Free ICT Europe

What Free ICT Europe does

Free ICT Europe (FIE) is a not-for-profit foundation founded in 2013 and headquartered in Gouda, Netherlands, that serves as the recognized EU-level advocacy body for the ICT secondary market. The foundation represents Third Party Maintenance providers, hardware and software vendors active in the aftermarket, IT brokers, secondary software resellers, and repair and refurbishment companies, operating with a staff of 1-10 employees.

Its core activity is influencing EU legislation on the Circular Economy, Resource Efficiency, Ecodesign, and the Right to Repair, with the explicit goal of securing end-users' right of ownership and freedom to choose independent providers for trade, maintenance, and repair of ICT products. The organization is registered in the EU Transparency Register (ID: 004942218376-96) and engages in legislative consultations, publishes policy reports (including the 2024 Manifesto and the 2026 'Sovereignty needs the IT Aftermarket' report), runs a podcast series featuring EU Commission voices, and convenes annual member events such as the 2024 Dublin gathering.

The business model is member- and donation-funded: FIE recruits organizations across the ICT secondary market into a membership alliance and accepts financial contributions through its website. There are no commercial products, no proprietary technology platform, and no disclosed pricing for membership; the foundation explicitly states it depends on the gifts it receives. Outreach is community-led, leveraging FIE's Brussels standing to attract members and donors across Europe.

Name

Free ICT Europe

Legal name

Free ICT Europe Foundation

Website

https://free-ict-europe.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Free ICT Europe is a Netherlands-based not-for-profit foundation that advocates at the EU level for the ICT secondary market, representing independent maintenance, repair, brokerage, and refurbishment providers through policy engagement, research, and member-funded activities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Advocacy

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGALAK

Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

SECONDARYBPAIAAAH

Public Communications, Transparency & Open Government

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Central/Federal Government Administration

SECONDARYBPADAEAL

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• ICT secondary market advocacy
• Right to repair policy
• Circular economy advocacy
• Third party maintenance
• EU policy lobbying

Headquarters

HQ city

Gouda

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership/Alliance Fees: Organizations in the ICT secondary market join the Free ICT Europe alliance as members, likely contributing dues to support the foundation's advocacy work.
2. Donations and Financial Contributions: As a not-for-profit Foundation, Free ICT Europe depends on gifts and financial contributions from supporters. The website includes a donate option and subscription/newsletter sign-up, suggesting donor-funded operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Free ICT Europe is a not-for-profit Foundation that promotes and represents the ICT Secondary Market within Europe. The organization influences EU legislation as a core activity, advocating for fair, open, and competitive markets underpinned by end-users' right of ownership and the freedom to choose providers for trade, maintenance, repair, and reselling of ICT hardware and software. It operates an alliance of independent service providers in Third Party Maintenance, IT Brokerage, Secondary Software Reselling, and Repair and Refurbishment, and acts as the official EU representative for the sector.

Product overview

Free ICT Europe is a not-for-profit advocacy organization (foundation) that promotes fair and open markets for the ICT secondary market within Europe. The organization does not offer commercial technology products; instead, it provides advocacy services, publishes research reports (such as the Free ICT Aftermarkets Report), hosts podcasts on ICT secondary market topics, and facilitates community engagement through newsletters and events to influence EU legislation and policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free ICT Europe Alliance Membership
• EU Policy Advocacy and Lobbying Services

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Certus SoftwareminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• COSminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• CovencominorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• EpokaminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• Evernex ITminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• General ComputerminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• Go-SystemsminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• Inside SystemsminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• K&P ComputerminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• MSOminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• Nordic ComputerminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• OriginaminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• Plan B DenmarkminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• Preo SoftwareminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• Service ExpressminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• ShibuyaminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• SoftcornerminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• Spinnaker SupportminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• TechBuyerminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• Total IT GlobalminorOthersMember company of the Free ICT Europe alliance representing the ICT secondary market ecosystem.
• ADISAminorOthersAffiliation listed on the Free ICT Europe website as part of the broader ecosystem network.
• AscdiNatdminorOthersAffiliation listed on the Free ICT Europe website as part of the broader ecosystem network.
• CEDaCIminorOthersAffiliation listed on the Free ICT Europe website as part of the broader ecosystem network.
• Repair.orgminorOthersAffiliation listed on the Free ICT Europe website as part of the broader ecosystem network, representing the right to repair movement.
• ResiliominorOthersAffiliation listed on the Free ICT Europe website as part of the broader ecosystem network.
• SIAminorOthersAffiliation listed on the Free ICT Europe website as part of the broader ecosystem network.
• SirrmietminorOthersAffiliation listed on the Free ICT Europe website as part of the broader ecosystem network.
• The Broker SiteminorOthersAffiliation listed on the Free ICT Europe website as part of the broader ecosystem network.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIE participates in EU studies, contributes to legislative processes, and informs policy makers. The organization works with the Circular Economy agenda and Resource Efficiency initiatives championed by the European Commission. Active engagement in ecodesign regulations and sustainability policy.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• BEUC (European Consumer Organisation): Brussels-based consumer-rights umbrella lobbying EU institutions on product durability, repair rights, and fair markets — directly comparable Brussels advocacy posture and overlapping policy interests in right-to-repair and anti-lock-in legislation.
• ECOS (Environmental Coalition on Standards): Non-profit advocating for environmental ambition in technical standards and EU regulation including ecodesign — comparable as a specialist NGO influencing EU technical/environmental rulemaking relevant to ICT hardware lifecycles.
• European Environmental Bureau (EEB): Largest European network of environmental citizens' organizations, active on EU circular-economy and ecodesign policy — comparable as a Brussels-based advocacy NGO working the same EU policy streams FIE engages, though broader than ICT.
• R2 Solutions (R2v3): Industry coalition establishing standards for responsible IT asset disposition, reuse, and recycling — comparable focus on the ICT secondary market ecosystem, though centered on certification standards rather than EU lobbying.

Direct peers

• iFixit: A globally recognized right-to-repair advocacy and community platform that combines grassroots repair education with policy lobbying — directly comparable to FIE's mission of championing independent repair and reuse of ICT hardware against OEM lock-in.
• Right to Repair Europe: Coalition advocating for EU right-to-repair legislation covering electronics and other goods — directly comparable policy mission to FIE and active in overlapping EU legislative consultations.
• The Restart Project: A UK/European charity that runs community repair events and advocates for longer-lasting electronics — directly comparable to FIE in promoting repair, reuse, and circular-economy outcomes for consumer and business ICT equipment.
• The Repair Association: US-based right-to-repair advocacy coalition affiliated with Free ICT Europe (listed as a partner), pushing state and federal legislation on repair access — directly comparable mission and policy-influence model, though geographically complementary.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freeict

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Free ICT Europe