Refurbished ICT has long been a practical and reliable option for schools and MATs. It supports sustainability objectives, helps manage budgets and, when sourced properly, performs well in day-to-day classroom use.
Many suppliers are able to provide large volumes of refurbished devices for schools and trusts, making them a viable option alongside new hardware.
In 2026, the environment around refurbished devices has changed. Availability can be more variable, component demand is affecting resale volumes, and pricing has shifted compared with previous years. These are not short-term fluctuations; they reflect how the wider hardware market is currently operating.
For schools, that means refurbished procurement should have greater visibility and needs earlier planning than it once did.
As a Department for Education (DfE)-approved framework, Everything ICT supports schools in navigating these shifts. By providing access to approved suppliers, compliant procurement routes and clearer oversight of stock pipelines, we help trusts secure reliable supply in a more competitive market.
Why the market is changing
The main pressure in the hardware market is still component availability — particularly chips.
Although the worst of the global shortage has eased, supply hasn’t returned to previous levels. Manufacturing delays have had a knock-on effect across both new and refurbished markets, and pricing has not reset.
Some refurbished devices are being purchased for the parts inside them. Memory and storage can be reused to upgrade existing machines, so in some cases suppliers will remove components rather than resell the full unit.
These dynamics can influence the mix of devices available in the refurbished market and may affect pricing compared with previous years.
Where refurbished works best
Refurbished tends to work best where the requirement is small and specific.
- A school replacing a handful of ageing staff laptops.
- A primary adding a trolley of devices for a new year group.
- A community trust topping up machines mid-year after an intake increase.
In these situations, refurbished can provide reliable devices at a lower cost than buying new. Most stock comes from large-scale business upgrades, and it is often lightly used and well maintained.
Larger deployments may require more planning. For larger MATs needing uniform devices in volume, refurbished stock can be difficult to secure consistently.
Given current market dynamics, refurbished is often used for smaller purchases, while larger uniform deployments may require more planning.
When new or leasing models may offer greater stability
Where consistent devices are required across multiple sites, new procurement or leasing can be easier to manage. Ordering current-generation hardware in volume gives greater certainty around model consistency and warranty coverage.
Leasing can also help where large numbers of devices are due for replacement at the same time, spreading cost over a fixed term avoids a single-year capital spike.
Many schools now use a mix — refurbished for smaller, targeted purchases, and new or leased devices where uniformity is more important.
Everything ICT provides a compliant route to review these options with approved suppliers, without the need for separate procurement processes.
What the market looks like now
Refurbished device quality remains consistent, and many suppliers can support like-for-like deployments at scale. Availability may vary depending on corporate refresh cycles and current market stock, so planning ahead can help ensure the best choice of models and pricing.
- Most stock comes from large-scale business upgrades.
- Wider supply-chain pressures continue to affect the hardware market, although refurbished devices are often less directly impacted than newly manufactured hardware.
- Some devices are bought for parts rather than resale.
- Securing consistent volumes of specific models may depend on current market stock.
Order timing now directly affects availability and cost, particularly for larger volumes.
Looking ahead
For smaller trusts and individual schools, refurbished remains a practical option — especially where requirements are modest and flexible.
For larger MATs, refurbished may still play a role, and many suppliers can support large-scale deployments, although availability of specific models may depend on current stock.
Understanding what is available, and when, makes it easier to plan around stock rather than react to shortages.
Everything ICT supports schools through a compliant framework, giving access to approved suppliers and clearer routes to market as conditions continue to shift.