Principle activity descriptions
To help advisers choose the correct industry and activity classification for their client when obtaining a quote online, we’ve put the whole list here, with descriptions under each section which explain the types of companies we’d expect to see in that industry/activity type.
Categories
Accommodation and food service activities
Hotels and similar accommodation, holiday and other short-stay accommodation, camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks and other accommodation.
Administrative and support service activities
Rental and leasing of goods, vehicles and machinery
Renting and leasing of motor vehicles, renting and leasing of personal and household goods, renting and leasing of other machinery, equipment and tangible goods.
This class includes the activities of allowing others to use intellectual property products and similar products for which a royalty payment or licensing fee is paid to the owner of the product (i.e. the asset holder). The leasing of these products can take various forms, such as permission for reproduction, use in subsequent processes or products, operating businesses under a franchise etc. The current owners may or may not have created these products.
Leasing of intellectual property rights
This class includes leasing of intellectual property products (except copyrighted works, such as books or software) receiving royalties or licensing fees for the use of:
- patented entities
- trademarks or service marks
- brand names
- mineral exploration and evaluation
- franchise agreements
Employment, recruitment and HR activities
Activities of employment placement agencies, temporary employment agency activities and other human resources provision.
Travel agencies and tour operators
Travel agency and tour operator activities, other reservation services and related activities.
Security and investigation activities
Private security activities, security systems service activities and investigation activities.
Buildings and landscape servicing and maintenance
Combined facilities support activities, cleaning activities and landscape service activities.
Office support and other business support activities
Office administrative and support activities, and activities of call centres.
Organising conventions and trade shows
Organising conventions and trade shows and business support activities not elsewhere classified.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Agriculture
Growing of crops, plant propagation, animal production, mixed farming, support activities to agriculture and post-harvest crop activities.
Hunting/trapping
Hunting, trapping and related activities.
Forestry
Forest management, development and other forestry activities including logging, gathering of wild growing non-wood products, support services to forestry.
Fishing and fish-farming
Fishing, freshwater and saltwater farming.
Arts, entertainment and recreation
Creative, arts and entertainment activities
Performing arts, support activities to performing arts, artistic creation and operation of arts facilities.
Cultural activities (libraries, museums, etc.)
Library and archive activities, museum activities, the operation of historical sites and buildings and similar visitor attractions, botanical and zoological gardens and nature reserve activities.
Gambling and betting activities
Gambling and betting activities.
Sports, recreation and amusement activities
Operation of sports facilities, activities of sports clubs, fitness facilities and other sports activities. Activities of amusement parks and theme parks, other amusement and recreation activities.
Construction and building maintenance
Construction of buildings
Development of building projects, construction of residential and non-residential buildings.
Civil engineering (excl. construction of buildings)
Construction of roads and railways, construction of utility projects and construction of other civil engineering projects.
Demolition, site preparation and finishing
Demolition and site preparation, building completion and finishing and other specialised construction activities.
Construction installation / maintenance activities
Electrical, plumbing and other construction installation activities.
Education
Education
Pre-primary education, primary education, secondary education, higher education, other education and educational support activities.
Energy supply and air conditioning
Electricity, gas, steam
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution, distribution of gaseous fuels through mains, including steam and natural sources such as wind farms and solar panels.
Air conditioning supply
All activities relating to the installation and supply of air conditioning systems. Does NOT include the manufacture of units.
Finance and insurance
Financial intermediaries and banks
Monetary intermediation includes activities of holding companies, trusts, funds and similar financial entities. This includes unit trusts, investment trusts, property unit trusts.
Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding
Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding.
Auxiliary activities to finance and insurance
Activities auxiliary to financial services (except insurance and pension funding) and activities auxiliary to insurance and pension funding
Fund management
Fund management activities, including the management of investment funds and pension funds for both individuals and businesses.
Legal, accountancy and tax activities
Legal activities, accounting, book-keeping and auditing activities including tax consultancy.
Health, social and charity work
Human health activities
Hospital activities, medical and dental practice activities.
Residential care activities
Residential nursing care activities, residential care activities for learning disabilities, mental health and substance abuse, residential care activities for the elderly and disabled and other residential care activities.
Social work activities without accommodation
Social work activities without accommodation for the elderly and disabled and other social work activities without accommodation.
Charities and religious groups
Charities and religious groups.
Information and communication
Publishing activities (excluding music publishing)
Publishing of books, periodicals and other publishing activities.
Software publishing
Software publishing.
Film/music production (including music publishing)
Motion picture, video and television programme activities, sound recording and music publishing activities.
Radio/TV programming and broadcasting activities
Radio broadcasting, television programming and broadcasting activities.
Telecommunications
Wired telecommunications activities, wireless telecommunications activities, satellite telecommunications activities and other telecommunications activities.
Computer programming and consultancy
Computer programming, consultancy and related activities.
Data processing, web hosting & related activities
Data processing, hosting and related activities (including web portals) and other information service activities. Includes web-based search engines and comparison websites. Does not include auction and sales website owners.
Manufacturing (including repairing and printing)
Manufacture & processing of food products
Processing and preserving of meat and production of meat products, processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs, processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables, manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats, manufacture of dairy products, manufacture of grain mill products, starches and starch products, manufacture of bakery and floury products, manufacture of other food products and manufacture of prepared animal feeds.
Manufacture of beverages
Manufacture of beverages.
Manufacture of tobacco products
Manufacture of tobacco products.
Manufacture & processing of natural textiles
Preparation and spinning of textile fibres, the weaving of textiles, finishing of textiles and manufacture of other textiles.
Manufacture of wearing apparel, including footwear
Manufacture of wearing apparel, manufacture of articles of fur, manufacture of knitted and crocheted apparel, tanning and dressing of leather; manufacture of luggage, handbags, saddlery and harness; dressing and dyeing of fur and manufacture of footwear.
Manufacture of wood products (excl. furniture)
Sawmilling and planing of wood and manufacture of products of wood, cork, straw and plaiting materials.
Manufacture of paper, plastics and assoc. products
Manufacture of pulp, paper and paperboard, manufacture of articles of paper and paperboard, manufacture of rubber products and manufacture of plastics products.
Printing
Printing and service activities related to printing and reproduction of recorded media
Manufacture of carbon-based products
Manufacture of coke oven products such as kerosene, naphtha, hydrocarbon gas etc., manufacture of refined petroleum products.
Manufacture of chemical products (incl. pharm)
Manufacture of basic chemicals, fertilisers and nitrogen compounds, plastics and synthetic rubber in primary forms, manufacture of pesticides and other agrochemical products, manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and mastics, manufacture of soap and detergents, cleaning and polishing preparations, perfumes and toilet preparations, manufacture of other chemical products, manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations.
Manufacture of man-made fibres
Manufacture of man-made fibres, including but not exclusively nylon, acetate, acrylic, carbon fibre and artificial turf.
Manufacture of glass, clay, concrete and stone products
Manufacture of glass, clay, porcelain, concrete and stone products.
Manufacture of metals and metal products
Manufacture of metals and metal products (except machinery).
Manufacture of electrical and optical products
Manufacture of electrical and optical products, this includes televisions, cinematic equipment and computers.
Manufacture of machinery and equipment
Manufacture of general-purpose machinery, manufacture of other general-purpose machinery, manufacture of agricultural and forestry machinery, manufacture of metal forming machinery and machine tools and manufacture of other special-purpose machinery.
Manufacture of transport equipment (incl. parts)
Manufacture of motor vehicles, manufacture of bodies (coachwork) for motor vehicles, manufacture of trailers and semi-trailers, manufacture of parts and accessories for motor vehicles, building of ships and boats, manufacture of railway locomotives and rolling stock, manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery, manufacture of military fighting vehicles and manufacture of transport equipment not elsewhere classified.
Manufacture of furniture
Manufacture of furniture.
Manufacture of jewellery
Manufacture of jewellery.
Manufacture of recreational goods
Manufacture of recreational goods, including sports goods and games and toys
Manufacture of medical equipment and supplies
Manufacture of medical equipment and supplies.
Repair and installation of machinery and equipment
Repair of fabricated metal products, machinery and equipment and installation of industrial machinery and equipment.
Mining and quarrying
Coal Mining
Mining of hard coal and mining of lignite.
Oil and natural gas extraction (not refining)
Extraction of crude petroleum and extraction of natural gas.
Mining of metal ores
Mining of iron ores and mining of non-ferrous metal ores.
Other mining and quarrying
Quarrying of stone, sand and clay. Other mining not elsewhere classified.
Professional, scientific and technical activities
Legal, accountancy and tax activities
Legal activities, accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities including tax consultancy.
Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities
Activities of head offices, Management consultancy activities.
Architectural and engineering activities
Architectural and engineering activities and related technical consultancy.
Technical testing and analysis
Technical testing and analysis.
Scientific research and development
Research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering, and research and experimental development on social sciences and humanities.
Advertising and market research
Advertising, market research and public opinion polling.
Design
Specialised design activities.
Photography
Photography activities.
Translating and interpreting
Translating and interpreting activities.
Veterinary activities
Veterinary activities.
Public administration and defence (including compulsory social security)
Public sector work
Administration of the State and the economic and social policy of the community, provision of services to the community as a whole and compulsory social security activities.
Trade and regulatory bodies
Activities of trade bodies/unions including professional membership bodies. This includes regulatory and supervisory bodies.
Real estate activities
Real estate
Buying and selling of own real estate, renting and operating of own or leased real estate and real estate activities on a fee or contract basis. Includes the operators of social housing groups, unless their principal activity is the construction of housing.
Transport and storage
Land transportation (passenger and freight)
Passenger rail transport, interurban, freight rail transport, other passenger land transport and freight transport by road and removal services.
Transportation via pipeline
Transport via pipeline (includes transportation of slurry, water, biofuel).
Water transport of passengers and freight on water
Sea and coastal passenger water transport, sea and coastal freight water transport, inland passenger water transport and inland freight water transport.
Air transport of passengers and freight by air
Passenger air transport, freight air transport and space transport.
Warehousing and support activities (excl. ports)
Warehousing and storage, support activities for transportation (includes airports). Marine ports are excluded.
Ports
Ports
Transportation of post
Postal activities under universal service obligation and other postal and courier activities.
Water supply and treatment
Water collection, treatment and supply
Water collection, treatment and supply.
Sewerage
Sewerage.
Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; recycling
Waste collection, waste treatment and disposal, materials recovery.
Remediation of chemical contamination
Remediation activities and other waste management services such as land and groundwater decontamination.
Wholesale and retail trade
Sale and repair of motor vehicles
Sale of motor vehicles, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, the sale of motor vehicle parts and accessories, sale, maintenance and repair of motorcycles and related parts and accessories.
Wholesale trade (not motor vehicles)
Wholesale on a fee or contract basis, wholesale of agricultural raw materials and live animals, wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco, wholesale of household goods, wholesale of information and communication equipment, wholesale of other machinery, equipment and supplies, other specialised wholesale and non-specialised wholesale trade.
e-Commerce trading
Activities of online auction house, agents involved in bringing sellers and buyers together to form a trading partnership. This includes online booking facilities for leisure activities.
Retail trade (not motor vehicles)
Retail sale in non-specialised stores, retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores, retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores, retail sale of information and communication equipment in specialised stores, retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores, retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores, retail sale of other goods in specialised stores, retail sale via stalls and markets and retail trade not in stores, stalls or markets.