We’ve been shortlisted for Excellence in Underwriting at the Insurance Times Awards 2026

We've earned a place on the shortlist for Excellence in Underwriting at the Insurance Times Awards 2026.

Our award nominations and wins over the past year reflect the strength of our team, whose expertise, commitment and collaboration continue to deliver outstanding results.

Our submission highlighted how we've continued to strengthen our underwriting proposition by combining more than 20 years of specialist commercial motor expertise with smarter use of technology and data. In 2025, we focused on three key goals: delivering faster decisions, improving access to underwriters and enabling better-informed underwriting judgement. 

Investing in Tools That Support Better Underwriting 

A significant part of this was the continued development of our Broker Portal. By reducing routine administration and streamlining processes, the Portal enables our underwriters to spend more time doing what matters most: speaking directly with brokers, understanding risks and making informed decisions. Today, brokers representing 97% of our premium income actively use the Portal.

Bringing Underwriting and Claims Closer Together 

We also strengthened collaboration between our Underwriting and Claims teams, creating a closer feedback loop that allows claims insight and emerging loss trends to directly inform risk selection and referral decisions. This gives our underwriters richer evidence to support sustainable underwriting decisions and helps ensure we continue to deliver long-term value to brokers and policyholders. 

Technology Backed by Human Expertise 

What makes DCL's approach different is that technology supports, rather than replaces, expertise. While we continue to invest in digital tools and data, every underwriting decision remains accountable to an experienced underwriter who is accessible to brokers and empowered to apply their judgement to individual risks. 

These improvements have delivered tangible results. In 2025, DCL achieved £200m GWP, improved its net loss ratio, maintained renewal retention at 89%, and increased enquiry-to-bind conversion by 23%. This demonstrates that faster underwriting decisions can be achieved without compromising underwriting discipline or portfolio quality. 

We're incredibly proud of the team behind this achievement and are looking forward to celebrating with our fellow finalists! Fingers crossed for awards night!