte and Good Things Foundation.

Get involved

If your organisation has surplus IT and you would like to learn how it could support the National Device Bank, contact Reconome at rethink@recono.me.