Avid Insurance has entered into a new underwriting agreement with Starr, the global insurance and investment group, to support liability products across three specialist sectors: groundworks, motorsport, and leisure.
The partnership expands Avid’s capacity within its commercial liability portfolio and is aimed at brokers serving clients in complex or specialist industries.
The agreement is part of Avid’s broader strategy to grow its presence in niche liability markets. Under the terms of the partnership, Starr will provide underwriting capacity for employers’ liability (EL) and public liability (PL) coverage across the three target areas.
Avid, which operates from offices in London, Leeds, and Hornchurch, focuses on delivering specialist commercial lines. Its product portfolio includes established offerings in motorsport and leisure, aligning closely with the sectors addressed in the new agreement.
The three lines covered under the new capacity arrangement are being led by experienced underwriters within Avid’s structure. For groundworks, Dean Surridge, director of construction underwriting at Avid subsidiary IIGL, is overseeing coverage for contractors operating across services such as drainage, civil engineering, utilities, and surfacing.
Motorsport and leisure products fall under the direction of Mike Patchett, Avid’s head of speciality. The motorsport line is designed to support organisations involved in club, team, event, and venue operations across both two- and four-wheeled formats. The leisure segment focuses on activity-led and recreational businesses, with emphasis on risk awareness for operations including adventure parks and zoos.
John Inwood (pictured above), underwriting director at Avid, said the firm has had a strong start to the year and that the new agreement with Starr adds further depth to its specialist offering.
“Each of these three sectors requires dedicated expertise, and we’re proud to be offering brokers targeted products, and specialist underwriting,” Inwood said.
Avid has expanded its specialist capacity in recent years, particularly following the acquisition of Incorporated Insurance Group Limited (IIGL) in 2021. The deal enhanced Avid’s ability to underwrite risks in the construction liability market, which is now being further supported through Starr’s capacity in the groundworks space.
Avid currently writes more than £40 million in gross written premium across both personal and commercial lines.
Carl Jago, head of casualty (UK Retail) at Starr Underwriting Agents, said that the partnership reflects ongoing confidence in Avid’s approach.
“Avid’s proven underwriting expertise and strong track record in these areas have impressed us from the outset. We look forward to working closely with John and his team to deliver best-in-class solutions to brokers and customers,” Jago said.
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