On 1 November 2026, ADNOC retired the scoring approach it had used since 2018. Under the old rule, the bidder with the highest ICV score had to match the lowest price. Under the new one, price and ICV are blended into a single evaluation.
If you bid on energy or government work, this changes the maths. If you are searching for how to improve ICV score UAE suppliers can act on this year, start here. Your ICV score is no longer a box to tick once a year. It is a number that sits inside every bid you submit.
This guide explains what the score measures and what ADNOC changed. It then covers eight practical moves that raise the number, and a few mistakes that quietly lower it.
What Is an ICV Score, and Who Sets It?
An ICV certificate UAE buyers recognise is issued under the National In-Country Value Programme. The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) oversees it. The programme began as an ADNOC initiative in 2018 and is now a national framework used across government and semi-government procurement.
The score is a percentage. It shows how much of your spending, hiring and investment stays inside the UAE economy.
You do not apply to MoIAT directly. An authorised ICV certifying body reviews your audited financials and ICV template, verifies the inputs, and issues the certificate.
How the ICV Score Is Calculated
Understanding the ICV scoring methodology UAE procurement teams use is the fastest way to find where you are losing points. The published weightings for manufacturers and service providers are:
- Third-party spend / manufacturing cost: 50%
- Investment in UAE assets: 25%
- Emiratisation: 15%
- Expatriate contribution: 10%
- Bonus (exports, Emirati headcount, investment growth): up to 5%
- Sustainability bonus: up to 3%
Two details catch suppliers out. A mainland vendor without a valid ICV certificate is credited at only 10% when you calculate your own third-party spend. And free zone service providers do not score on the investment attribute.
Check the latest MoIAT template before you plan, because attributes and bonus rules are periodically updated.
What ADNOC Changed on 1 November 2026
Announced at the Make It with ADNOC Forum in Abu Dhabi, the new ADNOC ICV program rules include:
- H1/L1 retired. The commercial score now carries 70% and ICV carries 30% in a blended weighting.
- Contracts under USD 2 million are exempt from ICV requirements.
- USD 2 million to USD 50 million contracts use the 70/30 model.
- USD 50 million to USD 200 million contracts use 70/30 plus an ICV improvement plan over the contract term.
- Above USD 200 million, suppliers get a customised ICV requirement and must submit an improvement plan.
- ICV retention is automated. You upload your certificate and the system works out your obligation.
- Registration is faster, with fewer documents and AI-assisted document validation.
The takeaway is that the ICV score for government tenders now works as a scoring lever, not a price-matching hurdle. Every point you add can offset a price gap. Every point you lack can cost you the award.
How to Improve ICV Score UAE: 8 Moves That Actually Shift the Number
Because third-party spend carries half the weight, most ICV improvement strategies for suppliers begin with procurement. Work through these in order of impact.
1. Redirect Spend to ICV-Certified UAE Vendors
Local supplier spend ICV UAE calculations credit you based on your vendor’s own ICV score. Buying from an uncertified mainland vendor earns a flat 10%. Buying from a certified vendor can earn far more.
Here is an illustrative example. If you move AED 2 million of annual purchases from a vendor credited at 10% to one certified at 50%, you add AED 0.8 million of credited value to the numerator. Nothing else in your business has to change.
Start by ranking your top 20 vendors by spend. Ask each one for a current certificate.
2. Maintain a Clean Vendor ICV Register
You can only claim credit you can prove. Keep a live register showing each vendor’s certificate number, score and expiry date. Without it, spend gets treated as uncertified at certification time, and the score drops.
3. Raise Emiratisation Where It Counts
Emiratisation carries 15% of the weighting. It is measured on the salary cost of Emirati employees, so the number and seniority of roles both matter.
Plan hires around real roles in finance, procurement, HSE, engineering and project control. Use the Emiratisation and ICV score link in your favour by budgeting for it before the financial year starts.
4. Capture Your Expatriate Contribution Properly
Expatriate cost is credited at a defined percentage. Many firms under-report it because payroll data sits across spreadsheets, agencies and subsidiaries.
Clean payroll records are worth real points here. Our payroll outsourcing in the UAE service helps firms keep salary data consistent and audit-ready.
5. Invest in UAE-Based Assets, and Record Them
Investment carries 25%. It is measured using the net book value of qualifying UAE assets, such as plant, equipment, property and capitalised software.
Poor asset records are common. A tight fixed assets management process makes sure what you own is actually counted.
6. Build Export and Growth Bonuses Into Planning
The bonus component rewards export revenue, Emirati headcount and investment growth. It is capped, but it can separate two suppliers with otherwise similar scores. Check which bonus items your business can realistically target.
7. Fix the Foundation: Audited Financials
Your score is only as good as your numbers. The certificate relies on audited financial statements prepared to the required standard, and bifurcated management accounts built from consolidated statements are no longer accepted.
A proper financial statement audit, or a statutory audit for companies that need one, gives your certifying body clean, traceable inputs. Free zone businesses should also confirm their audit timelines using our guide to statutory audit requirements in UAE free zones.
8. Monitor the Score All Year, Not Once a Year
Track ICV quarterly. Pull spend by vendor, Emirati headcount and capital additions from your books each quarter. Many accounting and ERP systems can tag these automatically.
If your tags are manual and messy, consider ERP consulting to build ICV fields into your reporting.
ICV Certificate Validity and Timing
Validity catches suppliers out more than any other item. The ICV certificate cost and validity question has a clear timing rule: the certificate runs for 14 months from the date your audited financial statements were issued. It does not run from the day the certificate was issued.
You can be recertified during that window using the same financials if you have new information, such as additional vendor certificates. The 14-month clock still starts from the original date.
Plan around it. If your audit is signed in March, your certificate expires in May of the following year. Tenders you want to bid on in that gap need either a fresh audit or an earlier submission.
Fees vary by certifying body, business size and complexity. Ask for a written quote and a list of required documents before you commit.
Common Mistakes That Lower Your Score
- Claiming vendor spend without a valid vendor certificate
- Rushing audited accounts, then finding gaps in the ICV template
- Misclassifying Emirati and expatriate costs
- Treating certification as an annual task instead of a year-round habit
- Waiting for a tender notice before checking your certificate dates
Who Should Act First?
- UAE SMEs bidding on ADNOC work should review vendor spend first, since it is the biggest lever.
- Contractors planning contracts above USD 50 million should prepare an ICV improvement plan early.
- Foreign suppliers entering the UAE should decide how to structure local operations before the next financial year closes, because the score reflects decisions already made.
- Finance and compliance teams should align audit timing with the certificate’s 14-month clock.
Final Thoughts
ADNOC’s new 70/30 model means your ICV score now directly affects whether you win a bid. The score responds to decisions you control: shift spend to certified UAE vendors, plan Emiratisation early, record your UAE assets, and keep your audited financials clean. Review these every quarter, not once a year.
Get Your ICV Score Ready Before the Next Bid
Accruon can review your financials, vendor spend and payroll, then show you which changes add the most ICV points.
Speak to Accruon’s team today → | +971 4 256 7329
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I increase my ICV score for ADNOC tenders?
Focus first on third-party spend, which carries 50% of the weighting. Shift purchasing to certified UAE vendors, then work on Emiratisation, asset records and bonus items.
What is a good ICV score?
There is no universal benchmark. ADNOC and other buyers evaluate your score against competing bids and the contract’s requirements. Under the new 70/30 model, a higher score directly strengthens your blended evaluation.
How long is an ICV certificate valid?
It is valid for 14 months from the issue date of the audited financial statements it relies on. Recertification within that period does not extend the date.
Do small contracts need an ICV score?
Under ADNOC’s new model, contracts below USD 2 million are exempt from ICV requirements. Other government entities may apply their own rules, so check each tender document.
Who issues the ICV certificate?
Authorised certifying bodies under the National ICV Programme issue it, based on verified audited financials and the official ICV template. Companies do not apply to MoIAT directly.
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