How to Get an ICV Certificate in the UAE
If your company wants to bid for certain government, ADNOC, semi-government or large corporate contracts in the UAE, its ICV score can influence how the bid is assessed. An ICV Certificate is not a general licensing requirement for every UAE business, including companies that have recently completed business setup in Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE, but it can become commercially important when a customer applies In-Country Value criteria to procurement.
What Is an ICV Certificate?
ICV stands for In-Country Value. The UAE National ICV Program measures how much economic value a supplier contributes inside the country through local procurement or manufacturing, UAE investment, Emiratisation, workforce contribution and qualifying bonus factors.
An authorised certifying body verifies the supplier’s information. Once approved, the official ICV Certificate records the company’s ICV score.
Is ICV Certification Mandatory for Every UAE Company?
No. A company does not automatically need an ICV Certificate simply because it holds a UAE trade licence or has completed company registration in UAE.
ICV becomes important when a business is tendering for or supplying an organisation that applies National ICV criteria. For federal government tenders, certification is optional, but a supplier that does not submit a valid certificate may receive a zero ICV score for that part of the evaluation.
So, ICV may not be a legal requirement to operate your company, but it can be commercially important for a specific tender, customer or supplier registration.
Who Can Apply for an ICV Certificate?
A UAE business applying for ICV certification, whether established through company formation in Dubai, another mainland jurisdiction or a free zone, should have the correct legal entity and licence details, eligible financial information and the current ICV supplier template. Certification is completed through an authorised certifying body.
Each company licence is generally treated as a separate legal entity. Branches in the same emirate may qualify for one combined certificate when their licensed activities and ownership are identical.
A newly established company that is less than 10 months old and does not yet have audited financial statements may use management accounts covering up to nine months. If management accounts cover more than nine months, they must be audited.
For financial years ending after 31 December 2024, the legal entity being certified should have stand-alone audited financial statements rather than management accounts split from consolidated group statements.
How Is the ICV Score Calculated?
The National ICV methodology uses different formulas for goods manufacturers and service providers.
The score reflects the economic value a company creates inside the UAE. Depending on the business category, it can consider UAE manufacturing or third-party spend, UAE investment, Emiratisation, workforce contribution and approved bonus factors.
Manufacturers may also be assessed on manufacturing cost incurred in the UAE and relevant technology and sustainability factors. Service providers may receive credit for eligible third-party spending and sustainability factors.
Businesses should use the current official methodology rather than relying on old online scoring percentages.
Step 1: Prepare Your Financial Information
Established companies generally need audited financial statements audited by an independent licensed auditor.
Make sure supplier spending, payroll, employee costs, fixed assets, revenue and other figures used in the ICV template can be traced back to the company’s financial statements and records.
If figures do not reconcile, the certifying body may request explanations or additional evidence.
Step 2: Complete the ICV Supplier Template
The official ICV supplier template is used to calculate the company’s score.
It captures information on procurement or manufacturing expenditure, assets, employees, Emirati costs, revenue and other qualifying economic contributions.
Figures should match the company’s financial and operational records. The score must be supported by verifiable evidence.
Step 3: Choose an Approved ICV Certifying Body
ICV certification must be completed through an authorised certifying body.
MoIAT maintains current information on approved certifiers. The business selects a certifier, provides the required information and pays the applicable certification fee.
Check the approved list before appointing a provider, especially if you are working toward a tender deadline.
Step 4: Submit the Documents for Verification
The certifying body reviews the completed ICV template and the supporting evidence.
Depending on the company, this can include audited financial statements, trade licence information, supplier expenditure, invoices, payroll records, employee details, UAE investment information, fixed assets and revenue records.
The current process can also include a field audit. Exact supporting documents depend on the company’s size, structure and activities.
Step 5: Receive Your ICV Certificate and Score
Once the information has been successfully verified, the official ICV Certificate is issued.
Before using it for supplier registration or a tender, check the company name, licence details, financial year, score and validity information.
The certificate verifies the company’s ICV score. It does not guarantee a contract award. It gives the buyer a verified measure of the supplier’s UAE economic contribution where ICV forms part of the evaluation.
What Documents Are Usually Required?
A typical certification file may include:
- Valid UAE trade licence and legal entity information
- Audited financial statements, or eligible management accounts for a qualifying new company
- Completed current ICV supplier template
- Accounting ledgers and supplier records
- Payroll and employee information
- Emiratisation records
- Fixed asset and UAE investment information
- Revenue and export evidence where relevant
- Supplier invoices and supporting records
The exact request depends on the company and the certifying body’s review.
How Long Is an ICV Certificate Valid?
An ICV Certificate is valid for 14 months from the date the audited financial statements used for certification are issued.
A supplier can be recertified during that period using the same audited financial statements, but this does not restart the original 14-month validity period.
Companies that depend on ICV for tenders should track both their financial reporting cycle and certificate expiry.
How Much Does ICV Certification Cost?
There is no single fixed fee for every company.
MoIAT’s current service information states that certification fees can range from AED 500 to AED 10,000 depending on company details.
The amount can be affected by company size, employee numbers, annual costs and revenue, whether the company is industrial or commercial, accounting readiness and review complexity.
Businesses should request a quotation from an approved certifying body rather than treating an advertised package as an official fee.
How Long Does ICV Certification Take?
MoIAT currently lists a service time of 14 to 28 working days.
That is not necessarily the total preparation time. A company that still needs audited statements, accounting corrections or supporting schedules may need longer.
Timing can also be affected by company size, document readiness and clarifications requested during verification.
How Can You Improve Your ICV Score?
The most sustainable way to improve your ICV score is to increase genuine economic contribution inside the UAE and document it correctly.
Depending on your business model, this can include buying more qualifying goods and services locally, increasing UAE-based investment, hiring and developing Emirati employees, strengthening local manufacturing or operational expenditure and increasing qualifying export activity after UAE value addition.
For service providers, supplier spend can matter. For manufacturers, UAE manufacturing expenditure and qualifying technology or sustainability factors can also contribute.
Score improvement should follow real operational decisions. Artificial transactions, unsupported classifications or restructuring designed only to inflate the score can create issues during certification.
Good record-keeping matters too. If the company cannot support procurement, payroll, investment or employee figures with reliable documents, it may not receive the expected benefit.
Does a Higher ICV Score Guarantee Winning a Tender?
No. A higher ICV score can strengthen a supplier’s position when a buyer includes ICV in its procurement evaluation, but it is usually only one part of the decision.
Price, technical capability, experience, compliance, financial strength, delivery capacity and other qualification requirements may also be assessed.
ICV should be viewed as a procurement advantage where the customer applies it, not as an automatic contract award.
Common ICV Certification Mistakes
Five practical mistakes businesses should avoid are:
- Starting certification immediately before a tender deadline.
- Using figures that do not reconcile with the financial statements.
- Applying under the wrong licence or legal entity.
- Failing to keep evidence for UAE procurement, payroll or investment claims.
- Assuming the certificate remains valid indefinitely.
Another mistake is treating the ICV template as separate from the accounting records. Certification is evidence-based, so the underlying data must be consistent.
What Should You Prepare Before Starting ICV Certification?
Before starting, confirm that you have the correct trade licence and legal entity, eligible financial statements, the current ICV template, organised supplier records, payroll information, employee information, UAE investment records and supporting accounting schedules.
If the certificate is needed for a specific tender, check the customer’s tender instructions and deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.Is an ICV Certificate mandatory in the UAE?
Not for every company. It becomes important when a tender, participating entity or supplier-registration process applies ICV criteria.
2. How do I get an ICV Certificate in the UAE?
Prepare the required financial information, complete the official ICV supplier template, select an authorised certifying body and complete verification.
3. How long is an ICV Certificate valid?
The certificate is valid for 14 months from the issue date of the audited financial statements used for certification.
4. Can a new company apply for ICV certification?
Yes. A company less than 10 months old may use management accounts covering up to nine months if it does not yet have audited financial statements, subject to current requirements.
5.Who can issue an ICV Certificate in the UAE?
The certification review must be completed by a certifying body authorised under the National ICV Program.
How FounderX Can Help
FounderX is a business setup company in UAE that can help businesses prepare for ICV certification by reviewing company structure, trade licence details and corporate documentation before the formal process begins.
Our business setup consultants in UAE can also support coordination of accounting, compliance and supporting records and help identify which legal entity is expected to use the certificate. As part of broader business setup services in UAE, where an authorised certifying body or regulated professional is required, FounderX can coordinate with the appropriate provider.
For companies moving from UAE business setup or company formation in UAE into larger procurement opportunities, the aim is to begin certification with organised records and a clear understanding of the tender or customer requirement.
Conclusion
An ICV Certificate can be commercially important for UAE suppliers pursuing certain government, ADNOC and large corporate procurement opportunities, but the score must be supported by genuine economic activity and reliable financial evidence. Local procurement, UAE investment, Emiratisation and properly recorded operations can affect the result under the applicable methodology. Businesses expecting to use ICV in tenders should prepare financial statements, supplier data and employee records early, confirm the correct legal entity and avoid leaving certification until a bid deadline is approaching.