Award Categories 2019

The award categories are open to all insurance brokers, whether nominating a forward thinking apprentice or highlighting your company for its use of technology. Our purpose is to celebrate the successes of those organisations, teams and individuals who deliver new and innovative insurance solutions.

The following criteria should be treated as a guide by entrants when reviewing award categories, but are not intended to be exhaustive, and entrants are invited to mention any other points they feel strengthen their entry.

Entry Deadline: 7 June 2019

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Start-up of the Year

Recognises the commitment and dedication required to launch a new insurance broking business. Open to brokers and intermediaries that have been authorised within four years of the closing date (7 June 2019)

  • Significant success, such as profitability, high revenue or market share, in short period of time
  • Unique selling point that promises future potential of business
  • Client testimonials


Digital Broker Award

Recognises the impact that a broker’s use of a digital platform or service can have on customer service, efficiency creation and profitability

  • Development and deployment of a digital platform to interact with a customer, partner or in-house
  • Improved customer service, efficiency creation or profitability as a direct result of use of technology
  • Future proofing in anticipation of further digitalisation of insurance industry


Cyber Risk Award

Recognises the importance of this new line of insurance, which requires brokers to secure innovative protection against myriad threats, from lone hackers to state-sponsored groups, and of valuable digital infrastructure, client data and reputations. Open to authorised brokers and intermediaries

  • Focus on prevention, preparation and protection
  • Provision of education and training to customers
  • Extensive insurer network, ensuring competitive pricing and customer acquisition and retention
  • Diverse partnerships for a complete product set


Personal Lines Broker of the Year

Recognises the achievements of personal lines brokers. Open to authorised personal lines brokers and intermediaries only

  • Significant success, such as profitability, high revenue or market share
  • Extensive insurer network, ensuring competitive pricing and customer acquisition and retention
  • Use of technology to differentiate offering
  • Client testimonials


Commercial Lines Broker of the Year

Recognises the achievements of commercial lines brokers. Open to authorised commercial lines brokers and intermediaries only

  • Significant success, such as profitability, high revenue or market share
  • Extensive insurer network, ensuring competitive pricing and customer acquisition and retention
  • Use of technology to differentiate offering
  • Client testimonials


Broker of the Year

Recognises the achievements of general insurance brokers. Open to authorised general insurance brokers and intermediaries only

  • Significant success, such as profitability, high revenue or market share
  • Extensive insurer network, ensuring competitive pricing and customer acquisition and retention
  • Use of technology to differentiate offering
  • Client testimonials


Broker Network of the Year

Recognises the importance of insurance broker networks to maintaining the independent brokerage model, its growth, and helping it to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace

  • Member-focused organisation that champions member needs above all else
  • Investment in independent brokerage model
  • Quality resources that are updated and improved to meet needs of members
  • Develop and strengthen insurer relationships
  • Commitment to excellence


Claims Team of the Year

Recognises that claims management is the broker’s customer-facing service and so must be responsive, considerate, fast and efficient. Open to brokers’ outsourced partners and in-house services

  • Examples of where the claims team went above and beyond the call of duty in response to an event or series of events
  • Use of technology to improve response-time, communication and efficiency
  • Collaboration and partnerships leading to better customer service
  • Client testimonials


Client Care Award

Recognises that customer service is integral to client retention and business growth, and can often be the difference between success and failure. Open to all authorised brokers and intermediaries

  • Commitment to the customer in everything the broker does, from pricing to claims management
  • Examples of where the broker has gone above and beyond its duty to the customer
  • Client testimonials


Training Award

Recognises that education and training are becoming increasingly important as the UK suffers a prolonged skills shortage. Open to all authorised brokers and intermediaries

  • Significant investment in training and development
  • Innovative training and development methods that champion best practice
  • Examples of staff members who have undergone training, with a particular focus on their achievements


Trainee of the Year

Recognises the achievements of an individual who has undertaken or completed a trainee contract, such as an apprenticeship, within 12 months of the closing date (1 July 2019). Open to all authorised brokers and intermediaries

  • Excellent grades, results and achievements
  • Outstanding contribution to business
  • References from senior colleagues


Rising Star of the Year

Recognises the outstanding contribution of an individual who has joined the broking industry within three years of the closing date (7 June 2019). Open to all authorised brokers and intermediaries

  • Excellent standards of work
  • Dedication to the job
  • Outstanding contribution to the business
  • References from senior colleagues


Director of the Year

Recognises the achievements of the insurance broking’s leaders and their importance to its continued prosperity

  • Evidence of contribution to the success of their business in the pat 12 months
  • Demonstrable expertise in field of work
  • Leadership qualities and business planning
  • Dedication to clients
  • Demonstrable work to help/mentor junior staff
  • Contribution to the community


Diversity and Inclusion Award

Recognises commitment to diversity and inclusion, with an emphasis on developing opportunities for professional advancement in insurance broking. Open to all authorised insurance brokers and intermediaries

  • A significant focus on identifying and removing the industry’s barriers to entry
  • Active promotion of equality, internally and externally
  • Strong passion for celebrating diversity in all of its forms


Best Use of Technology

Recognises the impact that a broker’s use of technology can have on its business. Open to all authorised brokers and intermediaries, as well as their partners

  • Development and deployment of technology in-house or in partnership with another
  • A technological solution to solve a business problem
  • Inventiveness and simplicity
  • A focus on teamwork
  • Future proofing in anticipation of further change in the insurance industry


InsurTech Partner of the Year

Recognises the outstanding achievements of insurtech company or entrepreneur that fundamentally changed the way an aspect of insurance broking is carried out or significantly improved on an existing process or service. Open to brokers’ insurtech partners and non-affiliated start-ups and companies innovating in the insurance space

  • Developed an invention or innovation that increased profitability, enhanced efficiency or improved customer service
  • Intimate understanding of the problem
  • Ongoing support and flexibility to resolve unforeseen issues
  • Future proofing in anticipation of further change in the insurance industry


Outsourced Partner of the Year

Open to all service providers that count brokers as clients

  • Developed Innovative approach to fulfilling its role, achieving demonstrable success and integrating effectively with clients
  • Expert service delivery and stunning client feedback
  • Demonstrable benefit to clients


Deal of the Year

Recognises innovation, skill and acumen in negotiating and securing deals between brokers and insurers. Open to all authorised insurance brokers and intermediaries

  • Deal must be transformational in terms of the bottom line, product set or other significant area
  • Objectives and how they were met
  • Considerable, demonstrable benefit to the insurance broking industry and its customers


The Broker Innovation Award

Recognises a specific implementation of an innovation in broking, be it in service delivery, pricing, technology, or training and development

  • The innovation and what it achieved
  • Aims and conclusion
  • Ongoing commitment to business-wide innovation


Lifetime Achievement Award

This award is not open to nominations, but will be decided by the judging panel prior to the awards ceremony. If there is an individual you would like to put forward to the judges for their consideration, please email mariah.hams@barkerbrooks.co.uk