February 2026 update
We are pleased to update you on the SIC revision and plans for SIC2026, and invite you to share any feedback on the updated proposed SIC2026 framework by 5pm on Monday 16 February 2026.
As part of the SIC Revision, we received 173 proposals from coordinators across the Government Statistical Service, who engaged and gathered responses from their stakeholders in business, trade and academia.
These proposals include improvement suggestions submitted from wider interested parties, who engaged via the Expressions of Interest form on the ONS website.
We reviewed all submissions against the criteria set for the revision process. As of today, of the 173 proposals, 85 are accepted, 23 rejected, 1 is partially rejected, and 64 are counter proposed, with discussions still underway. Decisions have been communicated to submitting coordinators, and an updated proposed version of the framework is now shared on the Classification pages of the ONS website.
Share your feedback
We are now sharing the updated proposed SIC2026 framework with you, and all interested parties, and invite you to submit any feedback for a final review.
Please note that this is not a full consultation, it is an opportunity for you to comment on the proposed final version of the framework structure now that all proposals have been considered. Therefore any comments are to be submitted via email within a two-week period following publication. Please submit to SIC.revision@ons.gov.uk by 5pm on Monday 16 February 2026.
Next steps
Please note that it is the structure of the framework that is currently being shared; details on explanatory notes, with inclusions and exclusions will be finalised separately in readiness for publication at the end of March 2026.
Your feedback will be shared with cross-government coordinators to review and the governing SIC Steering Group will approve and ratify the final version for publication. The group will be meeting on 26 February 2026 for endorsement and ratification of the final framework.
Where agreement cannot be reached within the Steering Group, any dispute resolution is proposed to be the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority
The timings here will allow for delivery of the final SIC2026 publication, as scheduled, for end March 2026.
July 2025 update
We are pleased to announce the launch of the revision of UK Standard Industrial Classification (UK SIC). This is in line with the results of the Public consultation on UK SIC alignment.
We invite all users, producers, and interested parties to contribute to the revision of the current SIC 2007 to create the new SIC 2026 framework. The project is governed by a cross-government Steering Group, including Statistical Heads of Profession (HoPs) from the UK Government Statistical Service (GSS).
We are sharing the Proposed SIC framework (XLSX, 330KB) for you to review and comment on. It is a starter guide showing how UK SIC has and could further change, in line with Eurostat's Nomenclature of Economic Activities (NACE). The proposed framework outlines our initial workings, following the revision of related international classifications: the United Nations' International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) and Eurostat's NACE. It may not include representations already made through the consultation and international revisions. Stakeholder views and suggestions for changes to the UK SIC framework will continue to be considered through the coordinator process.
Information on the changes and intended future work by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in collaboration with other government departments, and input from the coordinators, is provided in our SIC 2026 Framework Guidance (DOCX, 32KB).
The proposed SIC 2026 framework has been divided across a team of cross-government coordinators according to activity expertise areas. Coordinators will engage and review stakeholders' comments and proposals and will submit an agreed, consolidated proposal to the ONS. This process will take approximately three months.
Timeline
All interested parties will express their area of interest (outlined in the Help shape the updated SIC framework section) by 30 September 2025.
Coordinators will submit finalised proposals to the ONS by 31 October 2025.
Governance reviews and approvals will follow, with the SIC 2026 framework to be published by 31 March 2026.
Help shape the updated SIC framework
If you are already in contact and engaged with a SIC revision coordinator for your area of interest, your views will be fed in via their stakeholder engagement and revision process. You will not need to complete an Expression of Interest form.
To help shape the updated SIC framework, please use our Expression of interest form (now closed).
You will be asked to select which activities of the classification you are interested in and the reason for your interest. When you submit this form, it will be sent to the ONS's SIC revision team. They will review and forward it to the most appropriate coordinator. The coordinator will add you to their stakeholder list and will contact you to discuss your input.
Coordinators will engage with all stakeholders and contributors, collect all submissions, and quality assure them against the criteria in place for this revision.
Proposals are invited at the 5-digit subclass level, with exceptional cases at the 4-digit class level of the classification, both to be in line with the set revision criteria.
Next steps and decision-making process
All contributions and expressions of interest forms will be considered, though not all will be included in the coordinators’ final proposal. Decisions on what to include will be made by each coordinator.
Following the submission of all coordinator proposals, a final framework will be created by the ONS. This framework will be considered and approved by the cross-government Steering Group. Where agreement cannot be reached within the Steering Group, any dispute resolution will be the responsibility of the National Statistician. Once agreed, the final SIC 2026 framework will be ratified by the National Statistician’s Committee on Standards for Economic Statistics (NSCASE). This consolidation and approval process will run between November 2025 and March 2026.
Contact
For further information, please contact SIC.revision@ons.gov.uk