Provide every classroom with the latest technology without incurring any upfront costs.
Keeping pace with the latest technology is central to creating an engaging and effective learning environment. Yet managing tight budgets while investing in high-quality equipment remains one of the most persistent challenges for schools and academies.
CSI Leasing is here to resolve that tension. We design tailored leasing solutions that give your school access to the latest classroom technology, without the upfront capital strain, so your team can focus on what matters most: inspiring and educating your students.
Today’s schools and academies have tight capital budgets, even when they receive additional funding, it rarely stretches as far as needed. Meanwhile, the pace of technological change shows no sign of slowing.
Equipment leasing offers a confident answer to that conflict.
Rather than depleting your reserves by purchasing equipment that will become obsolete within three years, your school can spread the cost over the asset’s useful life, remove depreciation from the balance sheet, and refresh the equipment on a predictable cycle. This approach gives every student access to the latest devices without compromising your reserves or your strategy.
With more than 50 years of experience structuring leases, CSI Leasing UK designs smart, flexible solutions that put the latest technology in the hands of pupils and staff, without the upfront investment.
Our fully managed 1:1 device programme, delivered by Freedom Tech, the UK education specialist within the CSI Leasing group, provides pupils with the latest learning devices at no cost or risk to your school.
We handle parental contributions, breakages, insurance and day-to-day administration are handled in full, so your staff can focus on teaching while your pupils stay ahead in the digital world.
Flexible technology leasing solutions for schools and academies of every size, from a single primary to a trust of thirty academies.
Spread your payments over time and pay less than the total value of the equipment, giving every classroom access to state-of-the-art technology without the heavy upfront costs.
You can lease a wide range of equipment, including laptops, desktops, interactive displays, servers, networking equipment and even sustainable items such as solar panels.
Here are some reasons UK schools, academies and multi-academy trusts choose
CSI Leasing UK and Freedom Tech for their technology financing.
Acquired by CSI Leasing UK in 2018 and wholly owned within the CSI Leasing group, Freedom Tech is the United Kingdom’s specialist in fully managed 1:1 device programme for schools, multi-academy trusts and colleges.
They handle parental contributions, breakages, insurance and the day-to-day administration, so your staff can stay focused on teaching.
Two companies, one group. Different expertise, shared standards.
of IT equipment leased into UK education
pupils and staff equipped through our programmes
What are the financial benefits of leasing technology for academies?
Leasing technology offers academies three main financial benefits. First, predictable monthly payments replace large upfront capital outlays, protecting cash reserves.
Second, lease payments are typically tax deductible, and depreciation is kept off the balance sheet under an operating lease structure.
Third, a shorter three-year refresh cycle reduces the risk of running obsolete equipment, particularly valuable for academies and trusts that no longer claim charitable status.
How does a 1:1 device programme work?
A 1:1 device programme provides every pupil with their own learning device, typically a laptop, Chromebook or tablet.
Through Freedom Tech, the programme is funded by parental contributions rather than the school’s budget, with no personal credit checks required.
Freedom Tech manages payment collection, late payments, breakages and support claims, removing the administrative burden from school staff.
Can multi-academy trusts lease technology across multiple schools?
Yes. CSI Leasing UK and Freedom Tech structures consolidated leasing agreements for multi-academy trusts that cover multiple sites under a single contract.
This enables centralised reporting, aligned refresh cycles across the trust and a single point of contact for the finance team, while individual schools retain visibility of their own assets.
What happens to leased equipment at the end of the contract?
At the end of a CSI Leasing/Freedom Tech agreement, schools have three options: return the equipment for a refresh into newer devices, extend the lease on selected assets at a reduced rate, or restructure the agreement entirely.
Returned equipment is processed by EPC’s (a CSI wholly owned subsidiary) certified end-of-lease team, which securely wipes data and refurbishes devices for a second life, supporting institutional sustainability commitments.
Whether you are exploring IT leasing for the first time or restructuring an existing programme, the CSI Leasing/Freedom Tech team is ready to help.