Turn complex policy into a compelling public story
Shorthand helps government communication teams turn policy reports, consultations, and public information campaigns into immersive stories that engage the public — without paying for a developer.
Turn complex policy into a compelling public story
Shorthand helps government communication teams turn policy reports, consultations, and public information campaigns into immersive stories that engage the public — without paying for a developer.
Trusted by government communications teams at
Trusted by government comms teams at
Policy report one week.
Public campaign the next.
All created in Shorthand.
Government communications teams produce more distinct content types than almost any other sector.
Shorthand handles all of them in one editor, with brand templates and permission management built in, on a platform designed to meet government security standards.
Policy report one week. Public campaign the next. All created in Shorthand.
Government communications teams produce more distinct content types than almost any other sector.
Shorthand handles all of them in one editor, with brand templates and permission management built in, on a platform designed to meet government security standards.
Engaging policy reports and consultation documents
Turn dense policy papers, consultation documents, and annual accounts into visual, mobile-friendly stories that non-expert audiences can read end-to-end.
Shorthand's editor handles full-screen imagery, data visualisations, embedded video, and animated text to explain complex policy.
Engaging policy reports and consultation documents
Turn dense policy papers, consultation documents, and annual accounts into visual, mobile-friendly stories that non-expert audiences can read end-to-end.
Shorthand's editor handles full-screen imagery, data visualisations, embedded video, and animated text to explain complex policy.
Public information campaigns people will read
Publish public information campaigns, service announcements, and government communications that reach citizens across every device — without routing every update through a contractor or developer queue.
Publish stories to a custom government subdomain, embed them in your existing CMS, or self-host on your own infrastructure.
Internal staff communications that hold attention
Publish leadership updates, change management communications, and policy briefings for internal audiences that hold attention far better than an email attachment or intranet post.
You can restrict stories to specific email addresses or share them behind a private link.
Internal staff communications that hold attention
Publish leadership updates, change management communications, and policy briefings for internal audiences that hold attention far better than an email attachment or intranet post.
You can restrict stories to specific email addresses or share them behind a private link.
Multilateral comms and content, accessible by default
Publish programme reports, advocacy stories, and policy updates for diverse international audiences.
Shorthand formats meet WCAG 2.2 AA, Section 508, and EN 301 549 accessibility standards and render correctly across languages, devices, and connection speeds.
“(Shorthand) has completely opened up a whole new area of putting content online for us.”
Shakia Stewart, Digital Content Manager, British Council
“(Shorthand) has completely opened up a whole new area of putting content online for us.”
Shakia Stewart, Digital Content Manager, British Council
Government procurement is complex. We've done it before.
Shorthand has been through formal procurement at the House of Commons, the Council of the EU, and government agencies worldwide. Our documentation is ready before you ask for it.
Security, data residency, and GDPR
Shorthand holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications, with a GDPR DPA available on request.
For government organisations with specific data residency requirements, flexible hosting options (including self-hosting via zip download) keep published content inside your own infrastructure.
Procurement that works for government
Shorthand is available through resellers where government procurement rules require it, and has completed formal tender processes for central government organisations.
The full documentation pack with SSA, security overview, GDPR DPA, VPAT, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 is available before the formal submission stage.
No contractor lock-in
Government teams often inherit content built by a previous contractor that nobody can maintain after the contract ends.
Stories built in Shorthand are owned by you. Your in-house team can edit, update, and republish without bringing a contractor back.
Shorthand For Government Communications FAQs
Is Shorthand Section 508 compliant?
Shorthand stories support Section 508 compliance, the US federal accessibility standard that applies to federal agencies and their contractors. Native features include alt text for images, keyboard navigation, well-defined markup for screen readers, and responsive layouts that work across devices and screen resolutions.
A current VPAT is available on request for procurement teams.
Does Shorthand meet WCAG 2.1, WCAG 2.2 AA and EN 301 549 standards?
Yes. Shorthand targets WCAG 2.2 AA compliance, which is the current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines standard, and maintains a current VPAT that documents conformance. We continuously monitor our platform and work on implementing the latest guidelines.
Native story features support alt text, video captions, keyboard navigation, and colour contrast requirements. Shorthand’s accessibility checklist helps creators identify and resolve issues before publishing. Contact us to request the full VPAT and accessibility documentation.
Can I use Shorthand for public consultations and policy reports?
Yes, government communications teams use Shorthand to publish consultation documents, policy reports, annual accounts, and programme updates as immersive, mobile-friendly digital stories. Shorthand's editor can add data visualisations, embedded documents, full-screen imagery, and accessible structured content without a developer. Stories can be published to a custom government subdomain, embedded in your existing CMS, or self-hosted on your own infrastructure.
How does Shorthand handle government data residency and GDPR requirements?
Shorthand holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications and offers a GDPR DPA for organisations subject to European data protection law.
For government organisations with specific data residency requirements, self-hosting via zip download keeps published stories on your own infrastructure. Flexible hosting options are available for organisations with regional or jurisdictional data requirements.
How does Shorthand fit into government procurement processes?
Shorthand’s standard procurement documentation — SSA, security overview, GDPR DPA, VPAT, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001 certificates — is available before the formal submission stage. Contact our team to request the full documentation pack.
How does Shorthand compare to commissioning a custom-built government website?
Custom contractor builds give you bespoke output but create a dependency that doesn't end with the contract, as someone has to maintain, update, and republish content. That usually means bringing the contractor back.
Shorthand gives government communication teams full editorial control so stories can be built, updated, and republished without developers or coding. The initial build is faster, the ongoing cost is lower, and the content doesn't become unmaintainable when a contract ends.
Shorthand For Government Communications FAQs
Is Shorthand Section 508 compliant?
Shorthand stories support Section 508 compliance, the US federal accessibility standard that applies to federal agencies and their contractors. Native features include alt text for images, keyboard navigation, well-defined markup for screen readers, and responsive layouts that work across devices and screen resolutions.
A current VPAT is available on request for procurement teams.
Does Shorthand meet WCAG 2.1, WCAG 2.2 AA and EN 301 549 standards?
Yes. Shorthand targets WCAG 2.2 AA compliance, which is the current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines standard, and maintains a current VPAT that documents conformance. We continuously monitor our platform and work on implementing the latest guidelines.
Native story features support alt text, video captions, keyboard navigation, and colour contrast requirements. Shorthand’s accessibility checklist helps creators identify and resolve issues before publishing. Contact us to request the full VPAT and accessibility documentation.
Can I use Shorthand for public consultations and policy reports?
Yes, government communications teams use Shorthand to publish consultation documents, policy reports, annual accounts, and programme updates as immersive, mobile-friendly digital stories. Shorthand's editor can add data visualisations, embedded documents, full-screen imagery, and accessible structured content without a developer. Stories can be published to a custom government subdomain, embedded in your existing CMS, or self-hosted on your own infrastructure.
How does Shorthand handle government data residency and GDPR requirements?
Shorthand holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications and offers a GDPR DPA for organisations subject to European data protection law.
For government organisations with specific data residency requirements, self-hosting via zip download keeps published stories on your own infrastructure. Flexible hosting options are available for organisations with regional or jurisdictional data requirements.
How does Shorthand fit into government procurement processes?
Shorthand’s standard procurement documentation — SSA, security overview, GDPR DPA, VPAT, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001 certificates — is available before the formal submission stage. Contact our team to request the full documentation pack.
How does Shorthand compare to commissioning a custom-built government website?
Custom contractor builds give you bespoke output but create a dependency that doesn't end with the contract, as someone has to maintain, update, and republish content. That usually means bringing the contractor back.
Shorthand gives government communication teams full editorial control so stories can be built, updated, and republished without developers or coding. The initial build is faster, the ongoing cost is lower, and the content doesn't become unmaintainable when a contract ends.
Join other leading teams publishing with Shorthand
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