ICV Certificate UAE: Complete Guide to In-Country Value

Quick answer: An ICV certificate UAE suppliers obtain under the National In-Country Value Programme measures how much of a company’s spending stays in the UAE economy. It is issued by a MoIAT authorised certifying body after reviewing IFRS audited accounts and an ICV template, is valid for 14 months from the audit report date, and gives you a scored advantage in ADNOC and government tenders.

Key takeaways

• The ICV certificate is issued under the National ICV Programme supervised by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT).
• It is optional for federal tenders, but suppliers without one score zero on ICV.
• You need IFRS audited financial statements, a completed ICV template and supporting evidence such as payroll and WPS records.
• Only MoIAT authorised certifying bodies can issue the certificate, and they set their own fees.
• The certificate is valid for 14 months from the issue date of the audited financial statements.
• Most delays come from figures that do not reconcile with the audited accounts.

What is an ICV certificate in the UAE?

In-Country Value (ICV) is a procurement tool, and the ICV certificate UAE buyers ask for is the proof of your score. It measures how much a supplier contributes to the UAE economy through local spending, investment in UAE assets, Emirati employment and the wider workforce. The result is a percentage score printed on the certificate. Buyers that participate in the programme use that score when they evaluate bids, so a higher score can tip a close commercial decision in your favour.

ADNOC pioneered the ICV programme in 2018. In 2021, MoIAT took it national as the National ICV Programme, so that one methodology and one certificate now work across many buyers. The programme aims to localise supply chains, build new local industries, attract foreign investment and create private sector jobs for UAE nationals.

Who uses the ICV score?

According to MoIAT, participating entities include federal government entities, ADNOC, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (covering a large number of local government entities through its government support function) and Aldar Properties, with more partners expected. Emirates Development Bank also links financing and guarantees to the certificate. Each buyer decides how much weight ICV carries in its own tenders, so the impact varies from one tender to another.

Who should apply?

Any company that sells, or wants to sell, goods or services to a participating entity should treat ICV certification as part of its tendering toolkit. Certification is open to companies of every size, not only SMEs, and it is available to mainland and free zone entities. International suppliers can also be certified through certifying bodies that serve companies outside the UAE.

How is the ICV certificate UAE score calculated?

The formula depends on your supplier type. MoIAT’s supplier certification guidelines split suppliers into two groups: goods manufacturers, which hold an industrial licence, and service providers, which covers every other licence. A trader or agent is treated as a service provider unless it sells the products of only one UAE goods manufacturer.

Component	Goods manufacturer	Service provider
Core spend	Manufacturing cost, including purchases inside and outside the UAE and depreciation	Third party spend, weighted by each vendor’s own ICV percentage
Investment	Net book value of UAE assets	Net book value of UAE assets
Emiratisation	Salaries, benefits and training for Emirati staff	Salaries, benefits and training for Emirati staff
Expat contribution	Tiered by expatriate headcount	Tiered by expatriate headcount
ICV bonus	Up to 5% (export revenue, Emirati headcount and investment growth)	Up to 5% (same components)
Technology and sustainability bonus	Up to 6%, linked to the ITTI assessment and qualifying ISO or Green Industries labels	Up to 3%, linked to sustainability policies and qualifying ISO certification

Why vendor certificates matter

For service providers, third party spend is weighted by your vendors’ ICV percentages. A vendor without a valid ICV certificate scores zero, except UAE mainland vendors, which are counted at 10%. Collecting supplier certificates before you start the template is one of the simplest ways to protect your score.

What is excluded?

The guidelines exclude several cost types, including management fees, sponsorship fees, government fines and taxes, charity and CSR spend, foreign exchange and disposal losses. Assets owned by shareholders or related parties are excluded, only capitalised software counts as an intangible asset, and staff who are not in WPS (or on an official free zone employee list) cannot be counted.

Who issues the ICV certificate?

Only certifying bodies empanelled and authorised by MoIAT can issue an ICV certificate. These are mainly audit and assurance firms with offices across the UAE, and MoIAT publishes the current list on its ICV pages. You choose your certifying body through the ICV platform, where several firms can quote for the engagement. Accepting one quote automatically rejects the others, and changing certifying body within the same year requires a justification.

Fees are set by each certifying body, not by the government. MoIAT explains that pricing depends on company size, readiness (including whether you have an integrated accounting system) and whether the facility is industrial or commercial, and that the fee is payable only when the certificate is issued. Because quotes vary, compare scope and turnaround as well as price.

What documents do you need for an ICV certificate UAE application?

Preparation is where most of the work on an ICV certificate UAE application sits. Under the October 2023 MoIAT guidelines, you should have the following ready before you engage a certifying body:

• Audited financial statements prepared under IFRS and audited by a UAE licensed auditor under ISA.
• The completed ICV template (Excel), with figures that match the audited statements.
• Supporting evidence for every reported figure, such as invoices, payroll records, WPS records and MOHRE reports.
• Valid ICV certificates from your vendors, for the third party spend calculation.
• An official employee list from your free zone authority if your staff are not registered in WPS.
• ITTI assessment reports, ISO certificates or Green Industries labels if you are claiming bonuses.
• Annual electricity, water and gas consumption data if you hold an industrial licence.
• Registration on NAFIS as a partner, which the guidelines require of private companies before certification.

Age of your financial statements

The statements must not be older than two years from the certification year, and a certificate cannot be issued more than two years after the financial year end. If your last audit is stale, commission a fresh audit first. Our audit and assurance support can help you line up an IFRS audit with the ICV cycle in mind.

What is the step-by-step ICV certification process?

1. Confirm your supplier type. Check whether you are a goods manufacturer or a service provider, as this changes the template and the formula.
2. Finalise your audited accounts. Make sure the IFRS audit is signed and that the general ledger can be mapped to the ICV categories.
3. Register on the ICV platform. Log in with UAE Pass and complete your company profile, and confirm your NAFIS partner registration.
4. Request quotes. Use the bidding process on the platform to invite certifying bodies to quote, then accept one.
5. Sign the engagement letter. The certifying body uploads the signed engagement letter to the platform.
6. Complete the template and draft certificate. Enter your figures and upload supporting documents for each component.
7. Respond to review queries. The certifying body tests your figures against the audited accounts and evidence, and may ask for clarifications.
8. Receive the certificate and submit it. Once approved, upload or submit the certificate to the participating entities you supply, for example through your ADNOC supplier profile.

How long does it take?

MoIAT states that processing takes up to one month once all documents are submitted. In practice the total timeline depends on company size, headcount, the condition of your records and how quickly you respond to queries. Add time for the audit itself if your statements are not yet signed.

How long is an ICV certificate valid and when should you renew?

An ICV certificate is valid for 14 months from the issue date of the audited financial statements used, not from the date the certificate is printed and not from the financial year end. You may recertify during the validity period using the same statements, for example to correct an error or add a bonus, but the original 14 month window still applies.

Because the validity of an ICV certificate UAE suppliers hold is tied to the audit report date, a late audit shortens the useful life of your certificate. The practical approach is to plan your audit, ICV template and certifying body engagement as one annual cycle, so that the new certificate is ready before the old one lapses and no tender submission goes out with a zero score.

What are the most common ICV certification mistakes?

• Figures that do not reconcile. Every number in the template must tie back to the audited statements. Unreconciled figures are the most frequent cause of delay.
• Uncertified vendors. Failing to collect vendor ICV certificates pushes your third party spend score down.
• Training in the wrong place. Training costs belong in the Emiratisation or expat tabs, not in third party spend.
• Owner remuneration errors. Emirati owner salaries are capped at AED 200,000 per owner per month, and owner bonuses are excluded.
• Counting excluded assets. Related party assets are excluded and property, plant and equipment must be reduced by any revaluation reserve.
• One certificate for a whole group. Each licence generally needs its own certificate, unless branches in the same emirate share identical activities and ownership.
• Missed bonuses. Companies with ISO certification or sustainability policies sometimes forget to claim the available bonus. If you are building those credentials, see our ISO certification service.

MoIAT also warns that gross negligence or wilful default can lead to a ban from the programme, so accuracy matters as much as speed.

How does an ICV certificate fit with ADNOC vendor registration?

ICV certification and vendor registration are separate steps. Vendor registration gets you onto a buyer’s approved supplier list, while the ICV certificate gives you a score that is used when your bid is evaluated. For ADNOC and similar buyers you normally need both. If you are not yet registered, start with ADNOC vendor registration or our wider vendor registration services for government and semi government buyers, then add the ICV certificate UAE buyers expect so your bids are scored competitively.

How Emiracle helps with ICV certification

Emiracle Advisory supports suppliers from readiness review to certificate delivery through our ICV certification service. We assess whether you are a goods manufacturer or service provider, check that your audited accounts are suitable, map your ledger to the ICV template, collect vendor certificates and workforce evidence, and coordinate with an authorised certifying body so queries are answered quickly. Where you also need a licence amendment, vendor registration or audit, we handle those in the same plan.

We work from Level 9, Boulevard Plaza Tower 1, Downtown Dubai, and as an authorised channel partner across 45+ UAE free zones we regularly support free zone suppliers whose staff sit outside WPS. For official background, see the MoIAT National ICV Programme page and the MoIAT ICV FAQs.

Ready to raise your score before your next tender? Contact Emiracle Advisory, call or WhatsApp +971 52 185 3005, or email info@emiracle.ae for a readiness review.

Frequently asked questions

Is an ICV certificate mandatory in the UAE?

No. MoIAT states that ICV certification is optional for federal government tenders. However, a supplier without a certificate is given an ICV score of zero, which can make a bid uncompetitive wherever ICV forms part of the evaluation, as it does with ADNOC and many other participating entities.

How long is an ICV certificate valid?

An ICV certificate is valid for 14 months from the issue date of the audited financial statements used, not from the financial year end. You can recertify within that window using the same statements, but the original 14 month period still applies.

How long does ICV certification take?

MoIAT says processing takes up to one month once all documents are submitted. The real timeline depends on company size, headcount, the state of your accounting records and how quickly you answer the certifying body’s queries.

How much does an ICV certificate cost?

There is no fixed government fee. Each authorised certifying body sets its own fee based on company size, readiness (including whether you run an integrated accounting system) and whether the facility is industrial or commercial. MoIAT notes the fee is payable only when the certificate is issued.

Can a new company get an ICV certificate without audited accounts?

Yes, in limited cases. Under the MoIAT guidelines, companies less than 10 months old that do not yet have audited statements may use management accounts covering up to 9 months. Management accounts covering more than 9 months must be audited.

Do free zone companies qualify for ICV certification?

Yes. Free zone companies can be certified. If your staff are not registered in WPS, you will need an official employee list from your free zone authority so that Emirati and expatriate workforce costs can be counted.

Does each company in a group need its own ICV certificate?

Generally yes. Each licence is treated as a separate legal entity and needs its own certificate, even under common ownership. Branches in the same emirate with identical activities and ownership can share one combined certificate.

Is an ICV certificate from Abu Dhabi accepted elsewhere in the UAE?

Yes. MoIAT confirms that certificates issued under the National ICV Programme are accepted nationally by participating entities, so one certificate can support bids with federal bodies, ADNOC and other partners.

Last reviewed: 20 October 2026. Rules change; confirm current requirements with an Emiracle advisor before you apply.