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 quarter of 2025, bp and its co-venturers in the bp-operated joint ventures spent more than $0.4 million on social investment projects in Azerbaijan. During the quarter, this included 16 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) initiated a new phase of a capacity-building initiative aiming to help a vulnerable group of population from 13 districts of Azerbaijan acquire new skills to enhance their employment opportunities and income generation activities, as well as stimulate self-employment. A total of 308 beneficiaries enrolled in business training programmes during the first quarter of 2025. 

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is supporting an educational project to enhance English language proficiency and develop innovative teaching skills of up to 80 teachers from Sumgayit State University and Nakhchivan State University. To date, 40 subject teachers from Sumqayit State University and 39 subject teachers from Nakhchivan State University have completed 160-hour English language training. 

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) is supporting an educational project aiming to enhance English language proficiency of up to 60 young learners, aged 6 to 17 years. The project currently continues with 59 beneficiaries enrolled and attending the English language training sessions.

• 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 to promote 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 60 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, 57 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 to strengthen the educational capacity of the ‘Automation, telecommunications and computer science’ department of the Azerbaijan Technological University in Ganja in cybersecurity.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) has launched a project aimed at supporting mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 13-16. The project focuses on helping young people 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) has launched a project to deliver DanceAbility training aimed at enhancing the inclusive teaching capacities of up to 165 students from the Azerbaijan State Academy of Physical Education and Sport. 
• 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, 76 participants have completed the training programme. The project currently continues with 25 participants attending the training. 

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) 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 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 project beneficiaries have received individualized legal assistance, and 15 participants have been provided with self-employment assistance. 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 & 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 & 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 15 students selected from three universities and two colleges in Ganja through provision of trainings in web programming, graphic design and digital marketing.

• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) has launched an initiative  to support children with learning disabilities. The project focuses on building the capacity of professionals, students, and caregivers by training them to deliver meaningful activities designed to help children improve their communication, social, and motor skills.
• bp (on behalf of its co-venturers (on behalf of its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan) has launched a new initiative to support individuals with mental disabilities in integrating into society through inclusive vocational education. The project aims to develop a tailored curriculum for vocational education institutions and provide training for teachers, helping to expand employment opportunities and support social integration.
  

In addition, in the first quarter of 2025, bp alone spent more than $0.2 million on various social and sponsorship projects in Azerbaijan. These included 13 ongoing educational initiatives, one capacity-building and enterprise development programme, five environmental initiatives, as well as three conferences and workshops on various themes – in total 22 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. 

• support for a new initiative aimed at equipping teachers in Azerbaijan's 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. 

• 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 Kichik Avaran village of the Gusar district. The system will be designed to collect, settle and clean floodwater making it suitable for land irrigation and usage at home. 

• 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 10 water supply systems - two in Kurdamir, three 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. 

• 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.
  

Further information:

Tamam Bayatly at bp’s press office in Baku. 

Telephone: (+994 12) 525 58 95