NACE Code
aka NACE Rev. 2, industry classification code
EU statistical classification of economic activities. Each business has a primary 4-digit NACE code that identifies its sector. Used by CRO, CSO, Revenue and grant authorities.
Last reviewed April 2026
Definition
NACE (Nomenclature statistique des Activites economiques dans la Communaute Europeenne) is the EU's standard classification of economic activities, currently at Rev. 2.1 (in force from reference year 2025; Rev. 2.0 codes remain on historical CRO and Revenue records). Every business has a primary NACE code at filing, structured as four digits: section (1 letter), division (2 digits), group (3 digits), class (4 digits). Examples in Rev. 2.1: 62.10 'Computer programming activities', 47.11 'Retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating', 56.11 'Restaurant activities' (formerly 56.10 in Rev. 2.0, which was restructured into 56.11 and 56.12). The code is collected by the Companies Registration Office (CRO) on incorporation, by Revenue on tax registration (TR1/TR2), and is used by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) for sector reports. Many Irish grants and supports are NACE-eligibility-gated: Enterprise Ireland, LEO, IDA Ireland, Digital Transformation Grants and others define eligibility by NACE division or class. NACE Rev. 2.1 introduces around 600 new digital, AI and platform-economy categories and adds section V (Extraterritorial Organisations), bringing the total to 22 sections (A-V) versus 21 in Rev. 2.0.
Why it matters for software choice
Many software-finder tools and grant calculators key off NACE codes. Vendor and category data tagged with the NACE codes the software actually fits (rather than vendor self-description) makes 'best CRM for hospitality' or 'is this Enterprise Ireland-eligible' answerable mechanically.
Authority sources
- Eurostat: NACE Rev. 2 (ec.europa.eu)
- CSO: NACE Rev. 2 Ireland (www.cso.ie)
Related terms
Companies Registration Office
The Irish state authority that registers and maintains records of all companies, business names and limited partnerships. Issues the CRO number used as a primary legal identifier.
eTenders (Ireland)
Ireland's official public procurement portal. All contracts above EU and national thresholds must be advertised here. Source data for Tenderwatch.ie and any procurement-aware vendor selection.
Related tool
Looking for your NACE code?
Use the interactive finder to search the full NACE Rev. 2.1 classification by description or code number - useful for CRO registration, Revenue forms and grant applications.
Open NACE Code Finder