Foxway Circular UK wins King's Award for SMART software

Foxway Circular UK has won a King's Award for Enterprise in Innovation for its SMART software platform, placing it among 185 organisations recognised nationally.

SMART is a cloud-based system for managing Microsoft Windows licensing on refurbished technology devices. It automates licence injection and device preparation, allowing refurbishers to prepare machines without complex infrastructure while meeting Microsoft Out-of-Box Experience standards.

The award highlights a longstanding challenge in the secondary technology market. Companies refurbishing used computers and other devices must ensure software is legitimate, secure and consistent before resale to corporate and public sector buyers. Licensing has been a particular hurdle, as buyers want refurbished machines to arrive ready to use and compliant with requirements.

Launched in 2022, SMART is now used by more than 800 refurbishers in over 50 countries. Its users range from smaller independent operators to global IT asset disposition providers, reflecting broad demand for systems that support higher volumes of refurbished hardware.

The platform operates within the Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher market, where approved participants need access to valid digital licensing as part of the refurbishment process. In that environment, software handling has become central for companies trying to scale used-device resale while avoiding compliance failures.

Market pressure

Demand for refurbished technology has grown as organisations look to cut costs and reduce waste from short device replacement cycles. Businesses are also under pressure to show progress against environmental targets by extending hardware lifespans and limiting landfill disposal, while still meeting internal standards for security and reliability.

That has created an opportunity for service providers that make refurbished equipment easier to buy and deploy. For sellers of second-life hardware, a key commercial challenge is offering devices with certification, warranty cover and a condition that meets buyer expectations for workplace use.

Foxway argues that SMART helps refurbishers build trust by standardising part of the preparation process. It linked the award to the wider role of refurbishment in the circular economy, where the commercial value of used devices depends on whether they can be returned to service in a compliant way.

Martin Series described the company's view of the award and the market need behind SMART.

"This is a significant milestone for Foxway Circular UK Ltd and the teams behind SMART. SMART was designed to remove complexity and enable refurbishers to operate with confidence, compliance and scale. As demand for refurbished technology grows, this kind of infrastructure is essential to building trust and unlocking the full potential of the circular IT market," said Martin Series, Senior Director, Global Solutions, Foxway Circular UK Ltd.

The King's Awards for Enterprise are among the UK's best-known business honours, recognising achievement across categories including innovation. For Foxway, the award gives public recognition to a software product rather than its core hardware refurbishment activity alone, underscoring how the resale market increasingly depends on process and software as much as logistics and repair.

Refurbishment focus

The circular IT market has expanded beyond simple resale of used machines. Larger buyers now often expect traceability, standard configuration and assurance that products have been restored to a defined specification before purchase. That has increased the importance of platforms that create repeatable workflows for fleets of devices.

In practice, that matters for IT asset disposition companies and channel partners handling retired corporate equipment at volume. If those operators can process machines more consistently, they can return stock to the market faster and reduce the risk that usable devices are scrapped because software preparation is too slow or uncertain.

Foxway said SMART was built around those operational issues. Ben Daniels said the award recognised not just the business but also the firms using the system in day-to-day refurbishment work.

"This award means a lot, not just to us here at Foxway, but to all the refurbishers we work with every day. SMART was built around the challenges they face, so to see that recognised at this level feels like a win for the whole refurbishment community," said Daniels.