Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is a Bristol-based independent insurance broker that arranges professional indemnity (PI) insurance for firms throughout the United Kingdom, including those based in Plymouth and across the wider South West. We do not operate an office in Plymouth. Our service model is built around remote working, secure document handling and direct contact by telephone, video and email, which means Plymouth clients deal with the broker handling their account rather than being routed through a regional branch.
We work with professional firms whose income depends on advice, designs, calculations, valuations, surveys or technical reports issued to clients. Many Plymouth clients are linked, directly or indirectly, to the marine and defence economy that surrounds Devonport, but we also support more traditional professional disciplines — accountants, surveyors, architects and management consultancies — across the city and the South Devon area. Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), firm reference 724952.
If you would prefer to speak to a broker rather than complete an online form, you can call us on 0117 325 0027 or email info@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk. Initial conversations are free, and we will tell you what information is needed before approaching the market on your behalf.
Plymouth's professional services sector
Plymouth — branded as Britain's Ocean City — has a professional services economy that is closely tied to the sea and to defence. His Majesty's Naval Base Devonport is the largest naval base in Western Europe and a central node in the United Kingdom's submarine support infrastructure. Babcock International operates the dockyard and engineering facilities at Devonport under long-term contract to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The naval base and its supply chain support a deep pool of engineering, project management and assurance consultants in and around the city, many of whom hold the security clearances necessary to work on defence-sensitive programmes.
Princess Yachts is headquartered in Plymouth and is one of the United Kingdom's notable luxury motor yacht builders. Together with the wider marine engineering supply chain — naval architects, marine surveyors, propulsion specialists, composites engineers — the city has a tightly clustered marine economy serving both defence and commercial markets. The University of Plymouth is research-active in marine science, hydrography and engineering, and Plymouth Marine Laboratory is a major centre for marine and environmental research. These institutions sustain a small but technically deep consultancy community, particularly in environmental, hydrographic and marine survey work.
The Plymouth and South Devon Freeport status gives the area an additional planning and customs framework intended to encourage investment in advanced manufacturing, marine and defence sectors. In the wider professional landscape, Plymouth supports chartered accountants, tax advisers, independent financial advisers, solicitors and chartered surveyors, the majority of whom are regional firms and sole-practitioner practices serving owner-managed businesses, the local residential market and commercial property in the city and across South Devon. Healthcare consultancy is also present in the city, anchored by University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and the wider clinical commissioning environment.
This combination of defence-adjacent technical consultancy, marine engineering and traditional regional professional firms gives Plymouth a PI profile that differs noticeably from larger urban markets. Cover often needs to respond to contract terms set by MoD prime contractors, marine engineering yards and a residential surveying market that is more spread out and seasonal than in larger conurbations.
PI insurance for Plymouth-based professional firms
A defence engineering consultant working into the Babcock supply chain has very different PI requirements from a high-street chartered accountant in the city centre. We work with each client to identify the exposures that actually matter, including:
- Defence-adjacent engineering and management consultancy PI, including cover that can sit alongside MoD or Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) prime contract terms
- Marine engineering and naval architect PI, including cover for design, supervision and survey work on commercial, leisure and defence vessels
- Marine surveyor and hydrographic survey PI, with attention to environmental and oceanographic consultancy
- Surveyor PI for chartered surveyors active on the South Devon residential and commercial market
- Architect and engineering PI for consultancies working on Plymouth waterfront and city-centre regeneration
- Accountancy and tax PI, including cover for audit work, R&D tax advice and HMRC enquiry handling
- Healthcare and clinical consultancy PI, where the firm is providing advisory rather than clinical services
For defence-adjacent consultancies in particular, the contract terms used by MoD prime contractors can include liability, indemnity and audit provisions that sit outside a standard PI wording. We review proposed contract clauses, indemnity caps and required limits before placement, and we explain in plain English where a clause is unusual, onerous or simply uninsurable.
How Apex serves Plymouth firms
Because our office is in Bristol rather than Plymouth, our resources go into people and systems rather than a branch network. In practice this means a Plymouth-based client will typically experience the following:
- A single named broker handles your account from quotation through to renewal and any mid-term changes
- Initial meetings are usually held by video call, which most Plymouth clients prefer to a long round trip
- Where an in-person meeting is genuinely useful, we travel to your office; we do not charge for travel within mainland Great Britain
- All proposal forms, presentations and policy documents are handled electronically through secure channels
- Claims notifications are passed to insurers immediately, and we stay involved as your broker throughout the life of the claim
Apex is independent and is not tied to any single insurer. We approach the UK PI market on your behalf, including Lloyd's syndicates and company markets that write marine, engineering, defence-adjacent and traditional professional risks. Where a risk is harder to place — for example, a small consultancy with significant defence exposure or a marine engineer with overseas project work — we will explain the position openly rather than walking away from the enquiry.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have an office in Plymouth?
No. Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is based at 53 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol, BS1 4HQ, and we do not operate a Plymouth office. We serve Plymouth and South Devon clients remotely by telephone, email and video, and we travel to client premises where an in-person meeting adds value.
Are you authorised to advise Plymouth firms?
Yes. We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference 724952. The FCA's permissions apply across the United Kingdom, so we can advise firms based in Plymouth and throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Do you understand defence-adjacent and marine PI requirements?
Yes. Defence-adjacent engineering and management consultancy, marine engineering errors and omissions, and naval architect PI are part of our placement work. We are familiar with the contract language used by MoD prime contractors, Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) tier-one suppliers and large marine yard operators, and we work with insurers that understand these exposures.
Can you place cover for Plymouth defence-adjacent and marine firms?
Yes. We work with engineering consultancies, marine engineers, naval architects, hydrographic surveyors and management consultancies involved in defence and marine programmes. We also support land-based professional firms — surveyors, architects, accountants and IFAs — across Plymouth and South Devon.
How are claims handled if we are in Plymouth?
A claim or circumstance is notified to insurers as soon as you tell us about it, by phone or by email. We deal with the insurer's claims team on your behalf, share correspondence with you electronically, and explain each step in plain English. Being based in Bristol rather than Plymouth does not delay any part of that process.
Can you advise on PI requirements in MoD and prime-contractor contracts?
Yes. Before placement we review the PI, indemnity and audit clauses in your standard customer contracts, including required limits, basis of cover and any pass-through provisions from prime-contractor terms. We do not provide legal advice, but we will identify clauses that are unusual or that may not align with what your PI policy will respond to.
What information do you need to start a quote for a Plymouth firm?
For most professional firms we need a description of the services you provide, an estimate of your fee income and its geographical split, details of any subcontractors, your claims history, and your current policy schedule if you have one. We will tell you up front if a particular sector — such as defence-adjacent consultancy — needs additional information.
Speak to Apex about your PI cover
If you are a Plymouth-based firm reviewing your professional indemnity cover, or buying it for the first time, we are happy to talk through your options without obligation.
- Telephone: 0117 325 0027
- Email: info@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk
- Office: 53 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol, BS1 4HQ
About Apex Insurance Brokers — Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA firm reference 724952. Registered in England and Wales, Companies House 07014570. Registered office: 53 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol, BS1 4HQ. Last reviewed: May 2026.