An ICV certificate in Qatar shows a supplier’s In-Country Value score. Put simply, that is the share of its costs in Qatar that counts as local spend. QatarEnergy runs the scheme through its Tawteen programme. A company with a local commercial registration that bids in energy sector tenders where ICV applies needs a valid certificate. A Tawteen-approved certifier validates the score, and the certificate is renewed every year.
What the ICV certificate is
In-Country Value is a measure of the economic value a supplier adds by operating in Qatar, and of the spend it keeps here. Tawteen runs the scheme through its ICV Digital Portal. The ICV Scorecard looks back at a past year. It is built from the company’s latest audited financial statements, and a pre-approved ICV certifier (a chartered accounting firm) validates it. Once signed, the result is the ICV certificate.
- The highest ICV score a company can reach
- 100%
- Bonus on top of the base score
- Up to 15%
- Validity from issue, including a 90-day grace period
- 15 months
- Average time for the certification process
- 2 to 3 weeks
From the Tawteen ICV Digital Portal and the Detailed ICV Scorecard Submission Handbook (May 2026), checked 21 Oct 2026.
Who asks for it
The certificate is an energy sector requirement. Suppliers with a local commercial registration have needed ICV certification since 1 July 2023 to take part in energy sector tenders where ICV applies. The certificate has to be valid on the date the commercial bid goes in. A bidder with no ICV score on the bid closing date is disqualified in the commercial evaluation, unless it is exempt.
A high score is useful, but it will not win a tender by itself. Bidders first have to pass the technical evaluation; only then does the ICV score count, as one factor in the commercial evaluation next to price. No minimum score is needed to bid. Tawteen also states that the programme leaves every energy company’s approved vendor list as it is.
How the score is worked out
Under the enhanced programme, which went live on 24 November 2024, the score is the eligible local cost divided by the total cost of operations in Qatar for the financial year, plus a bonus. The earlier formula divided by revenue. Tawteen says the new formula raises scores, partly because of this change to cost over cost.
| Part | What it counts |
|---|---|
| A. Goods | Spend on local tangible goods and materials |
| A. Services | Spend on manpower and local services, including overheads |
| B. Workforce training | Spend on training for local employees |
| C. Supplier development | Spend on developing local suppliers |
| D. Investment in fixed assets | Spend on local assets, including depreciation and amortisation |
| Bonus | Up to 15% for productivity and automation, capability building, investment growth, Qatarisation, exports, research and development, and sustainability |
Three rules are worth knowing early. Imported raw materials lower the score, although local spend on the other parts can offset some of that. What you buy from another local supplier counts at that supplier’s own score, because the spend is multiplied by its ICV score, so buying from high-scoring suppliers raises yours. And staff count through what they are paid, not through headcount or qualifications.
New, small and manufacturing companies
Companies under two years old
Exempt from mandatory ICV, counted from the commercial registration. They may still certify early, on signed management accounts covering 9 to 15 months or audited statements covering up to 18 months.
Micro and small suppliers
Those identified by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry get a blanket score of 30% for purchases between suppliers, and are exempt from mandatory ICV in tenders, where 0% is used unless they hold a certificate.
Simplified certification
An optional, lighter process for eligible micro and small suppliers, with a lower reporting threshold and smaller samples.
Revenue below QAR 20 million
Suppliers in this band, if eligible, can extend an expired certificate on the portal at no extra cost, once a year, three times in total.
Local manufacturers (ICV+)
Where the Ministry of Commerce and Industry finds a manufacturer eligible, its ICV score goes up by 50%. With no certificate at all, it is evaluated at 50%.
How to get an ICV certificate in Qatar
- Register
Open a company profile on the ICV Digital Portal. You need your Commercial License (LCS) number for this.
- Engage a certifier
Pick one of the certifiers QatarEnergy has appointed. They are listed on the portal.
- Submit the scorecard
Fill in the ICV Scorecard online and submit it to that certifier.
- Validation
The certifier tests the figures against your supporting documents.
- Signature
Your company and the certifier sign two documents, the certificate and the Factual Findings Report. Then the score is published in the Suppliers’ ICV Database.
A few rules on the statements. They must be standalone and audited (consolidated statements are not accepted), and no more than two calendar years old on the date the certificate is issued. When a newer audited set exists, it has to be used. Report amounts in Qatari riyals. If you have branches, certify once on the main entity’s statements and CR; the branches use that certificate. Your own auditor can also be your ICV certifier. The company pays the certification costs.
Renewal and keeping your score current
Tawteen expects a new certificate every year. Certificates valid on or issued after 1 November 2024 last one year plus a 90-day grace period, so the printed expiry date is 15 months after issue: a certificate issued on 1 March 2026 shows an expiry of 1 June 2027. Bidding in the grace period is still possible, as long as a letter from your certifier confirming that a new certification has started goes with the bid.
Time the next certification for the signing of your new audited statements; the scorecard has to use the most recent ones. Received a SIRI assessment report or an ISO certificate while your ICV certificate is still valid? You can ask Tawteen, through the portal, to update your bonus, with the document attached. If you disagree with a score, take it first to your certifier and then to Tawteen. Tawteen does not settle payment or contract disputes between you and the certifier.
How we help
We help you keep books that the ICV scorecard can be built from, reconcile your audited statements to the scorecard and gather the documents your certifier will test. The certifier appointed under the Tawteen programme validates and signs the score; we do not certify ICV scores.
