In which sector is the undertaking active?

SBI code is the source data, sector description is the translation

The sector of an enterprise is determined by the SBI code registered upon registration in the business register. SBI stands for Standaard Bedrijfsindeling: a code that indicates the main activity of the enterprise, established by the CBS and adopted in the business register. A question about "sector" in a questionnaire is almost always a question about this classification, or about a translation of it into a broader category such as "construction", "logistics" or "business services". The supply chain file contains the SBI code as registered; the system links a readable sector description to it.

It becomes more difficult if the customer uses their own sector classification that does not correspond one-to-one with the SBI code — for example a sector list from a sustainability standard or a risk classification from a bank or insurer. In that case there is no automatic yes: the system shows which SBI code and description are in the file, and the entrepreneur assesses for themselves whether that corresponds with the requested category. In case of doubt, the associated activity description in the business register is the reference point, not the free interpretation of the question. This question is often in the same section as the legal name of the company and the registration number, because portals usually retrieve identity data and sector together.

Where this is established in the law: Article 9 Trade Register Act 2007

Article 9 of the Trade Register Act 2007 determines which data about an enterprise are entered in the business register, including the activities of the enterprise. These activity data form the basis for the SBI code that the CBS links to the registration. Anyone who wants to check which SBI code has been registered exactly can verify this via their own extract from the business register; that extract is also the source that the supply chain file uses.