This guide is the checklist behind a bid in Qatar: each registration, certificate, guarantee and signature, in the order a tender reaches it, with who can lawfully handle it. For how Qatari procurement works overall, including who is covered by the law, procurement methods, the ICV formula and challenges, see How to bid for government tenders in Qatar.
Before you bid
1. The company file. The Monaqasat profile is built on your core company documents:
- Commercial Registration (CR) and commercial licence: from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, with the municipality licence. A lawyer or PRO files them under their own access, and your authorised signatory completes the identity steps. Both are renewed every year.
- Establishment card (قيد المنشأة): the Ministry of Interior’s registration for companies established in Qatar. A PRO or lawyer obtains it for you.
- Professional practice licence: professional and consultancy firms also need a licence to practise their activity, which you hold.
2. Your signatory’s National Authentication. Monaqasat logins run through the National Authentication System (Tawtheeq), with a one-time code sent to a registered mobile. Only the person authorised to sign in your commercial register can create the company profile and apply for classification. It is free, works the same day and is bound to that person, who logs in personally.
3. The audited balance sheet. An audited balance sheet for the latest financial year is mandatory for the profile and for every classification, and your revenue sets your classification grade. A licensed auditor registered with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry signs it under their own licence; you approve the statements.
4. Create the Monaqasat company profile. This is the first step for every local and foreign company, and it is free. Your file can be prepared for you; your authorised signatory submits it from their own login, in about 30 minutes. Approval by the Ministry of Finance’s Procurement Regulation Department qualifies you for classification and tender notifications.
5. Get classified. Classification is required to take part in government tenders, so do it before you look for a tender. The Ministry decides within 15 working days of a complete file.
- Suppliers and service providers: QAR 200 per activity, graded on your financials, quality and HSE, and government performance evaluations. You add your first contract, and optionally ISO 9001, 45001 or 14001 certificates from an accredited certification body, valid for 3 years after an audit you undergo.
- Contractors (buildings, roads, drainage, water, landscaping): QAR 1,000 per specialisation, with minimum points, a registered engineer, valid residencies for your staff, an equipment form and completed-project certificates. The engineer provides the registration evidence and academic certificates.
- Who does what: your contracts and completion certificates are compiled for you, usually in 1–2 weeks; your authorised signatory submits from their own login and pays, in about 30 minutes.
6. The In-Country Value (ICV) certificate. Tenders under Law 24/2015 score bids on ICV, and from the start of 2027 the certificate becomes a mandatory condition to take part.
- How: your ICV register data can be prepared for you; an ICV-approved audit firm certifies it, and QatarEnergy’s Tawteen unit issues the certificate. You register on icv.qa and approve the data, in about 60 minutes of your time.
- Cost and time: the audit firm’s quote, which your company bears; 2–3 weeks.
- Valid: 1 year, and it must be valid on the tender’s closing date. Above QAR 500 million, a tender-specific ICV plan replaces the certificate.
7. SME status (Qatari companies). Buyers may restrict tenders below QAR 5 million to micro, small and medium enterprises classified by the Ministry of Finance and established under Qatari law. The status is captured through your classification.
With your bid
8. Buy the tender documents. You buy the tender on Monaqasat from your classified company’s account, at the price set for that tender, and it then appears under “purchased tenders”. Some tenders are limited to a company size. It takes the same day and about 10 minutes.
9. The bid and the bid bond. Bids are in Arabic unless the committee accepts another language with an Arabic summary. The bid can be prepared for you, in about 45 minutes of your time.
- Bid bond: up to 5% of the estimated value, from a local or accredited bank. It may be waived below QAR 500,000 and for consultancy, technical and media services.
- Cost and time: the bank’s commission; usually 1–5 business days.
- Valid: for the bid validity, at least 90 days.
10. Submit on Monaqasat. Attach the bid under “purchased tenders” and submit. The account holder of your classified company logs in with National Authentication and submits, in about 20 minutes. The Ministry of Finance advises uploading at least 48 hours before closing.
If you’re in line for award
| Document | Issued by | Who can get it for you | Valid for | What only you do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final guarantee (at least 10%) | A local or accredited bank | Your bank, usually in 3–10 business days, for its commission | Through the warranty period | Apply to the bank |
| Temporary branch (foreign winners) | Ministry of Commerce and Industry | A lawyer files it with attested documents | The contract’s duration | Sign the power of attorney and constitutional documents |
| Local supply contracts (30% local sourcing) | Local suppliers | Local suppliers can be sourced for you | — | Sign the contracts |
The final guarantee is lodged within 15 working days of the award notification, extendable by 5. Plan on about 60 minutes of your own time for the post-award steps.
Before the contract: local sourcing
The 30% commitment. A non-Qatari contractor performing works or services in Qatar, other than consultancy, must source at least 30% of the contract value locally, with SMEs prioritised. You sign the local supply contracts; suitable suppliers can be found for you.
Who does what
| Step | Who can do it | What only you do |
|---|---|---|
| CR, licence and establishment card | A lawyer or PRO | Complete the signatory’s identity steps |
| National Authentication | — | Your authorised signatory logs in personally |
| Audited balance sheet | A licensed auditor signs | Approve the statements |
| Company profile | The documents are prepared for you | Your authorised signatory creates and submits it |
| Classification | Evidence compiled for you; a registered engineer for contractors | Submit from your own login and pay |
| ICV certificate | Register data prepared for you; an approved audit firm certifies | Register on icv.qa and approve the data |
| Quality and HSE certificates | An accredited certification body | Undergo the audit |
| Tender documents | — | Log in and pay |
| Bid bond and final guarantee | Your bank | Apply |
| Bid submission | The package is prepared and checked for you | Log in and submit |
| Temporary branch | A lawyer files it | Sign the power of attorney and constitutional documents |
| Local sourcing | Local suppliers sourced for you | Sign the supply contracts |
The professionals involved
| Professional | Licensed or regulated by | What they do for a bidder |
|---|---|---|
| ICV-approved audit firm | QatarEnergy Tawteen, which issues all ICV certificates; Ministry of Finance | Certify your ICV register so the certificate, with your ICV %, is issued; re-certify every year |
| Licensed auditor | Ministry of Commerce and Industry (auditors register) | Audit the latest-year balance sheet for the profile and every classification; prepare financial statements for tax filing |
| Registered engineer | Ministry of Municipality, engineers registration committee | Act as the registered engineer that contractor classification requires; provide academic and registration certificates |
| Local or accredited bank | Qatar Central Bank | Issue the bid bond (up to 5%) and final guarantee (at least 10%); endorse foreign-bank guarantees; issue advance-payment guarantees (up to 20%) |
Lawyers and PROs handle the commercial registration, the establishment card and the temporary branch.
If your company is from abroad
You don’t need a Qatari company or agent to bid; a foreign winner may need a temporary branch, limited to the contract and with no local partner, to sign and perform. Who may bid and on what terms is in How to bid for government tenders in Qatar. For the paperwork:
- Company profile: open to foreign companies, which submit their home equivalents of the CR and licence.
- Establishment card: not available without a Qatar establishment.
- Audited balance sheet: your home audited accounts, with a translation where needed.
- Classification: supplier classification is open to you through the profile; contractor classification needs residencies and a registered engineer in Qatar, so in practice it requires a presence.
- ICV: you can be certified, but the score reflects your spending in Qatar, so it is near zero without a presence.
- SME status: not available, since it is reserved for companies established under Qatari law.
- Certificates and evidence: home quality and HSE certificates; contracts and completion certificates with translations where needed.
- Bid bond and guarantee: a foreign bank’s guarantee needs a local bank’s endorsement.
- Attestation and translation: Qatar is not on the HCCH Apostille table. Your documents are notarised, attested by your home foreign ministry and the Qatari embassy and then by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and translated into Arabic; you sign the originals.
- After award: the temporary branch, and the 30% local-sourcing commitment if you perform works or services in Qatar.
Pitfalls
- Classification comes first. Unclassified companies cannot bid.
- Never let anyone else use your signatory’s National Authentication. Only the CR authorised signatory may create the profile and apply for classification.
- Keep the ICV certificate valid on the closing date, and plan for it becoming mandatory from the start of 2027.
- Have any foreign-bank guarantee endorsed by a local bank.
- Below QAR 5 million, check whether the tender is reserved for SMEs before a foreign company prepares a bid.
- Know who buys under the law: QatarEnergy and the Qatar Investment Authority are outside Law 24/2015 and use their own rules and portals.
Doing it with askTender
In Qatar, only the commercial-register signatory can run the company profile, so you log in and press submit yourself, in a guided session with askTender. Everything before that is prepared for you. You sign only what the law reserves to you: logging in with National Authentication, submitting the profile, classification and bid, approving your accounts and ICV data, applying for the guarantees and signing the temporary-branch documents and the contract. The askTender Desk prepares the profile documents, the classification evidence and the bid and tracks your certificates; askTender Partners, such as an auditor, an ICV audit firm or a registered engineer, do the steps their licence covers.
Questions
What do I need to create a Monaqasat company profile?
Your commercial registration, commercial licence, establishment card and an audited balance sheet for the latest financial year. The profile is free, and only the person authorised to sign in the commercial register can create it, logging in through the National Authentication System. Once the Ministry of Finance approves it, you can apply for classification and receive tender notifications.
How much does Ministry of Finance classification cost?
QAR 200 per activity for suppliers and service providers, and QAR 1,000 per specialisation for contractors. A decision comes within 15 working days of a complete file. Unclassified companies cannot bid.
How do I get a Qatar ICV certificate?
Register on icv.qa, have an ICV-approved audit firm certify your ICV register, and QatarEnergy’s Tawteen unit issues the certificate. It takes 2–3 weeks, the certification cost is yours, and it is valid for 1 year. It must be valid on the tender’s closing date, and it becomes a mandatory condition to take part from the start of 2027.
Can a foreign bank issue my bid bond for a Qatari tender?
Only with a local endorsement. The bid bond, up to 5% of the estimated value, and the final guarantee, at least 10%, must come from a local or accredited bank, and a foreign bank’s guarantee must be endorsed by one.
Do foreign documents need an apostille for Qatar?
No: Qatar is not on the HCCH Apostille table. Foreign documents are notarised, then attested by your home foreign ministry, the Qatari embassy and Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with an Arabic translation.
Sources
- Law No. 24 of 2015 on Tenders and Auctions (Al Meezan, consolidated)
- Executive Regulation, Cabinet Decision 16/2019 (Monaqasat)
- Monaqasat: create a company profile
- Monaqasat: supplier and service provider classification
- Monaqasat: contractor classification
- Monaqasat: FAQ
- Monaqasat: SMEs
- Monaqasat: In-Country Value in government tenders
- HCCH: status table of the Apostille Convention
This guide explains the rules in plain English; it isn’t legal advice. Procurement rules change, and each tender document sets its own conditions — it always prevails.