ICV Certification Consultant in dubai, dubai

ICV = In-Country Value. It’s a UAE government initiative to ensure that more economic activities (procurement, services, investment, employment) benefit the UAE locally rather than being outsourced abroad.

ADNOC

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moiat.gov.ae

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UAE Government Portal

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Originally initiated by ADNOC in 2018 for its suppliers, the program was later expanded nationwide and placed under the oversight of the Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology (MoIAT) as part of the National ICV Program.

UAE Government Portal

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ADNOC

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moiat.gov.ae

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The ICV Certificate is the formal document that certifies a supplier’s “ICV achievement” (i.e. how much value they contribute locally) based on their audited financials and other metrics.

moiat.gov.ae

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Deloitte

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UAE Government Portal

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The certificate (and score) is often used in tender / procurement evaluation: companies with higher ICV scores can have a competitive advantage.

moiat.gov.ae

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Deloitte

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UAE Government Portal

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Objectives & Why It Matters

Key goals of the ICV Program include:

Encouraging localization of supply chains in UAE (i.e. spend more locally)

moiat.gov.ae

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Deloitte

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Supporting UAE private sector development, SMEs, and manufacturing growth

Deloitte

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moiat.gov.ae

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UAE Government Portal

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Promoting Emiratization — employment of UAE nationals in the private sector

moiat.gov.ae

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Deloitte

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moiat.gov.ae

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Attracting investment, encouraging R&D / technology adoption

UAE Government Portal

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moiat.gov.ae

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Deloitte

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Making government / semi-government procurement more “value-adding” to the local economy.

UAE Government Portal

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Deloitte

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Because many major contracts, especially in sectors like oil & gas, infrastructure, energy, etc., require ICV compliance or treat it favorably, having a good ICV score can be crucial.

ADNOC

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krestonmenon.com

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Who Needs / Uses an ICV Certificate

Suppliers and contractors bidding for government / semi-government / ADNOC / public sector tenders typically are required or strongly encouraged to hold ICV certification.

Deloitte

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ADNOC

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moiat.gov.ae

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Even private sector firms that do business with government entities or want better standing in tenders may seek it to become more competitive.

Crowe

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krestonmenon.com

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UAE Government Portal

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For large contracts (e.g. those with high procurement or capital value) ICV is often part of the bid evaluation criteria.

Deloitte

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bmsauditing.com

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UAE Government Portal

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How the ICV Score / Formula Works

There is a formal ICV formula defined by MoIAT which certifying bodies use to assess a company’s value addition.

moiat.gov.ae

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moiat.gov.ae

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The components typically include:

Component What it considers / weighting

Local procurement / third-party spend How much a company spends on goods and services from UAE vendors vs abroad

moiat.gov.ae

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moiat.gov.ae

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Investments / assets in UAE Value of fixed assets, capital investments within UAE

moiat.gov.ae

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moiat.gov.ae

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Emiratization / UAE nationals’ costs Salary, training, benefits of UAE nationals employed by the company

moiat.gov.ae

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Deloitte

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Expat contribution Some fraction of expatriate costs may be weighed in (sometimes reduced credit)

moiat.gov.ae

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moiat.gov.ae

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Bonuses / additional scoring E.g. export revenue, technology / sustainability bonus, growth metrics, etc.

moiat.gov.ae

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moiat.gov.ae

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The formula differs slightly depending on whether the company is a goods manufacturer vs service provider.

moiat.gov.ae

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Deloitte

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Some extra bonuses or scoring incentives exist for advanced technology adoption, sustainability initiatives, etc.

moiat.gov.ae

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Key Requirements & Eligibility

To get ICV certification, a company must meet several prerequisites:

Must have a valid UAE trade license / legal entity and a physical presence in UAE.

krestonmenon.com

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Deloitte

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moiat.gov.ae

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Audited financial statements (prepared in accordance with IFRS) for the relevant period, usually not older than 2 years.

Deloitte

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moiat.gov.ae

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For companies < 10 months old with no audited financials, management accounts may be used (for a period up to 9 months).

moiat.gov.ae

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Deloitte

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Data / records supporting procurement (supplier invoices, purchase orders) showing local vs foreign sourcing.

moiat.gov.ae

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moiat.gov.ae

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Records on employment & salaries (especially UAE nationals).

moiat.gov.ae

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Asset registers, capital investment records in UAE.

moiat.gov.ae

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The company must submit the official ICV template as prescribed by MoIAT for certification.

moiat.gov.ae

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moiat.gov.ae

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moiat.gov.ae

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The certifying body must be MoIAT-approved / empaneled.

UAE Government Portal

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Deloitte

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moiat.gov.ae

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Additionally, companies cannot switch certifying bodies mid-year without valid reasons.

moiat.gov.ae

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Also, each legal entity (i.e. each license) generally needs its own ICV certificate. However, in some cases, branches in the same Emirate, same ownership, and similar operations can share a certificate.

krestonmenon.com

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Deloitte

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moiat.gov.ae

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Validity & Renewal

Once issued, the ICV certificate is valid for 14 months from the date of the audited financial statement.

UAE Government Portal

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moiat.gov.ae

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Within that validity period, companies may recertify (submit again) but that does not reset the expiration date.

Deloitte

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Upon expiry, to remain eligible / competitive in tenders, companies need fresh certification with updated financials.

Deloitte

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moiat.gov.ae

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If a tender’s closing occurs while your ICV certificate is expired, your ICV score may be treated as zero.

taxready.ae

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Application / Process Steps

Register / log in on the MoIAT (or ICV) online platform.

moiat.gov.ae

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moiat.gov.ae

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Select / appoint an MoIAT-approved certifying body (audit firm) to perform verification.

Deloitte

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moiat.gov.ae

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Prepare supporting documents (financials, procurement, employment, asset records, etc.) and fill the ICV template.

moiat.gov.ae

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moiat.gov.ae

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Submit to the certifier for review / audit.

Deloitte

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Certifier evaluates using the ICV formula, verifies integrity, and issues the ICV certificate with the computed score.

Deloitte

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moiat.gov.ae

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The certificate is issued, often with blockchain / QR code for authenticity via MoIAT’s digital systems.

moiat.gov.ae

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moiat.gov.ae

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MoIAT also has a “Supplier Certification Guidelines” document for suppliers to follow.

moiat.gov.ae

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Risks / Considerations & Challenges

If your certificate lapses or is invalid at the time of tender, your ICV score might be zero => making your bid much weaker.

Mistakes or misreporting in procurement, supply chain, or employment data can reduce score or cause disqualification.

Choosing an inexperienced or non-approved certifying body can risk noncompliance.

Newer companies without audited financials have to rely on management accounts (less ideal).

Performance in successive years matters; you may need strategic planning to optimize your ICV score (e.g. more local sourcing, UAE national hiring, capital investments).