BEEvalid: Digital Citizen Hive — software & kiosk.

The challenge

Dealing with public authorities is tedious for many people: forms, missing documents, waiting times — and online applications assume devices, accounts and routine that not everyone has. The idea of the Digital Citizen Hive: a protected, modular service point that combines digital administration with on-site service. Citizens are guided through the application step by step, documents are captured directly, and the administration receives applications complete and structured. The first use case is the much-requested housing benefit application.

The hive

There is more to the hive than a screen. We combined all the technology into one device that can be used without prior knowledge.

• Control: Electron application on an Intel NUC, launched in a locked-down kiosk mode.
• Operation: 24-inch UHD portrait multitouch, plus speakers and microphones for voice and AI control.
• Documents: a scanner reads IDs and driving licences; a camera captures submitted documents in any format — without media breaks.
• Identity: a second camera is used for biometric face capture.

Software & platform

Behind the hive runs a consistently modern platform — one technology for the website, the admin interface and the interfaces.

• Website & admin tool: React and Next.js with Payload CMS as headless CMS, TypeScript and shadcn/ui — the same stack on both sides.
• Admin platform: all hives are managed across sites and tenants, updated and analysed — usage, time saved and citizen feedback.
• Data: PostgreSQL as database, MinIO as S3-compatible object storage for documents and media.
• Integration: the platform is designed to hand applications over to the administration's specialist systems.

Operations & company setup

We did not just build the product — we also helped set up the company behind it.

• Operations: hosting on Linux with Docker, maintenance and patching as an ongoing DevOps service.
• Tools: HubSpot, Jira and Microsoft 365 set up.
• Bookkeeping: GetMyInvoices with automatic sync to DATEV Unternehmen online, receipts via Scan2Mail straight from the printer, invoicing with easybill.
• Marketing: marketing strategy and paid advertising.

Public presentation

On 17 April 2026 the prototype was presented at the Roth district office together with Bavaria's Minister for Digital Affairs, Dr. Fabian Mehring. The Bavarian Ministry of Digital Affairs, the district office, Bayerischer Rundfunk and dpa reported on it — the articles are linked below.