The verdict in three sentences
Most UK mortgage clients still walk out without protection cover, and those who do buy often pay GBP 3,000 to 10,000 more over the term than a properly compared policy. A broker who shows API-based quotes from 8 insurers in 2 minutes captures these leads before the aggregators, provided the journey meets FCA Consumer Duty (fair value, consumer understanding, good outcomes). Project cost depends mainly on how many insurers you integrate and how they deliver quotes, directly or via a quote portal.
What Consumer Duty and FCA rules require of the journey
The owner of a 15-person broker in London handles protection quotes by email today: collecting details, keying them into insurer portals, comparing in a spreadsheet. Count 45 minutes per case.
| Rule | Content | Impact on the platform |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer Duty, products and services outcome | products meet the target market's needs | needs questionnaire and target market checks |
| Consumer Duty, price and value | fair value, commission disclosed | commission shown, value rationale recorded |
| Consumer Duty, consumer understanding | clear, tested communications | plain-English summaries, tested screens |
| ICOBS suitability for advised sales | demands and needs statement | auto-generated statement archived per case |
| Vulnerable customers (FG21/1) | identify and adapt | flags and adviser escalation |
| Policy summary and key facts | delivered before purchase | mandatory download before signature |
| UK GDPR, special category health data | explicit consent, secure storage | encryption, retention policy, UK hosting |
Compliance is not an add-on: a comparison that ignores needs or vulnerability creates poor outcomes, complaints and Financial Ombudsman exposure.
Architecture and market price ranges
UK protection insurers (Aviva, Legal and General, Royal London, Vitality, Zurich, AIG, LV, Guardian) quote through portals such as UnderwriteMe or iPipeline, with APIs for broker firms under agency agreements. Figures below are 2026 UK market estimates.
| Component | Description | Market range (2026 estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Quote form and needs capture | 2-minute mobile journey | GBP 5,000 to 10,000 |
| API connection per insurer or portal | auth, cover mapping, error handling | GBP 2,000 to 5,000 per connection |
| Comparison engine and suitability rules | filtering by needs and budget | GBP 4,000 to 8,000 |
| E-signature | application, client agreement | GBP 2,500 to 5,000, plus GBP 1 to 2 per signature |
| Client area and broker back office | case tracking, chasers | GBP 7,000 to 13,000 |
| White-label quoting software | subscription | GBP 250 to 1,200 per month, limited customisation |
With 8 direct insurer connections, APIs alone cost GBP 16,000 to 40,000 on the market. Connecting one quote portal that already aggregates insurers is often far cheaper.
A phased launch keeps risk low: start with the quote form, one quote portal and the demands and needs statement, measure conversion for 6 to 8 weeks, then add direct insurer connections and the client area. Brokers who phase this way usually see their first measurable uplift within the first 2 months.
Budget and timeline with Kolonell
Kolonell prices this type of platform on its custom grid: simple, 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (EUR 3,810 to 6,100), medium, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (EUR 6,100 to 10,670), complex, 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (EUR 10,670 to 22,870+). A multi-insurer comparison with e-signature and a client area sits in the complex band. Each extra insurer, hosting and signature fees are quoted separately. Timeline is 12 to 16 weeks, including 3 to 4 weeks for agency agreements and insurer test environments. Maintenance at 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (EUR 53, 114 or 183) absorbs API version changes. Visibility can rely on our SEO service.
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Priya, owner of a 15-person broker in London, writes 40 protection policies a month. Average commission: around GBP 600 per policy, GBP 24,000 a month.
Quote time drops from 45 minutes to a 10-minute check, saving 35 minutes on 120 quotes a month: 70 hours freed. If conversion rises from 33 % to 40 % thanks to instant answers, Priya writes 48 policies instead of 40: 8 more and GBP 4,800 extra commission per month, GBP 57,600 a year. With a platform budgeted around EUR 22,000 and about EUR 2,200 a year of maintenance, payback comes in roughly 4 months, before any clawback provisions.
FAQ
Do we need an agreement with each insurer to use its API?
Yes, quote access requires an agency agreement and dedicated credentials, either per insurer or via a quote portal. Allow 2 to 6 weeks per insurer for a test environment.
Can clients sign online?
Yes, UK law accepts electronic signatures for protection applications. Underwriting decisions on straightforward cases often come back within minutes, more complex ones in 1 to 4 weeks.
Must we store health data?
In most journeys, medical answers go straight to the insurer's underwriting engine. If the firm keeps them, UK hosting, encryption and a defined retention period are required, typically GBP 150 to 500 a month.
How many insurers at launch?
Four to five insurers or one quote portal usually cover 80 % of profiles. Specialist impaired-risk insurers follow, 1 to 2 per quarter.
How do we evidence Consumer Duty outcomes?
The platform logs needs, quotes compared, the recommendation and the demands and needs statement. These time-stamped records feed the annual board report the FCA expects.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your insurer panel and monthly quote volume, and we will scope a Consumer Duty-ready platform deliverable in 12 to 16 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
