The IT-Label aims to become the Benelux standard for the digital quality of real estate

A tenant in Antwerp, an investor in Rotterdam and a company expanding to Luxembourg ask the same question: can I start working digitally in this building tomorrow? For energy, there is a clear answer: the energy label. For the digital quality of a building, there is no shared answer. Not in the Netherlands, not in Belgium and not in Luxembourg.

The IT-Label wants to change that. Our goal is for the IT-Label to grow into the standard for the digital quality of real estate in the Benelux. In this article you read why that standard is needed, what already exists, and how we want to build it together with real estate, IT professionals and government.

Why the Benelux needs one standard

The real estate market in the Benelux is closely connected. Investors own buildings in several countries. Tenants have offices on both sides of the border. Installers, IT service providers and network operators work across the whole region.

Yet everyone assesses the digital quality of a building in their own way. One agent describes a property as "fibre available", another as "fully digitally equipped". What that means in practice cannot be compared. As a result:

• tenants cannot fairly compare buildings on a point that matters to their business;
• owners cannot prove what they deliver, and so cannot show what an investment returns;
• IT professionals repeat the same preliminary research on every project;
• government has no picture of the digital state of the building stock.

One standard for the whole Benelux solves this. An IT2 in Ghent then means the same as an IT2 in Utrecht or Esch-sur-Alzette.

A standard is only a standard if everyone measures in the same way, on both sides of the border.

Many standards, but none for the whole building

There is no shortage of standards for components. For structured cabling there are the European EN 50173 and EN 50174 series and the international ISO/IEC 11801. For electrical installations there are national standards, such as NEN 1010 in the Netherlands. These standards are essential for installers and engineers.

But each standard assesses one component. No standard answers the question of whether a building as a whole is digitally ready for use. Read more in the standard that assesses the whole building digitally.

The IT-Label fills exactly that gap. It does not replace existing standards, but builds on them and translates them into one clear delivery level.

European rules make digital infrastructure more important

The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg fall under the same European rules. In those rules, the digital infrastructure of buildings gets more and more attention:

• The Gigabit Infrastructure Act. Since 12 February 2026, new buildings and buildings undergoing major renovation, with a permit application submitted after that date, must have fibre-ready infrastructure inside the building. Member States may also introduce a voluntary label that shows whether a building is fibre-ready. Read the text on EUR-Lex.
• The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI). The revised European directive on the energy performance of buildings contains a benchmark for how "smart" a building is. The European Commission must adopt rules by 30 June 2027 to apply the SRI to large non-residential buildings. More information is available from the European Commission.
• NIS2. The European cybersecurity directive applies in all three countries. In the Netherlands it is implemented as the Cyberbeveiligingswet. NIS2 also asks organisations to pay attention to the physical environment of their systems. Read more in who can physically reach your network?

Each of these rules covers one part: fibre, smart installations or security. A building is only digitally good when those parts work together. That is what the IT-Label assesses.

What the IT-Label assesses

The IT-Label is determined through an independent audit by a Certified Partner. Every partner works with the same method. The audit checks not only whether facilities are present, but also whether they work well in practice. The audit covers six areas:

1. Connectivity: the internet connection, capacity, redundancy, speed, latency and stability.
2. Infrastructure: cabling, Wi-Fi, patch and server rooms, network management and security.
3. Performance: the measured performance under real conditions.
4. Scalability: whether the infrastructure can grow.
5. Integration: whether the building systems work together.
6. Smart Building: climate, access, cameras, visitor registration and building management.

The result is one of six classifications, from IT1+ PREMIUM to IT5 SHELL. The label does not judge. A storage warehouse does not need to be IT1+. The label shows what is there, so everyone knows what the building offers.

How we want to build a Benelux standard

A standard does not appear because someone calls it one. It appears because the market uses and trusts it. That is why we choose this route:

1. One fixed method. Every building is measured in the same way, in every country and by every partner. The method can be read publicly, so everyone can see how a label is determined.
2. Independent partners across the Benelux. Audits are carried out by Certified Partners trained in the IT-Label Academy. This builds a network of professionals who work with the same benchmark everywhere.
3. Together with the market. In the Knowledge Collective, owners, managers, IT professionals and advisers help shape the method. A standard the market builds together gains support faster.
4. Aligned with existing standards and European rules. The IT-Label builds on standards for cabling, electrical installations and security, and on European rules such as the Gigabit Infrastructure Act and the SRI. So nobody has to measure twice.
5. In dialogue with standards bodies and governments. In the Benelux, standards are made through NEN in the Netherlands, NBN in Belgium and ILNAS in Luxembourg. Over time, we want to explore with them and with governments how the method can get a formal place.

What a Benelux standard means, per audience

For property owners, investors and tenants

With a label, owners can prove what their building delivers digitally, instead of only claiming it. Investors can compare buildings in different countries side by side. Tenants know in advance whether they can start work right away, or need to invest first. Read more for property owners and tenants.

For IT professionals

For network specialists, installers and IT service providers, the IT-Label is a shared language with the real estate world. An audit using one fixed method makes their expertise visible and comparable. As a Certified Partner, they carry out audits themselves, in their own region.

For government

Policy starts with measurement. For energy, the energy label made that possible. For the digital quality of buildings, there is no shared measurement yet. A Benelux standard gives municipalities, provinces and national governments a benchmark, for example for the digital accessibility of business parks or the quality of the building stock. Read more in IT-labels and public policy.

Frequently asked questions

Is the IT-Label an official standard?

No, not yet. The IT-Label is an independent classification with one fixed method. The goal is for it to grow into the shared standard in the Benelux. A formal standard is created through a standards body, such as NEN, NBN or ILNAS.

Does the IT-Label replace existing standards such as EN 50173 or NEN 1010?

No. Those standards each assess one component, such as cabling or electrical installations. The IT-Label builds on them and assesses the building as a whole.

Is the IT-Label the same as the fibre-ready label from the Gigabit Infrastructure Act?

No. A fibre-ready label is about the fibre infrastructure in the building. The IT-Label looks wider: also at Wi-Fi, network, performance, security and smart building systems.

Does an IT-Label make an organisation NIS2-compliant?

No. The IT-Label assesses the digital infrastructure of the building. It does help to make the physical side of security visible, such as access to patch and server rooms.

Can I also have an IT-Label determined in Belgium or Luxembourg?

The method is the same in every country. Contact us and we will look together at which Certified Partner fits your building.

How can I contribute to the standard?

Join the Knowledge Collective. Are you an IT professional who wants to carry out audits? Read how to become a Certified Partner.

Build with us

We cannot create a standard for the digital quality of real estate alone. It takes owners, IT professionals, advisers and governments across the Benelux. Would you like to contribute, take part or have your building assessed? Join the Knowledge Collective or get in touch.

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Sources: Regulation (EU) 2024/1309, Gigabit Infrastructure Act; European Commission, Smart Readiness Indicator; NEN; NBN; ILNAS. Checked on 18 October 2026.