BICS eligibility requires an eligible SIC code and eligible HS product codes at the same site — not either one alone. A business can pass the sector (SIC) gate and still fail on products (HS), or vice versa. This page demonstrates the rule with worked pass/fail examples and shows how to handle mixed product lines.
Most guidance describes the AND-rule; this page demonstrates it. Fact density is the currency here — the examples below are deliberately specific because that specificity is what makes the difference between a confident application and a rejected one.
Worked examples: who passes, who fails
Each row is a real-world shape we screen against. “Pass” on both gates is the only combination that clears the AND-rule.
| Business shape | SIC gate | HS gate | AND-rule outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium re-melt — scrap to primary ingot | ✓ eligible | ✓ 7601 | ✓ Passes both |
| Glass reprocessor — cullet to primary glass | ✓ eligible | ✓ 7001 | ✓ Passes both |
| Plastics recycler — mixed polymer flake only | ✓ eligible | ✗ not primary form | ✗ Fails HS gate |
| Aggregates producer — crushed inert fill | ✗ excluded activity | ✗ excluded | ✗ Fails both |
| Paper mill — recovered fibre products | ~ check | ✗ effectively excluded | ✗ Fails HS gate |
| Food processor — eligible SIC, non-listed output | ✓ eligible | ~ product-dependent | ~ Depends on HS resolution |
Illustrative classifications for demonstration. HS resolution is product-specific and confirmed against the official Annex A codes for your actual output.
Mapping mixed product lines
Real manufacturers rarely make one thing. When a site produces several product lines, the AND-rule is applied to the eligible output — which is why product mapping matters as much as the headline SIC. Two practical rules:
- Split by primary form. For recycled materials especially, eligibility attaches to single-polymer or primary metallic/glass forms. Convert-and-sell operations that stop at flake or mixed grade usually miss the HS gate.
- Attribute electricity to the eligible line. The proportion of a site’s power feeding the eligible product line drives both the 25% floor test and the pro-rata band — so mapping is an evidence exercise, not just a classification one.
The AND-rule is mandatory — not an either/or gate. Applications that assume sector fit is sufficient are the ones most likely to be rejected, and the ones we most often rescue.
Resolve the AND-rule for your site
The checker walks the SIC and HS gates in sequence and shows the logic as it resolves.