What Commercial Express does

Commercial Express is a UK-based Managing General Agent (MGA) that designs, underwrites, and distributes specialty commercial insurance schemes exclusively through insurance brokers and intermediary networks. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Brierley Hill, the company operates as Commercial Express Quotes Limited, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 311067), and holds Chartered Insurance Underwriting Agents status from the Chartered Insurance Institute. Its core product set spans five categories - Residential and Commercial Property Owners (multiple RPO variants, Commercial & Industrial Property Owners, Landlord's Contents), Liability (per capita, wages & turnover, land liability, contractors all risk, excess of loss, cleaning, market traders), SME combined covers (shop, office, public house, fast food and restaurant, hair & beauty, tattoo and body piercing), Catering & Event (outside caterer, catering trailer and van, specialist business van, single and multi-event), and Caravan & Trailer (static caravan, leisure home, trailer) - totaling roughly 40 named schemes underwritten by a panel of 11+ A-rated capacity providers including Lloyd's syndicates (Ascot 1414, Carbon 4747, SCOR 2015, BRIT 2987) and major insurers (Canopius, AXA, Fortegra, HSB, Irwell, Zurich).

The company's technology stack centers on two broker-facing platforms: Assist, a proprietary online trading platform for quote, bind, mid-term adjustment and renewal transactions, and integration with Open GI for SME Property Owners distribution. It monetizes through commissions from insurers on placed business, with disclosed broker commission rates ranging from 7.5% (catering van, specialist business van) to 22.5% (residential property owners variants, leisure home), plus underwriting profit participation on the schemes it designs. Distribution is entirely indirect via broker relationships across multiple approved networks (Movo Partnership, Gauntlet Risk Management, Ten Insurance Services, J M Glendinning, Momentum Broker Solutions) and individual brokers, supplemented by the CE Training Academy and CE Learning eLearning platform which provide free CPD-accredited training and have been recognized by consecutive MGAA Excellence in Learning & Development awards.

Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed; based on an 11-50 employee headcount range and MGA commission economics, current annual revenue is estimated in the $10M-$25M band with low confidence. The company has demonstrated a consistent multi-year track record of awards (MGA of the Year 2026, Movo Schemes Partner of the Year 2023-2025, MGAA Excellence in Learning & Development 2025-2026) and incremental product innovation such as Pet Damage Cover launched July 2026 in response to the Renters' Rights Act, signaling ongoing organic growth rather than transformational expansion.

Name

Commercial Express

Legal name

Commercial Express Quotes Limited

Website

https://commercialexpress.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Commercial Express is a UK Managing General Agent that designs and distributes 40+ specialty commercial insurance schemes (property owners, liability, SME, catering & event, caravan & trailer) exclusively through insurance brokers, earning commissions from a panel of A-rated Lloyd's syndicates and major insurers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Insurance Underwriting (MGA)

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Insurance Program Administration & MGA/MGU Services (FSAEADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial Lines Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAB), Commercial Property Insurance (FSAJACAE), Mid-Market Commercial Package (Package Policies) (FSAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Managing general agent
• Specialist insurance schemes
• Broker distribution platform
• Commercial property insurance
• Liability insurance underwriting

Headquarters

HQ city

Brierley Hill

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance MGA Operations: As an MGA, Commercial Express earns revenue through commissions from insurance carriers (insurers) for placing business. Commission rates vary by product line, ranging from 7.5% to 22.5% as disclosed on their commissions page. They design and administer insurance schemes on behalf of insurers and receive underwriting profit participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Commercial Express is a UK Managing General Agent (MGA) that designs, underwrites, and distributes specialist commercial and residential insurance schemes to UK insurance brokers. The company administers insurance on behalf of multiple A-rated insurers and Lloyd's syndicates, providing brokers with access to property owners, liability, SME commercial combined, catering & event, and caravan & trailer products via the Assist and Open GI trading platforms.

Product overview

Commercial Express is a UK Managing General Agent (MGA) founded in 1999, offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance schemes distributed through insurance brokers. The product range spans multiple categories: Property Owners (including RPO Let Shield, RPO Let Protect, RPO Let Assured, RPO Let Secure, Residential Short Term Unoccupied, Commercial & Industrial Property Owners underwritten by Fortegra, SCOR, BRIT, Carbon, and AXA, plus Landlord's Contents and Prime SME Property Owners via Open GI), Liability products (Per Capita Protect and Shield, Wages & Turnover Protect/Shield and Assured, Land Liability, Cleaning Contractors, Market Traders & Retailers, Contractors All Risk, and PL Excess of Loss), SME insurance (Hair & Beauty, Shop & Wholesale, Shop, Office, Public House, Fast Food & Restaurant, Tattoo & Body Piercing), Catering & Event coverage (Outside Caterer, Catering Trailer, Catering Van, Specialist Business Van, Single Event, Multi Event), and Caravan & Trailer insurance (Static Caravan & Park Home, Leisure Home Ascot and Canopius, Trailer). Products are underwritten by multiple Lloyd's syndicates and specialist insurers. The company also provides a CE Training Academy for broker learning and development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CE Training Academy: Broker training and development hub offering system guides, short videos, webinars, journals, newsletters and courses to help brokers learn, grow, and trade with confidence
• CE Learning
• Assist
• Express Quotes

Products and services

• RPO Let Shield Residential property owners insurance product underwritten by Canopius, covering buildings, landlords' contents, and loss of rent for landlords with various tenancy types including private let, students, public sector, holiday let, and unoccupied properties. Distributed to brokers via the Assist trading platform.
• RPO Let Protect Residential property owners insurance underwritten by Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's, covering buildings, contents, loss of rent/alternative accommodation, and property owners' liability for residential properties that are let or unoccupied.
• RPO Let Assured Residential property owners insurance underwritten by Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's led by Carbon Syndicate 4747, suitable for individual or multiple properties let under public sector arrangements or temporarily unoccupied properties.
• RPO Let Secure Superior residential property owners insurance underwritten by Canopius for properties let to tenants, covering buildings, contents, loss of rent, and property owners' liability with extensive coverage features.
• Residential Short Term Unoccupied Short-term unoccupied residential property insurance underwritten by Canopius, suitable for properties pending renovation, sale, or probate, available in 3, 6, or 9-month cover options.
• C&IPO Fortegra Commercial and industrial property owners insurance underwritten by Fortegra Insurance UK Limited, covering buildings, landlord contents, loss of rent, and property owners' liability for commercial/industrial properties that are tenanted, owner-occupied, or vacant.
• C&IPO SCOR Commercial and industrial property owners insurance underwritten by SCOR Syndicate 2015 at Lloyd's, offering specialised coverage including for unoccupied properties with variable cover options.
• C&IPO BRIT Commercial and industrial property owners insurance underwritten by BRIT Syndicate 2987 at Lloyd's, offering free loss of rent cover up to 20% of buildings sum insured and competitive pricing for low hazard commercial properties.
• CPO Carbon Commercial property owners insurance underwritten by Carbon Syndicate 4747, covering individual or multiple industrial/commercial properties up to £4,000,000 buildings sum insured per property with automatic loss of rent cover.
• CPO AXA Commercial property owners insurance underwritten by AXA for buildings let for investment purposes, covering buildings, rental income, and property owners' liability up to £5,000,000 per location.
• IPO Ascot Industrial property owners insurance underwritten by Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's, with strong appetite for commercial property portfolios and high conversion rates for motor garages.
• Landlord's Contents Landlords' contents insurance underwritten by Canopius, covering contents and contents owners' liability for residential properties let under various tenancy types.
• Open GI – Prime SME Property Owners Prime SME property owners insurance distributed via Open GI platform, covering residential, commercial, and industrial properties that are tenanted or vacant, with core covers for buildings, business interruption, and property owners' liability.
• Per Capita Protect Liability per capita product underwritten by Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's for small companies or individuals requiring public and products' liability insurance, with optional employers' liability and material damage coverage.
• Per Capita Shield Liability per capita product underwritten by Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's, providing professional indemnity cover up to £25,000 included as standard on majority of trades.
• Wages & Turnover Protect Wages and turnover liability product underwritten by Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's for companies requiring public and products' liability insurance, with optional employers' liability and contractors all risks coverage.
• Wages & Turnover Shield Wages and turnover liability product underwritten by Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's with legal expenses via ARAG up to £100,000 policy limit.
• Wages & Turnover Assured Wages and turnover liability product underwritten by Irwell Insurance Company Limited, including £1,000,000 service indemnity for motor trades and professional indemnity cover for contractors sector.
• Land Liability Land liability insurance underwritten by Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's and ARAG for landowners requiring public liability coverage for private fields, roads, moorlands, woodlands, fishing lakes, car parks, and development plots.
• Cleaning Contractors Cleaning contractors liability insurance underwritten by Ascot Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's or Irwell Insurance, covering public, products, and employers' liability with treatment damage and misuse of telephone cover as standard.
• Market Traders & Retailers Market traders and online retailers liability insurance covering public, products, and employers' liability, with unlimited markets, car boots, events, exhibitions and festivals, and no employee limits.
• Contractors All Risk Contractors all risk insurance underwritten by HSB Engineering Insurance Company Limited for small to medium-sized contractors covering contract works, tools, plant, and personal tools, with contracts up to £1,500,000.
• PL Excess of Loss Public liability excess of loss product underwritten by Ascot Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's, providing top-up protection above primary policies with three coverage levels: £4m excess of £1m, £3m excess of £2m, and £5m excess of £5m.
• Hair & Beauty Hair and beauty insurance for freelance/mobile hairdressers, barbers, beauticians, and salon owners, available as standalone liability or comprehensive material damage and liability package covering treatments, premises, stock, and business interruption.
• Shop & Wholesale Shop and wholesale insurance underwritten by BRIT Syndicate 2987 at Lloyd's or Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's, covering buildings, contents, stock, business interruption, money, goods in transit combined with public, products, and employers' liability.
• Shop Shop insurance underwritten by Fortegra Insurance UK Limited or Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's for retailers and shop front bakeries and butchers, covering buildings, contents, stock, business interruption, money, goods in transit, and liability insurance.
• Office Office insurance underwritten by Fortegra Insurance UK Limited for offices, surgeries, travel agents, and recruitment agencies, covering buildings, contents, stock, business interruption, money, goods in transit, book debts, and liability insurance.
• Public House Public house insurance for public houses, wine bars, and social clubs, covering buildings, contents, stock, business interruption, money, goods in transit, book debts combined with liability insurance.
• Fast Food & Restaurant Fast food and restaurant insurance for restaurants, cafés, and takeaways, covering buildings, contents, stock, business interruption, money, goods in transit, and book debts combined with public, products, and employers' liability insurance.
• Tattoo & Body Piercing Tattoo and body piercing insurance underwritten by Ascot Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's for freelance/mobile artists and salon owners, providing package coverage with selectable cover options for treatments and professional liability.
• Outside Caterer Outside caterer insurance underwritten by Ascot Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's for outside caterers, mobile caterers, and contract caterers, covering public, products, and employers' liability with optional material damage and business interruption extensions.
• Catering Trailer Catering trailer insurance underwritten by Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's for catering trailers, trikes, and converted shipping containers, covering damage or loss to the trailer with optional material damage, liability, and business interruption insurance.
• Catering Van Catering van motor insurance underwritten by Zurich Insurance Public Limited Company for hot food vans, mobile shops, refrigerated vans, mobile bars, and ice cream vans, providing comprehensive motor insurance cover.
• Specialist Business Van Specialist business van motor insurance underwritten by Zurich Insurance Public Limited Company via KGM for mobile barbershops, mobile salons, mobile boutiques, pet grooming vans, and vans with fixed cleaning equipment.
• Single Event Single event insurance for one-off events from small private celebrations to larger public events including fêtes and exhibitions, covering liabilities, business equipment, and money up to £20,000 equipment cover.
• Multi Event Multi event insurance for event organisers hosting up to 52 events per year with maximum 5,000 attendees per event, covering liabilities and business equipment.
• Static Caravan & Park Home Static caravan and park home insurance underwritten by SCOR Syndicate 2015 at Lloyd's, covering caravans used for personal reasons or holiday lets, with free contents cover up to 25% of caravan sum insured.
• Leisure Home Ascot Leisure home insurance underwritten by Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's for static caravans, lodges, log cabins, and chalets used as holiday homes on registered caravan sites.
• Leisure Home Canopius Leisure home insurance underwritten by Canopius for leisure homeowners of glamping pods, shepherd huts, and static caravans used as holiday homes or lets on registered caravan sites.
• Trailer Trailer insurance underwritten by Ascot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's for lighter and smaller trailers used for personal or business purposes, covering the trailer, fixed equipment, and public liability.
• Pet Damage Cover Standard feature across all Commercial Express residential property owners policies, providing protection against sudden and accidental damage caused by tenant pets up to £5,000 per claim and £5,000 in aggregate per policy period, with no restrictions on the number of pets covered. Launched in July 2026 in response to the UK Renters' Rights Act.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won MGA of the Year at 2026 National Insurance Awards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Ascot Group (Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAscot Group's Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd's is a major capacity provider for Commercial Express, underwriting numerous insurance products including Residential Property Owners Let Protect, Liability Per Capita, Wages & Turnover, Land Liability, Cleaning Contractors, Catering Trailer, and more. Rated A+ by AM Best and AA by S&P.
• Canopius Managing Agents LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanopius underwrites multiple Commercial Express products including RPO Let Shield, RPO Let Secure, Residential Short Term Unoccupied, and Landlord's Contents. Rated A- by AM Best and A+ by S&P.
• Carbon Syndicate 4747 (led by Carbon Property Consortium 4996)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon underwrites RPO Let Assured and Commercial Property Owners products. Carbon Syndicate 4747 began as a Syndicate in a Box in 2020 and transitioned to full Lloyd's Syndicate status in 2023. Rated A+ by AM Best and AA- by S&P.
• SCOR Syndicate 2015 at Lloyd'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCOR provides capacity for Commercial & Industrial Property Owners and Static Caravan & Park Home products. Rated A+ by AM Best and AA- by S&P.
• BRIT Syndicate 2987 at Lloyd'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRIT underwrites Commercial & Industrial Property Owners (CPO by BRIT) and Shop & Wholesale products. Rated A+ by AM Best and AA by S&P.
• Fortegra Insurance UK LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFortegra provides capacity for Commercial Property Owners and SME products including Shop, Office, Public House, Fast Food & Restaurant. Global specialty insurer with A- rating from AM Best.
• AXAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAXA underwrites Commercial Property Owners products. One of the UK's leading insurance companies with A+ rating from AM Best and AA from S&P.
• HSB Engineering Insurance Company LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSB underwrites Contractors All Risk products. Part of Munich Re, drawing on 150+ years of technical risk knowledge. Rated A++ by AM Best.
• Irwell Insurance Company LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrwell underwrites Wages & Turnover Assured and some Contract Cleaners and Market Traders products. Specialists in Liability Insurance with 30 years of experience. Rated B+++ (Positive) by AM Best.
• Zurich Insurance Public Limited CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZurich underwrites Catering Van and Specialist Business Van products through KGM. Global insurance provider with operations across Europe.
• ARAG Legal Expenses Insurance Company LimitedsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerARAG provides Legal Expenses insurance products across multiple Commercial Express schemes including Residential Landlords, Commercial Property Owners, and SME products. Rated A by AM Best and A by S&P.
• Movo Partnership LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMovo Partnership is a network of insurance brokers. Commercial Express won Schemes Partner of the Year at Movo Partnership Conference for 3 consecutive years (2023, 2024, 2025). One of the approved networks for Appointed Representatives.
• Open GIcoreTechnology or IntegrationOpen GI provides software platform for SME Property Owners products. Commercial Express brokers can access the platform for trading.
• Chartered Insurance Institute (CII)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommercial Express has achieved Chartered Insurance Underwriting Agents Status and works with CII on professional development courses through CE Learning platform.
• Approved Networks (Gauntlet Risk Management, Ten Insurance Services Ltd, J M Glendinning (IB) Ltd, Momentum Broker Solutions)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved networks through which Appointed Representatives can be accepted as agency partners. Part of Commercial Express's broker registration requirements.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pen Underwriting: UK-based MGA platform building and distributing specialty commercial schemes through brokers across property, liability, and niche commercial lines. Operates an equivalent scheme-design-and-distribute model through UK brokers, making it the closest direct peer to Commercial Express.
• Mulsanne Insurance Brokers: UK MGA-style coverholder and scheme manager focused on niche commercial lines distributed via brokers. Highly comparable operating model to Commercial Express with overlapping specialism in property, liability and SME risks.
• CFC Underwriting: Lloyd's-aligned specialty MGA designing niche commercial and specialty products distributed through brokers. Comparable as a scheme-design MGA leveraging multiple capacity providers and broker-distribution motion.

Broad incumbents

• Howden UK & Ireland: Major UK-headquartered insurance broker platform with significant MGA and scheme capabilities across commercial lines. Comparable as a much larger distribution competitor whose broker relationships and scale overlap with Commercial Express's target market.
• Aon UK: Global insurance brokerage with extensive UK commercial lines presence. Comparable as a broad incumbent broker competing for the same mid-market broker relationships and commercial scheme placement mandates.
• Allianz Insurance UK: UK arm of a global insurer underwriting commercial property, liability and SME lines directly and via partners. Comparable as a broad incumbent capacity provider and direct competitor in commercial lines underwriting across property, liability and SME.
• AXA UK: One of the UK's leading commercial insurers and an existing capacity provider for Commercial Express CPO AXA. Comparable both as a partner on Commercial Express's panel and as a broad incumbent competitor in commercial property and SME combined products.
• Beazley UK: Lloyd's-based specialty insurer underwriting commercial property and liability lines through UK brokers. Comparable as a specialty capacity provider competing for similar scheme and binding-authority mandates in mid-market commercial lines.
• Markel UK: UK specialty insurer and scheme/MGA participant focused on commercial liability, property and niche trades. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for similar broker-distributed specialty and SME commercial risks.
• Hiscox UK: UK specialty insurer distributing through brokers across commercial property, liability and small-commercial lines. Comparable as a broad incumbent specialty competitor in the UK mid-market commercial space served by brokers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CommercialExp
• Facebookfacebook.com/commercialexpressuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commercialexpress-co-uk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Commercial Express