Community

Social Investment

The success of projects in the Caspian region depends, in part, on the operators’ ability to create tangible benefits from these projects for the people of the region. To achieve this, bp and its co-venturers continue to implement major social investment projects, which include educational programmes, building skills and capabilities in local communities, improving access to social infrastructure in communities, supporting local enterprises through provision of access to finance and training, support for cultural legacy and sport, as well as technical assistance to public institutions.

In the first half of 2025, bp and its co-venturers in the bp-operated joint ventures spent about $0.7 million on social investment projects in Azerbaijan. During the six months, this included 17 ongoing educational projects and one capacity-building and enterprise development programme.

bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that it operates) will continue their social investment initiatives in support of local capacity-building and enterprise development throughout Azerbaijan to assist the country in strengthening its economy.

Some examples of such projects in Azerbaijan are:

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is supporting a new phase of a capacity-building initiative aimed at improving employment and income generation opportunities for vulnerable populations across 13 districts in Azerbaijan. The initiative focuses on skills development, business training and self-employment support. During the first half of 2025, a total of 429 beneficiaries completed the business training programme as part of the project.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) has successfully completed  an educational project aimed at enhancing English language proficiency and developing innovative teaching skills among university faculty. The project targeted up to 80 teachers from Sumgayit State University and Nakhchivan State University. As part of the initiative, 40 subject teachers from Sumqayit State University and 39 subject teachers from Nakhchivan State University completed a 160-hour English language training.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) has launched an educational project to enhance English language proficiency and develop innovative teaching skills of up to 70 teachers from Lankaran State University and Mingachevir State University. 

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) has successfully completed an educational project aiming to enhance English language proficiency of up to 60 young learners, aged 6 to 17 years. As a result of the project, a total of 59 beneficiaries completed a 96-hour English language training course.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is supporting an initiative to develop a mobile application for learning and teaching Azerbaijani Sign Language. The project aims at promoting social inclusion for people with hearing and speech challenges.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is supporting a new initiative aimed at increasing employment opportunities for local skilled workers from vulnerable households. As part of the project, skilled workers who had no chance in the past to receive professional vocational education will be prepared to pass certification exams and obtain official diplomas required for building sustainable careers. The project will also cover the certification exam fees. To date, 133 project beneficiaries have completed the programme.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) has successfully completed a project aimed at strengthening the educational capacity of the ‘Automation, telecommunications and computer science’ department of the Azerbaijan Technological University in Ganja with a focus on cybersecurity.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is supporting a project aimed at promoting mental health and wellbeing among young people aged 13-16. The initiative focuses on helping participants develop essential soft skills, contributing to their overall personal growth and emotional resilience.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures it operates in Azerbaijan) is supporting a project aimed at enhancing the inclusive teaching skills of up to 165 students of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Physical Education and Sport through the DanceAbility training method.
• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is supporting a project that contributes to the development of national IT professionals within the ‘Technest’ scholarship education programme, initiated by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport in 2021. The first phase of the project has already been successfully completed. The current phase aims to help 289 new participants from low-income families get necessary skills in various IT areas, addressing the demand for IT specialists in the local labour market. To date, 126 participants have completed the training programme. 

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) has successfully completed a project aimed at equipping internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Garabagh with vocational skills, enhancing their income generation opportunities upon their return to their homes after the 30-year occupation. This initiative specifically targeted IDPs temporarily residing in the Kurdamir district. A group of 25 IDP women were selected for the project to be trained as certified tailors and make-up artists. In addition to vocational training, the participants were taught business management and development techniques.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is implementing a project to support the war-affected individuals in Azerbaijan`s rural regions, including Ganja, Tovuz, Shamkir, Samukh, Goygol and Goranboy. The initiative aims to provide self-employment, psychological and legal assistance for up to 200 individuals. To date, all 200 participants have received individualized legal assistance, and 15 participants have been provided with self-employment assistance including the provision of necessary training and equipment to pursue their professional endeavors. The project also organized a motivational camp for 30 beneficiaries, offering a range of social, physical and engagement activities. 

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) has successfully completed a project aimed at helping private and public sector organizations in Azerbaijan integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and circularity into their strategies and operations. The project activities included conducting in-depth ESG and circularity research; development of comprehensive guidance for organizations to incorporate circular thinking into their ESG-aligned visions; launch of a dedicated portal for green policy, renewable energy, environmental awareness, and arrangement of a stakeholder workshop engaging media, think tanks, enterprises and public sector to discuss ESG integration practices.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is supporting a project focused on integration of Azerbaijani universities, students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and startup community members into global and regional business ecosystem.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) has successfully completed an inclusive judo initiative for individuals with mental challenges and disabilities. The project, which involved 15 participants, aimed to contribute to social integration of people with disabilities and special needs, promoting inclusion through sport.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is implementing an initiative to support 45 students selected from three universities and two colleges in Ganja through provision of training in web programming, graphic design and digital marketing. To date, 15 students have enrolled in web programming, 15 in graphic design and 15 in digital marketing training.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is supporting an initiative aimed at building the capacity of professionals, students, and caregivers to deliver meaningful activities that support the development of children with learning disabilities. The project focuses on improving children’s communication, social, and motor skills through play-based learning. As part of the initiative, an activity guide and progress assessment form were developed to support training delivery, paving the way for piloting new training materials.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is supporting a new initiative aimed at helping individuals with mental disabilities integrate into society through inclusive vocational education. The project focuses on developing a tailored curriculum for vocational education institutions aiming to support inclusive education and employment opportunities for people with mental disabilities.

In addition, in the first half, bp alone spent about $0.4 million on various social and sponsorship projects in Azerbaijan. These included 19 ongoing educational initiatives, one capacity-building and enterprise development programme, five environmental initiatives, as well as seven conferences and workshops on various themes – in total 32 projects.

Some examples of these include:

• translation from English into Azerbaijani and publication of 14 academic textbooks on startup and innovation, corporate finance, marketing, social research, international relations, economic policy, managerial economics, statistics for business and economics, econometrics, psychology and information security. This project aims to enhance the quality of teaching in 16 disciplines at over 15 local universities.
• development and publication of a book-album dedicated to Azerbaijan`s great poet Muhammad Fuzuli.
• translation and publication of the textbook ‘Limits of the Market’ by Paul De Grauwe, for the benefit of local university students majoring in economics, macro-economics, as well as teachers of economy, economic theories, finance and political science.
• development and publication of a book on the evolution of Azerbaijan's oil and gas industry from the second half of the 19th century to the present day.
• establishment of a digital library at Azerbaijan Technical University.
• upgrade of the laboratory infrastructure for three departments of Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction: construction of engineering systems and facilities, technological machinery and facilities, and land reclamation and water management.
• establishment of a graduate programme in chemical engineering at Sumgayit State University. The project scope includes upgrading the chemical engineering laboratory, developing a new curriculum and enhancing the knowledge and teaching skills of university faculty.
•  establishment of a publishing centre and support for the restoration of a greenhouse at Azerbaijan State Agricultural University.
• support for the establishment of a dual master’s degree programme in renewable energy at Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University.
• support for the training of 30 talented Azerbaijani nationals to prepare them for admission to leading international universities. This builds on the successful completion of the previous two phases of the project, which enabled 36 talented Azerbaijani nationals to enroll in world-known universities. As a result of the project, all 30 participants received admission letters from world-known international universities. 
• support for a new initiative aimed at equipping teachers in rural regions with the necessary skills to identify, address, and provide initial support for students showing early signs of mental health challenges. The project is expected to benefit up to 80 teachers. To date, 33 teachers have successfully completed the necessary training, and a teacher support network has been established to enable ongoing collaboration and peer learning.
• support for the restoration of two underground water-supply sources in the Tovuz district to help meet the household consumption and land irrigation needs of the community members.
• support for the establishment of a comprehensive water supply system in the Goychay district, designed to collect and rinse the silty water from the river, making it available to meet the rural irrigation needs.
• support for the establishment of a new water supply system in the Avaran village of the Gusar district. The system will collect, settle and clean floodwater, making it suitable to meet the water needs of the local households.
• support for establishing water systems for drinking, irrigation and sanitation in the Kurdamir, Ujar, Agdash, Yevlakh, Goranboy and Samukh districts. To date, the project helped the establishment of 12 water supply systems - two in Kurdamir, five in Samukh, three in Yevlakh and two in Goranboy.
• support for the restoration of biodiversity in the Zangilan district by planting indigenous tree species and providing aftercare for them.
• sponsorship of the publication of works by young writers representing contemporary Azerbaijani literature.
• support to the promotion of Azerbaijan's rich cultural heritage through the development and publication of an exquisite book album and the creation of a website featuring diverse generations of Azerbaijani artists and a selection of their masterpieces from the 1960s to the present.
• support for the enhancement of research capabilities of UNEC`s Scientific Center for Composition Materials in design, synthesis and development of composite materials for industrial application in the areas of power transformers and of automotive electronics. 
• support for the development of textbooks in Azerbaijani language covering such topics as open science, artificial intelligence and clean energy transition.
• support for the development of a book titled “100 Most Interesting Facts about the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic of 1918-1920".
• sponsorship of the 'SPE workshop on Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)’. The event brought together industry experts to explore both innovative and established strategies in EOR. The discussions covered cutting-edge technologies like nanotechnology, AI and hybrid EOR techniques, alongside advancements in gas injection, chemical, and thermal methods integrating sustainable energy.
• sponsorship of the IADC Drilling Caspian 2025 conference and exhibition – an annual event that brings together industry leaders and drilling professionals to discuss challenges and share best practices in the field.
• support to the “EY Entrepreneur of The Year” business awards competition encouraging entrepreneurship and recognizing the achievements of inspiring businesspersons.
• sponsorship of the AmCham Conference on ‘Ethics and Compliance in Azerbaijan’, co-initiated by bp and AmCham in 2017.
• sponsorship of the Azerbaijan Business Case Competition 2025. The purpose of the competition was to create a practical environment for students to develop their business analysis and presentation skills.

• extension of the 13-year partnership with Azerbaijan’s National Olympic and Paralympic Committees until the end of 2028. As part of this extension, bp will continue to support the development of Azerbaijan’s national sports, aligning with its commitment to help build a sustainable future for the nation.

• sponsorship of the International Conference on autism - ‘Autism: From Research to Practice’. The event brought together local and foreign experts to exchange ideas on how best to support young people with autism in accessing education, joining the workforce and integrating into society.

• sponsorship of the "Future educational leaders of the Pedagogical University" competition, organized by the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University. The initiative aimed to identify talented students with leadership potential and support their professional development. 

• support for the Baku Energy Week (BEW), a major energy industry event held for 30 years.

• sponsorship of the 7th International Scientific Conference of Economics and Management researchers organized by the Azerbaijan State Economic University. The conference was organized under the “Circular Economy and Sustainable Ecosystem” theme.• sponsorship of the annual Baku Summer Energy School organized by ADA University's Institute for Development and Diplomacy (IDD).

Further information:

Tamam Bayatly at bp’s press office in Baku. 

Telephone: (+994 12) 525 58 95