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New SBI codes are going to change a lot

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Laila de Rooij
Director of Valuable Customer Contact
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A sweeping change to the Standard Business Classification (SBI), the classification system that categorizes businesses based on their economic activities, will come into effect in September 2025. The new version, SBI 2025, will incrementally replace the current 2008 classification and will affect both the Trade Register and numerous data-driven processes within organizations.

Major revision after 17 years
The SBI, managed by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and the Chamber of Commerce (KVK), is the backbone for economic statistics, risk assessment and market analysis. Due to social and technological developments, the 2008 version is no longer sufficient. Consider the emergence of digital platforms, new forms of service provision and the blurring of boundaries between physical and online commerce.

SBI 2025 aligns with the revised European NACE Rev. 2.1 classification. This fundamentally changes the structure of the SBI. From September 2025, active companies will be assigned a new SBI code, while inactive companies will retain their existing coding.

Three-quarters of businesses will get new code
Between September 5 and 9, 2025, the SBI codes in the Trade Register will be updated. It is estimated that the classification will change for some 75% of active company registrations. This change has far-reaching implications for organizations that use SBI codes for such purposes as compliance (KYC), marketing, sales, customer segmentation or reporting systems.

CBS stresses that companies should prepare for the transition in a timely manner. “Map now how the current SBI is being used within your systems and processes,” it advises. “Make sure your organization is ready to carefully implement mutations after Sept. 9.”

What will change?
The main changes in SBI 2025 are:

  • Five digits becomes standard: Every economic activity gets a fifth digit added (e.g. via a zero), in accordance with Eurostat guidelines. This prevents sums that no longer add up in CBS statistics.
  • Sections shift: The section ‘Information and Communication’ (SBI 58-63) is split. ‘Information’ (SBI 58-60) remains under section J, ‘Communication’ (SBI 61-63) moves to a new section K. All subsequent sections move up one letter.
  • Abolition of SBI 45: The category for car trade and repair disappears. Activities will be placed in wholesale (SBI 46), retail (SBI 47) or repair (SBI 95).
  • Physical and online retailing merged: Because businesses often operate both sales channels, the distinction between online and physical retail sales is eliminated.
  • New codes for intermediaries: Platforms such as marketplaces and comparison sites get separate codes among others within SBI 47.9.


Impact on Know Your Customer, marketing and systems
The revision may lead to major changes in customer classification, market definition and data models:

  • KYC procedures: Risk classifications may change as customers change industry classifications. This has direct compliance and oversight implications.
  • Marketing and sales: Target groups and market segments are changing. Some leads will soon fall out of scope, while new interesting prospects may emerge.
  • IT systems: Internal systems that use SBI codes must be modified to support the new structure. Large amounts of mutations are to be expected.


Why is the SBI being revised?
The world is changing and economic activities are evolving with it. New sectors emerge, others disappear. On average, the SBI is updated every 15 years to keep up. The 2025 revision responds to digitalization, sustainability and new business models.

Moreover, the SBI is internationally embedded. The first two digits correspond to the worldwide ISIC classification, the first four to the European NACE. The fifth level is specifically Dutch and allows for fine-grained subdivision.

Time for action
The KVK and CBS are calling on businesses to take stock of where and how SBI codes are woven into their processes no later than this summer. In the run-up to September, businesses will be informed and supported through various channels. Additional documentation is available on the CBS website, including circuit diagrams, sector overviews and explanations of the changes.

In short: the revision of the SBI affects virtually every organization. Those who prepare now will avoid surprises and continue to work data-driven in the new classification era. If you want to know what the consequences are for you, feel free to contact us: Serge Poppes will be happy to help you.

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Ernst Vegter-Business consultant Pegamento

Ernst Vegter

Business Consultant

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Hospitality is one of my deepest motivations.
Not surprisingly, of course, customer service is a common thread in my career. Aspects of hospitality is being able to connect, to facilitate but mainly to make someone feel genuinely welcome. My intuition is my greatest asset to be able to put myself in the shoes of a guest. A customer is my guest.

Fed by various senses, an image forms around the client. I listen to what is being said, watch facial expressions, taste the underlying tone and get a feel for the challenge to be addressed. An image literally forms on my retina. I have to be able to see it. If I can see it, I can create it.

In this, the trick is to pursue simplicity, give the client a warm feeling that the problem is understood, receive good advice, facilitated and carefully guided to the solution. Trust, connect and unburden.

The feeling when a guest arrives at your hotel after a long tiring journey, can sit in front of the fireplace, be handed a good glass of wine and stare carefree at the fire. My guest knows it will be okay.

This piece was written by Ernst Vegter, working as a Business Consultant at Pegamento.

Ger Koedam-Communication & Marketing Pegamento

Ger Koedam

Marketing & Communications

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How can I help you? That’s pretty much the first question I ask when talking to people who are curious about our services. In such a conversation, the use of senses is very important. Because not everyone is the same. One person thinks in images, while for another words are important or how something feels. For me, sight and hearing are the most beautiful senses, because both eyes and ears absorb information and can convey or process emotions.

Why hearing? Because listening is essential in contact. And it’s the key to unlocking valuable insights.

I developed this skill early on. As a child, I enjoyed radio plays on the radio, bringing the stories to life in my head.

Rob Roode-Research Development

Rob Roode

Research & Development

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Recognizing and automating patterns. Tasks we are constantly working on when implementing our robots at Pegamento. My 2 Drentsche Patrijshonden are hunting dogs and certainly not robots. The hunting instinct and intuition is basically in their genes. Continuing to offer new forms of training has taught them to recognize and act independently in hunting situations. Even “unsupervised,” even if I’m not around.

But when you try to teach a brain something, it also starts to see things you don’t expect. Dogs pick up on the slightest deviation in your voice or directions. To start recognizing that and correcting it again is perhaps the most complex challenge. But in our work, for the wonderful clients for whom we get to work, it often yields the most beautiful new insights!

This piece was written by Rob, founder of Pegamento and in charge of Marketing and R&D.

Serge Poppes-CEO Pegamento

Serge Poppes

CEO

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Feeling. That’s the best thing Pegamento stands for. Feeling for technology in the broadest sense of the word. Not only feeling for the exciting stuff like AI, but also for the basics of communication.

The very best part of my job is selling, listening, translating and thinking about what really matters. We bring the digital transformation with a great team!
The diversity of our team, how sharp we are, but especially the wonderful things we get to make makes me feel extremely good. Hence, I intuitively chose the sense of “feeling.

Feeling gives life and differentiation!

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