ICV certificate in Qatar: how the process works

The short answer

Who needs an ICV certificate, and who is exempt

According to the ICV portal, a supplier that has no ICV score on the bid closing date will be disqualified in the commercial evaluation of an Energy Sector tender, unless it is exempt. The scorecard applies to local suppliers, meaning companies with a commercial registration in Qatar.

Some suppliers are treated differently. New companies less than two years old are exempt from the mandatory requirement, although they may still certify voluntarily, using signed management accounts covering 9 to 15 months or audited statements covering up to 18 months. Micro and small suppliers, as identified by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, receive a blanket score of 30% for purchases between suppliers. In tenders they are exempt from the mandatory requirement but scored at 0% unless they hold a valid certificate, and a simplified certification route is available to them.

The structure of the business matters too. Companies with several entities or branches certify on the main entity’s financial statements and commercial registration, and the branches then use that certificate. Free zone entities in the QFZ, the QFC and Qatar Science and Technology Park certify on their latest audited financial statements.

How the ICV score is calculated

Since the enhanced programme announced in October 2024, the score is calculated on cost rather than revenue. In its simplest form, ICV score = (eligible local cost ÷ total cost) + bonus.

Eligible local cost covers four areas: goods and services (including staff costs and overheads), workforce training, supplier development, and investment in fixed assets. On top of that, a bonus capped at 15% can be earned from seven levers: productivity and automation, capability building, investment growth, Qatarization, exports, research and development, and sustainability.

Each cost line counts at a contribution rate set in the handbook. Staff compensation, training, supplier development and local fixed assets count in full. Purchases from a local supplier count at that supplier’s own ICV score, so buying from suppliers with high scores raises yours, and imported materials lower it.

Nationality affects the score through the Qatarization bonus, not through the staff cost line. The bonus compares Qatari employees with white-collar employees, defined in the handbook as staff with total annual compensation of QAR 72,000 or more.

Who can certify, and why your adviser cannot also be your certifier

Only certifiers approved by QatarEnergy can issue an ICV certificate. The list is published on the ICV portal; on 16 October 2026 it named 41 firms. To be accepted, a firm must, among other conditions, be on the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s register with an audit partner holding an active audit licence, and have at least two engagement leaders resident in Qatar with 15 or more years of experience.

Independence is built into the programme. The ICV portal states that certifiers must remain independent and cannot act as consultants to any supplier on ICV certification, including their own clients. A supplier may use the same firm for its audit and its ICV certification, but the certifier cannot also advise it on the scorecard.

Thiqa Consulting is not an ICV certifier. Our role is preparation: organising your figures and documents so that the certifier you choose can carry out its checks.

How the certification process works

1. 1

   Register on the ICV portal

   Create the supplier account on icv.qa. A company holding both a commercial registration and a commercial licence registers with the licence.

2. 2

   Engage a listed certifier

   Sign an engagement letter with a certifier from the portal list. The portal only accepts a scorecard once this engagement is in place, and the commercial registration must be active on that date.

3. 3

   Complete and submit the scorecard

   Enter the figures from your latest audited financial statements, with supplier, payroll, training, supplier development and fixed asset schedules.

4. 4

   The certifier validates the figures

   The certifier checks the scorecard against your records, using samples of invoices, payroll and other supporting documents.

5. 5

   Certificate and report signed

   The certifier and the supplier sign the certificate and the factual findings report. The score is then published on the portal’s supplier database.

The ICV portal gives an average of two to three weeks for certification. In practice, the time depends mostly on how ready the supplier’s figures are when the certifier starts.

Validity, renewal and the 90-day grace period

Under the handbook, a certificate is valid for 15 months from its issue date, including a 90-day grace period. To bid during the grace period, a supplier attaches a letter from its certifier confirming that a new certification is under way. Tawteen’s guidance is to obtain a new certificate every year.

The figures must come from the latest audited standalone financial statements, no more than two calendar years old at the date the certificate is issued. Consolidated statements are not accepted, and once newer audited statements are issued, the older ones can no longer be used.

There is no fixed deadline after the financial year end. What matters is that a valid certificate, or a grace-period letter, is in place on the closing date of each tender you bid for.

How to prepare your figures before the certifier starts

The steps below are good practice rather than official requirements. Each one supports a rule in the handbook, and together they shorten the certifier’s work.

1. 1

   Start from the audited statements

   Agree total cost to the audited financial statements and list the items the handbook excludes, such as finance costs, provisions, unrealised exchange losses and the owner’s salary.

2. 2

   Analyse spend by supplier

   Split goods from services, sort suppliers by spend and mark those making up the top 80% of each. The scorecard must cover at least 80% of total cost.

3. 3

   Check your suppliers’ scores

   Look up each key local supplier on the portal’s database and record its score, or whether it is a small supplier with the 30% blanket score.

4. 4

   Prepare the payroll schedule

   Reconcile annual compensation per employee to the accounts, confirm salaries were paid through the Wage Protection System, and add nationality and annual compensation for the Qatarization bonus.

5. 5

   Collect training and development evidence

   List external training with invoices, net of travel and allowances, and any supplier development activities.

6. 6

   Reconcile fixed assets

   Prepare local depreciation for assets in Qatar, excluding land, goodwill, right-of-use assets and work in progress.

7. 7

   Fix the chart of accounts

   Map ledger accounts to the scorecard lines, as the handbook encourages, so next year’s figures come straight from the books.

How the ICV score is used in tenders

The ICV portal states that there is no minimum score. Every bidder must first pass the technical evaluation; the ICV score is then a parameter in the commercial evaluation, and the highest score does not by itself win the tender.

A 2023 announcement on the commercial evaluation formula described adjusting each bid price by the bidder’s ICV score. Whether its thresholds still apply after the 2024 changes is not confirmed on the portal, so check the evaluation rules in each tender document.

What to do next

Note your certificate’s expiry date and the date your next audited financial statements will be ready, and engage your certifier before the certificate expires. Our article on preparing for your annual audit covers the audited statements the certificate depends on.

Our ICV certification preparation service organises your scorecard figures and documents for the certifier you choose. To discuss your next certificate, request a proposal.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

This article is general information based on Tawteen’s handbook and the ICV portal as checked on 16 October 2026. Rules, contribution rates and the list of certifiers can change; check the ICV portal before you certify or bid. Thiqa Consulting is not an ICV certifier.

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