SBI Codes Explained: How to Classify Dutch Businesses by Industry

If you work with Dutch business data, you will inevitably encounter SBI codes. Every company registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK) has at least one. But what exactly is an SBI code, and more importantly, how can you put this data to work in your own application?

In this article, we explain how SBI codes work, how to retrieve them, and what practical use cases they unlock for developers and product teams.

What is an SBI Code?

SBI stands for Standaard Bedrijfsindeling, which translates to Standard Business Classification. It is a five-digit code that describes the primary activity of a business. The classification is based on the European NACE standard and is maintained by CBS (Statistics Netherlands).

For example, a software company typically has SBI code 62010 (development and production of software), while a bakery falls under 10710 (manufacture of bread and fresh pastry goods). The system is hierarchical. The first two digits indicate the main sector, the third digit narrows it to a group, and the final two digits specify the exact activity.

Companies can have multiple SBI codes if they operate across different sectors. The KVK records both primary and secondary activities. This is important to know when filtering businesses by industry, because looking only at the primary code can give an incomplete picture.

Retrieving SBI Codes via the API

When you look up a KVK number through the KVKBase API, SBI codes are included as part of the company profile. A typical response contains the code itself, its description, and whether it represents a main or secondary activity.

{
  "kvkNumber": "12345678",
  "tradeName": "Example B.V.",
  "sbiActivities": [
    {
      "sbiCode": "62010",
      "sbiDescription": "Development and production of software",
      "isMainActivity": true
    },
    {
      "sbiCode": "62020",
      "sbiDescription": "Information technology consultancy",
      "isMainActivity": false
    }
  ]
}

With this data, you can immediately determine which industry a company operates in, without manual research. That opens the door to several automations that we will explore below.

Lead Filtering and Scoring

One of the most valuable applications of SBI codes is automatically filtering and scoring leads. Imagine you sell a B2B SaaS product specifically targeted at the hospitality industry. Instead of having your sales team manually qualify each business, you can use SBI codes to automatically determine whether a lead falls within your target market.

SBI codes in the 55-56 range cover the hospitality sector, from hotels (55101) to restaurants (56101) and catering companies (56210). By requesting the KVK number during registration or the first point of contact and checking the SBI code, you immediately know whether the lead is relevant.

This principle works for any industry. Building software for construction? Filter on SBI codes 41-43. Targeting retail? Look at codes 47xxx. Combined with other company data like legal form and employee count, you can build a complete lead scoring model that runs fully automated.

Compliance and Risk Assessment

For companies in the financial sector, SBI codes are crucial in KYC (Know Your Customer) processes. Certain industries carry higher risks from an anti-money laundering or sanctions perspective. By checking the SBI code, you can automatically assign a risk score to new customers.

A practical example: a payment service provider can request the SBI code during onboarding and compare it against an internal list of high-risk industries. If the SBI code indicates the business operates in cryptocurrency trading, currency exchange, or another elevated-risk sector, an extended verification process is automatically triggered.

This not only saves time but also ensures your compliance processes are consistent. Human reviewers might overlook a sector classification, but an automated SBI check will not.

Market Analysis and Segmentation

SBI codes are also exceptionally useful for market research. If you want to know how many companies are active in a specific industry, or how the distribution looks across different regions, you can combine SBI data with location information from the Trade Register.

Consider a marketing agency preparing a campaign for a client in the automotive sector. By querying all businesses with relevant SBI codes, including car dealers (45111), repair shops (45201), and parts suppliers (45310), you get a complete picture of the market. Combine this with location data and you can tailor the campaign regionally.

For product development, this is equally valuable. Before launching a new product, you can use SBI codes to estimate your potential market size. How many companies fall within the sectors you want to serve? What is the distribution between freelancers and larger enterprises? These insights are directly available through the business data in the KVK register.

SBI Codes in Your Checkout Flow

If you are building a B2B checkout, you can use SBI codes to dynamically adapt the form. When a customer enters their KVK number and the API returns a construction company, you can automatically display fields relevant to that sector, such as a reverse-charge VAT option or specific delivery terms.

This kind of smart personalization not only improves the user experience but also reduces errors. The customer needs to fill in less manually and only sees options relevant to their type of business.

Implementation Tips

When integrating SBI codes into your application, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, cache the SBI code descriptions locally. The codes themselves rarely change, but if you fetch the description for every lookup, you waste unnecessary API calls.

Second, keep in mind that SBI codes can change over time. Companies adjust their activities and the KVK updates the registration accordingly. If you use SBI data for compliance or filtering, it is wise to revalidate periodically. A batch enrichment process that runs monthly keeps your data current without excessive API traffic.

Finally, use the hierarchical structure wisely. Filter on the first two digits when you want to search broadly within a sector, and narrow to five digits when you need specific subsectors. This flexibility makes SBI codes a powerful tool for both broad market analysis and detailed segmentation.

Getting Started

SBI codes are one of those datasets that are simple to understand but surprisingly powerful when used effectively. Whether you want to qualify leads, automate compliance processes, or conduct market research, the combination of KVK numbers and SBI classifications gives you a solid foundation.

With the KVKBase API, you have direct access to SBI data for every registered Dutch business. Try it out with a free account and discover how SBI codes can make your application smarter.

Create a free account and start integrating SBI codes into your application today.