Overview
The New Insurer Start-up Unit (NISU) is a joint initiative from the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
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Any firm that wants to be an insurer (which includes the activities of effecting contracts of insurance or carrying out contracts of insurance) must be authorised to do this by the PRA. The PRA will only agree to authorise a firm if the FCA is also content for it to be authorised.
Download our guide to becoming an insurer in the UK for everything you need to know about starting a new insurer, from the pre-application phase to life after authorisation:
New Insurer Start-up Unit guide
The NISU is part of the regulators’ ongoing work to improve the authorisation process for prospective new insurers in the UK. We want the process, information and materials to be helpful for potential applicants so that we can have an effective and efficient way of working together, and lead to an improved quality of application when the time comes. It’s really important that we hear from you, the users of the NISU, about what is working well and what we can improve.
As our consideration of further developments relating to the authorisation of new insurers continues, we are also interested to hear views on perceived barriers to entry in the insurance industry and possible measures to address them. Please email NewInsurerStartupUnit@bankofengland.co.uk with your feedback and input.
The PRA has created a new ‘mobilisation’ regime, effective from 31 December 2024, to facilitate entry and expansion for new insurers into the UK market. We welcome discussions with potential new applicants that are considering applying for authorisation and to use this new mobilisation phase.
This new regime is an optional stage, beginning at the point of authorisation, during which a new firm could operate with business restrictions while it completes the final aspects of development of its insurer. These newly authorised insurers in mobilisation are offered a period up of 12 months to finish building out their business, including securing additional funding, if required, while operating with business restrictions, proportionate regulatory requirements, and using lower minimum capital requirements.
The NISU Mobilisation Guidance for firms webpage provides more extensive detail on the mobilisation regime for new insurers.
For more details on the mobilisation framework for new insurers refer to:
- CP12/23 - Review of Solvency II: Adapting to the UK insurance market
- PS2/24 – Review of Solvency II: Adapting to the UK insurance market
Through the Wholesale Insurance Accelerated Authorisation Pathway (The Pathway), developed jointly between PRA and FCA, we aim to provide an accelerated route to authorisation for a sub-set of London market wholesale applicants.