In our previous article, How to Write a Submission That Survives the Algorithm, we explored submission quality in a data-driven underwriting environment. For atypical risks, however, the next challenge is gaining traction once an underwriter’s attention has been secured.
At NPRe, we assess opportunities that sit beyond traditional markets, including emerging industries, unconventional structures and businesses outside standard underwriting appetites. These risks often struggle not because they are inherently uninsurable, but because underwriters have limited time to understand how they behave and how uncertainty is being managed.
A strong narrative makes that assessment easier. Gallagher describes the submission as an organisation’s most impactful communication with potential insurers: data establishes the facts, but context helps an underwriter understand what makes the risk distinct.¹
Don’t assume complexity is a barrier
Climate change, cyber threats and other evolving exposures are testing established underwriting approaches. Allianz argues that headlines about “uninsurability” can obscure the industry’s ability to respond through stronger technical capabilities, broader risk expertise and innovative forms of risk transfer mechanisms. ²
The task for brokers and cedents, then, is not to disguise complexity, but to make it assessable. Explain how the exposure works, where its limits sit and which controls make it manageable.
Don’t bury the lead
Lead with the information that will shape the underwriting decision. Explain the organisation’s operations, strategic priorities and growth plans, then identify the exposures that matter most. In a busy market, this context is more useful than a large volume of undifferentiated data. To keep their attention, your data needs to be presented in a way that brings your story to life.
Loss information should be precise and explained rather than presented in isolation. Contextualise individual events, highlight positive trends and, where credible comparisons exist, benchmark performance against relevant industry standards. Comprehensive data can reduce uncertainty and prevent an underwriter from defaulting to a worst-case view.¹
Scenario analysis, engineering reports, operational data and probable maximum loss estimates should support the narrative, showing the assumptions behind the assessment without overwhelming the reader.³
Consider Alternative Structures
Not every atypical risk fits a traditional placement. Layered programmes, syndication, captives, reinsurance structures and alternative capital can align available capacity with realistic loss scenarios and underwriting appetites.
Allianz’s call to supplement traditional indemnity solutions is especially relevant where a risk is understood but does not fit a conventional product or concentration limit.²
At NPRe, we believe the best opportunities are often those that require a closer look. Our appetite is shaped less by rigid categories than by our ability to understand risk, assess its potential, and build long-term partnerships.
A focused go-to-market strategy should identify the most relevant markets, anticipate their questions and give each piece of data a clear purpose. Done well, the submission does not oversimplify a complex risk; it demonstrates its commercial potential and creates competition for an opportunity that falls outside standard appetites.
Sources
- Gallagher, The Art of Storytelling: Crafting Compelling Narratives for Risk Management.
- Allianz, Re-writing the Underwriting Story: How to Navigate the Complexities of Modern Risks (2024).
- Swiss Re Institute, Expanding the Boundaries of Insurability (2026).