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BICS

What is a SIC Code and how do you find yours?

How to find your SIC code for BICS: where to look, how to check it on Companies House, and why the right code matters for your application.

Millie Palmer

A Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code is a number that classifies the main activity of a business. Companies House records one or more SIC codes for every UK company, and the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) uses them as the first test of whether you operate in an eligible sector. Getting this wrong can end an application before it starts, so it's crucial to know early.

What is a SIC code?

SIC codes follow the UK's SIC 2007 classification, which groups economic activities into sections, divisions and classes. A code, such as 29.32, identifies a specific activity, in this case the manufacture of parts and accessories for motor vehicles.

Companies House normally shows these as five-digit numbers, so 29.32 appears as 29320. The BICS eligibility list uses the four-digit class with a decimal point, so you're matching the first four digits of your Companies House code to the list.

Why does BICS use SIC codes?

BICS targets two groups of manufacturers. Frontier industries are those within the Industrial Strategy's growth sectors, and foundational industries supply them. A SIC code only appears on the eligibility list if its electricity intensity is within the government’s minimums. The electricity intensity is measured as electricity consumption relative to gross value added and needs to be above 0.9% for frontier industries or 2.7% for foundational ones.

This has already been worked out on a sector basis, so you don’t need to know your individual electricity intensity for your individual business. If your SIC code is on the list and you meet the other criteria, the sector test is passed.

The list has now been finalised and runs to 84 eligible SIC codes, from industrial gases (20.11) and pharmaceutical preparations (21.20) to motor vehicle manufacture (29.10) and aircraft and spacecraft (30.30).

How do you find your SIC code?

Finding yours is straightforward.

  1. Search for your company on the Companies House service, "Find and update company information".
  2. Open the company overview and look for "Nature of business (SIC)".
  3. Take the first four digits of each code listed.

You can have more than one code on your record, so test them all; any eligible one will do.

Where can you check the list?

The government has published the full list of eligible SIC codes, as well as eligible Harmonised System (HS) codes for qualifying products. You can find the list here.

If you want an even quicker check, Energy Relief Vault has developed a free online checker that speeds up your eligibility review. All you need to do is enter your company name and product information, and our checker does the rest.

Use Energy Relief Vault’s checker here.

What if your registered code isn't on the list?

This is common, particularly where a business registered under a general code years ago and its activity has since changed. The guidance allows for this. Your statement should refer to an eligible SIC code, which can be the one on your Companies House record or any other eligible SIC code that describes what you do at the site.

If you want your Companies House record to reflect your real activity, SIC codes can be added, removed or amended by filing a confirmation statement.

For example: A company is registered under a general business support code, but its site manufactures electric motors and generators. That activity falls under 27.11, which is on the eligible list. The company adds 27.11 to its Companies House record through its next confirmation statement and refers to the code in its application statement.

Changing a code doesn't make you eligible by itself. The activity you describe still has to be what takes place at the site, and the products still need to match an eligible HS code, so you’ll want to check the rest of the requirements before modifying any company details.

What to watch for

  • Newly registered businesses. Companies registered at Companies House within the previous six months may face additional scrutiny.
  • Code and product must agree. Your SIC code shows you're in an eligible industry. Your HS code shows that the product you make is eligible too.
  • Check the current list. Use the published GOV.UK list rather than an old copy.

Key takeaways

  • SIC codes are the first eligibility test. Your sector must appear on the government’s list of 84 eligible codes.
  • Match four digits. Companies House uses five digits; the BICS list uses four.
  • Any eligible code can be used. It doesn't have to be the first one on your record.
  • Fix mismatches early. A confirmation statement can update your Companies House record.

If you're unsure whether your activity maps to an eligible code, a short check now is far easier than a correction later. Speak to the Energy Relief Vault team and they'll help you confirm where you stand.