Catholic Insurance Service

What Catholic Insurance Service does

Catholic Insurance Service Ltd. (CIS) is a UK-based insurance intermediary serving the institutional Catholic community in England, Wales, and Scotland. Incorporated in 2017 as a private limited company (number 04493403) and headquartered in Thame, Oxfordshire, CIS is wholly owned by the Catholic Bishops' Conferences of England & Wales and Scotland and operates on a not-for-profit basis under FCA regulation (no. 771050). Its core product is the CIS Insurance Scheme, which bundles Property, Liability, Legal Expenses, and Travel cover under a single 29 September renewal date, with exclusive access to Catholic National Mutual Ltd. (CNM), the Catholic Church's own Guernsey-based mutual insurer that no other broker can reach. Additional services include a Catholic Dioceses Healthcare Trust (private healthcare for clergy and lay employees), Risk Management support, outsourced Health & Safety consulting, in-house legal advice, and a property insurance scheme for Catholic Voluntary Aided Schools.

CIS's customer base is exclusively vertical, comprising Catholic Dioceses, large Religious Orders, Catholic Charities, and Voluntary Aided Schools. The company does not sell online; distribution is via direct advisory relationships managed from its single Thame office, supplemented by a member login portal for policy documents, claim forms, and bulletins, and a 24/7 emergency claims line operated by Sedgwick. Revenue is generated through insurance brokerage commissions and service fees on the CIS Scheme, with no publicly disclosed figures; the not-for-profit structure means surpluses are retained within the Catholic community rather than paid as dividends.

The business has 11-50 employees and no proprietary technology platform beyond a WordPress website, member portal, Google Analytics, and reCAPTCHA. CIS has no external funding rounds, no M&A history, and no documented AI or automation capabilities. Its competitive position rests on the exclusive CNM distribution channel, FCA authorisation, Bishops' Conference ownership, and a 50-year incumbency as the only Catholic insurance intermediary in Great Britain.

Name

Catholic Insurance Service

Legal name

Catholic Insurance Service Ltd.

Website

https://catholicinsuranceservice.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catholic Insurance Service Ltd. is a UK insurance intermediary owned by the Catholic Bishops' Conferences of England & Wales and Scotland, providing property, liability, legal expenses, and travel cover, plus risk management, H&S, legal, and healthcare trust services, to Catholic Dioceses, Religious Orders, charities, and Voluntary Aided Schools in Great Britain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage Services

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Lines Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Captive Insurance Advisory & Management (FSAEADAF)

Keywords

• Insurance brokerage
• Property insurance
• Liability insurance
• Religious organization insurance
• Charity insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Thame

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance Intermediary Services: Catholic Insurance Service Ltd. operates as an insurance broker/adviser to Catholic Dioceses, Religious Orders, and charities, providing access to insurance products through Catholic National Mutual Ltd. The company does not seek to make a profit, with the Catholic Bishops' Conferences of England & Wales and Scotland as shareholders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Catholic Insurance Service Ltd. is an FCA-authorized insurance intermediary and adviser that serves Catholic Dioceses, Religious Orders, charities, and Voluntary Aided Schools in England, Wales, and Scotland. It is the exclusive broker providing access to Catholic National Mutual Ltd. (CNM), the Catholic Church's own mutual insurance company, distributing a unified insurance scheme covering property, liability, legal expenses, and travel. The company operates on a not-for-profit basis with the Catholic Bishops' Conferences as shareholders.

Product overview

Catholic Insurance Service Ltd. operates as the leading insurance adviser to Catholic Dioceses in England, Wales and Scotland, offering a unified CIS Insurance Scheme as its core product. The scheme combines Property, Liability, Legal Expenses, and Travel insurance under one package with a common renewal date, and uniquely provides access to Catholic National Mutual Ltd., the Catholic Church's own insurance company. Supplementary services include the Catholic Dioceses Healthcare Trust (providing private healthcare for clergy and lay employees), Risk Management, Health & Safety support via external consultants, and Legal Advice from an in-house solicitor. The company also administers a property insurance scheme for Catholic Voluntary Aided Schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CIS Insurance Scheme A unified insurance package combining Property, Liability, Legal Expenses, and Travel insurance with a common annual renewal date of 29 September, providing comprehensive coverage for Catholic Dioceses and Religious Orders through a single scheme.
• Property Insurance Coverage for property owners against loss and damage, provided by Catholic National Mutual Ltd., offering Buildings and Contents cover, Business Interruption, Terrorism, Contract Works and Money cover with generous limits and fewer policy conditions than typical commercial insurance.
• Liability Insurance Protection against claims including Employers' Liability, Public Liability, Professional Negligence, Financial Loss, Corporate Liability and Charity Trustees' Indemnity.
• Legal Expenses Insurance Access to legal advice and coverage for common legal issues involving employees, suppliers, properties, and taxation, including Employment Disputes, Contract, Personal Injury, Property, Taxation, and Statutory Licence matters.
• Travel Insurance Comprehensive travel cover for Clergy and Religious for ministry or work purposes and personal trips, with coverage available without significant age or pre-existing condition restrictions, including business equipment and employee business travel.
• Catholic Dioceses Healthcare Trust A bespoke private healthcare trust providing private health care for clergy and lay employees, administered by specialist healthcare administrators and jointly managed by Catholic Insurance Service Ltd. and Catholic National Mutual Ltd.
• Risk Management Services Support for identifying, assessing and mitigating risk across all aspects of clients' activities, from property maintenance and electrical testing to HR policies and Health & Safety procedures, with regular risk management initiatives and published guidance.
• Health & Safety Services Sensible, proportionate approach to Health & Safety management provided through partnership with specialist national Health & Safety Consultants, helping clients discharge their responsibilities under Health & Safety legislation.
• Legal Advice Service In-house solicitor providing legal advice and training to clients on employment, tax, contracts and other matters, with bulletins and newsletters alerting clients to emerging legal issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wide-ranging covers with high limits and nil or low excesses through Catholic National Mutual
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Catholic National Mutual Ltd. (CNM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNM is the Catholic Church's own mutual insurance company, located in Guernsey and licensed by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. CIS is the only insurance intermediary able to access insurance cover for clients from CNM. CNM was created in 1979 to provide insurance for Catholic organizations in England, Wales and Scotland. CNM's shareholders are also policyholders, and premiums are retained within the mutual with profits redistributed to shareholders within the Catholic community.
• Specialist National Health & Safety ConsultantsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCatholic Insurance Service has partnered with a specialist national firm of Health & Safety Consultants to provide support and guidance to clients in discharging their responsibilities under Health & Safety legislation.
• SedgwickminorOthersEmergency out-of-hours claims handling partner. Contact: 0345 604 8580 for emergency assistance outside normal office hours (Mon-Thu 9am-5pm, Fri 8:30am-4:30pm).
• Broadgate CreativeminorOthersWebsite design and development partner responsible for the Catholic Insurance Service website.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Baptist Insurance: UK mutual-style insurer serving Baptist churches and associated organisations. Comparable to CIS because it provides denomination-tailored property, liability, and trustee cover to a defined faith community through an intermediary-style relationship rather than a broad commercial channel.
• Ansvar Insurance: UK specialist insurer serving faith organisations, charities, and the care sector. Ansvar is comparable to CIS because it underwrites property, liability, and trustee indemnity cover for religious and charitable institutions, often partnering with brokers for distribution into Catholic and other faith-based buyers.
• Methodist Insurance: UK faith-affiliated insurance arm serving Methodist churches, manses, and connected organisations. It is directly comparable to CIS as a denomination-specific insurance intermediary built around the needs of a Christian community, including property, trustee liability, and pastoral cover.
• Eclesiastical Insurance: UK specialist insurer and intermediary serving faith-based, charity, education, and heritage sectors. Eclesiastical is the most direct comparator to CIS because of its focus on church, charity, and not-for-profit clients, providing property and liability cover to Anglican, Catholic, and other religious institutions across Great Britain.
• Church of England Insurance: Denomination-aligned insurance service for Church of England parishes, schools, and diocesan bodies. It mirrors CIS structurally as a faith-aligned intermediary/mutual arrangement providing property and liability cover to a single UK denomination's institutions.

Broad incumbents

• Arthur J. Gallagher (UK): Global insurance broker with a substantial UK charity, education, and public-sector practice. Gallagher is comparable as a broad incumbent competing for institutional charity and education clients, providing commercial alternatives to the CIS scheme for Catholic dioceses and schools.
• Marsh (UK): Global insurance broker and risk advisor with UK charity, faith, and education practices. Marsh overlaps with CIS as a large incumbent that could be engaged by larger Catholic charities and schools seeking alternative placement for property and liability cover.
• Howden UK: Large UK retail insurance broker with charity, education, and public-sector specialty practices. Howden is a broad incumbent that competes for the same diocesan, charity, and Voluntary Aided school accounts that CIS serves, but at significantly greater scale and product breadth.

Emerging players

• Lycetts: UK insurance broker with a strong heritage, charity, and ecclesiastical niche. Lycetts is comparable to CIS as a specialist intermediary serving private schools, heritage properties, and faith-adjacent clients with bespoke property and liability cover.

Others

• Sedgwick: Already a claims-handling partner to CIS for emergency out-of-hours claims. Sedgwick is comparable as a third-party administrator and loss-adjuster ecosystem participant that supports insurance intermediaries and carriers, including faith-based scheme providers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholic-church-insurance-management-limited

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Catholic Insurance Service