Corporate Brochure
Specialist surety, guarantees and credit insurance from Dublin
An independent Irish specialist insurer authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland since 2001. We underwrite contract surety, commercial guarantees, and credit protection on our own balance sheet, delivered through regulated brokers across Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
Authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland since 5 July 2001 · Reference C33629
For commercial contractors, corporate treasurers, risk managers, and regulated intermediaries.
Boland’s Quay, Dublin · William Murphy, CC BY-SA 2.0
Who we are
An independent specialist underwriting on its own capital
FDI Insurance d.a.c. is a specialist credit and suretyship insurer headquartered in Dublin. We are not a generalist composite carrier or a fronting facility: every bond, guarantee, and policy is underwritten directly on our own paper, backed by supervised capital held on our own balance sheet.
01
Specialist underwriting focus
We operate with a dedicated focus in credit and suretyship. Our underwriting teams evaluate commercial contracts, counter-indemnities, and project risks individually rather than relying on automated scoring models.
02
Direct balance-sheet security
Every instrument is issued directly on our own paper. Beneficiaries receive the direct covenant of a regulated European insurer without intermediary parent dependencies or offshore arrangements.
03
Decades of continuous authorisation
Incorporated and authorised in Dublin in 2001, we have operated without interruption under the prudential supervision of the Central Bank of Ireland for over two decades.
04
Dedicated broker partnership
We distribute exclusively through accredited brokers and professional intermediaries, ensuring commercial clients receive expert advisory support alongside direct access to decision-making underwriters.
Corporate identification & registers
- Legal entity
- FDI Insurance d.a.c.
- Legal form
- Private company limited by shares, qualified as a Designated Activity Company under the Irish Companies Act 2014
- Incorporated
- 5 June 2001 · Dublin, Ireland
- Authorised
- 5 July 2001 · Central Bank of Ireland (Ref C33629)
- Classes of business
- Class 13 (General liability), Class 14 (Credit), Class 15 (Suretyship)
- Companies Registration Office
- Company No. 344028
- Legal Entity Identifier
- 6354004DCXXTSLKWUZ20
- Statutory auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dublin
Why insurance surety
Equal legal protection. Unimpaired bank borrowing capacity.
For a project employer, beneficiary, or public authority, an insurance surety bond fulfills exactly the same commercial function as a bank guarantee: it provides a legally enforceable, binding commitment from a supervised financial institution to make payment in the event of contractual non-performance.
For the commercial contractor or applicant, however, the practical difference is transformative. Commercial banks routinely debit collateral from committed borrowing lines or require 100% cash backing for letters of credit, freezing essential working capital.
An insurance surety bond from FDI Insurance d.a.c. is written as a contingent insurance undertaking. It sits completely outside the client’s existing banking arrangements, leaving committed overdrafts, revolving credit facilities, and project loans entirely untouched.
A surety bond from an authorised insurer gives the beneficiary complete security while giving the contractor the financial agility to take on larger projects.
Commercial & Financial Advantages
Preserves committed credit lines
Bank guarantees directly absorb borrowing capacity. An insurance surety facility leaves bank lines clear to fund daily payroll, materials, and equipment procurement.
Universal legal & contractual acceptance
Our instruments are accepted by public contracting authorities, national transport bodies, commercial developers, utility operators, and tax administrations.
Tailored contractual wordings
We underwrite on-demand, conditional, default-based, and statutory wordings tailored to standard industry contracts (including FIDIC, JCT, NEC, RIAI, and RIA).
Unlocks cash retentions
Retention bonds replace physical cash holdbacks on construction projects, immediately returning valuable liquidity to the contractor’s balance sheet.
Core solutions
Guarantees and contract surety bonds
We provide a comprehensive range of contract, commercial, and statutory bonds issued on our own balance sheet. Instruments are available in euro, sterling, and US dollars.
Performance Bonds
Contract SuretySecures the project employer against the financial cost of completing works if a contractor fails to perform contractual obligations. Typically 10% to 20% of contract value, issued on default or on-demand terms.
Advance Payment Guarantees
Mobilisation SecurityProtects upfront capital disbursed to a contractor or supplier for equipment and materials before milestone delivery, amortising progressively as certified valuations are submitted.
Bid & Tender Bonds
Procurement Pre-qualificationGuarantees that a tender submission is authentic and that the bidder will enter into formal contract on the terms offered without withdrawing, converting seamlessly into a performance bond on award.
Retention Bonds
Working Capital LiquidityReplaces physical cash retentions held by the employer (typically 3% to 5% of gross contract sum), releasing immediate cash back into the contractor’s operational working capital.
Customs & Excise Guarantees
Revenue & Duty DefermentSecures deferred customs duties, import VAT, and excise obligations owed to national tax authorities (Revenue Commissioners in Ireland, HMRC in the UK), facilitating continuous goods transit.
Environmental Restoration Bonds
Statutory ComplianceGuarantees site remediation and long-term aftercare obligations imposed by planning authorities and environmental agencies for quarries, landfills, wind farms, and industrial sites.
Facilities are agreed on an annual revolving basis, allowing established contractors to call off individual project bonds within hours upon contract award.
Commercial risk solutions
Trade credit insurance and property development security
Beyond contract surety, we provide specialist protection across trade debtor books, structural development obligations, and corporate financial commitments.
Trade Credit Insurance
Insolvency and non-payment protection
Comprehensive protection against the risk of commercial debtors failing to settle invoices due to insolvency or protracted default.
- Whole-turnover cover protecting the entire domestic and export sales ledger
- Key-account and major-buyer policies focused on catastrophic concentration risks
- Continuous credit limit monitoring on buyers across Ireland, the UK, and Europe
- Pre-claim debt collection and salvage services integrated into policy cover
Property & Infrastructure Guarantees
Statutory development and planning compliance
Guarantees required by local councils, statutory bodies, and utilities before residential or commercial developments can proceed.
- Road and sewer adoption bonds (Section 38 and Section 104 in the UK, Section 278 agreements)
- Planning compliance and development completion bonds for local authorities
- Utility connection and sub-station security bonds
- Structural warranty and deposit protection guarantees
Commercial & Financial Guarantees
Structured corporate obligations
Tailored guarantees securing defined contractual payment streams and commercial counterparty covenants.
- Commercial rent deposit guarantees replacing cash deposits held in escrow
- Deferred consideration guarantees on commercial mergers and asset acquisitions
- Decommissioning and energy grid connection guarantees
- Court, judicial, and administration bonds for executors and fiduciaries
Enterprise solutions
Workplace protection and wealth preservation
Our commercial offering is complemented by structured workplace benefits and institutional asset preservation arrangements.
Workplace Protection
Group employee benefit schemes
Group life assurance, group income protection, and group critical illness schemes designed for commercial employers. We price entire payrolls as a collective risk, providing substantial free cover limits that eliminate individual medical underwriting for the vast majority of employees, paired with early intervention and wellness support.
Core Applications
- Group Life Assurance (death in service multiple of salary)
- Group Income Protection (continuous disability salary replacement)
- Group Critical Illness cover for diagnosed major conditions
- Integrated employee assistance programmes and second medical opinions
Institutional Wealth & Estate Planning
Long-term asset preservation structures
Specialised corporate and trust structures established to hold and protect accumulated enterprise assets across generations. We provide onshore and international investment wrappers, open architecture accounts, and professional trustee support to safeguard corporate estates and business succession plans without family dispute.
Core Applications
- Corporate investment wrappers with tax-efficient succession options
- Professional trusteeship and fiduciary administration services
- Whole of life cover structured to fund inheritance and transfer liabilities
- Multi-generational wealth preservation frameworks
Every corporate and protection plan is built on durable legal architecture, transparent charging, and dependable long-term policy administration.
Underwriting philosophy
Commercial reality, technical rigor, and decisive execution
We do not operate a rigid algorithm or a ticketing queue. Every risk presented to FDI Insurance d.a.c. is examined by experienced underwriters with direct authority to structure and approve terms.
Case submission & financial review
The placing broker submits audited financial statements, management accounts, project details, and the proposed wording. Our underwriters evaluate underlying covenant strength, cash flow, order books, and operational track record.
Counter-indemnity structuring
Bonds are issued against an executed counter-indemnity from the operating company, supported where appropriate by parent company backing. We establish clear contractual recourse, preserving the client’s independent ownership.
Facility establishment
For regular contractors and trading companies, we establish an overarching revolving facility limit. Once approved, individual project call-offs require minimal administration and are turned around rapidly.
Direct issuance & live registry verification
Bonds are issued on our authorised company paper. Each certificate is entered into our live public Bond Registry and carries an individual QR code for immediate beneficiary verification.
Decision turnaround
24–48 hours for standard facility proposals
Facility limits
From €100k to €10m+ on standard and referred terms
Currencies written
Euro (EUR), Pounds Sterling (GBP), US Dollars (USD)
Direct underwriter contact
Direct telephone and email access on every live case
Regulation & governance
Prudential supervision and European freedom of services
Authorised in Ireland under European Union insurance regulations, FDI Insurance d.a.c. operates under full Solvency II regulatory standards, delivering security to cross-border beneficiaries.
Prudentially supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland
Authorised since 2001 to conduct non-life insurance business under the European Union (Insurance and Reinsurance) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 485 of 2015). We report in full to the Central Bank of Ireland, publishing regular Solvency & Financial Condition Reports (SFCRs).
European Freedom to Provide Services (FOS)
Under the EU single market framework, our Irish authorisation passports across member states. We actively write credit and suretyship business across Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain (registered with the DGSFP in ramos 14 and 15), Italy, and Romania.
Robust Solvency II governance framework
The undertaking is managed by its Board of Directors in Dublin, operating independent Solvency II key functions: Risk Management, Actuarial, Compliance, and Internal Audit. Risk appetite and capital adequacy are systematically reviewed.
Disciplined capital & reinsurance management
We maintain eligible own funds well above the Solvency Capital Requirement (SCR) and Minimum Capital Requirement (MCR) floors, supported by disciplined underwriting tolerances and conservative reserving.
Working with us
Broker partnership and verifiable digital security
Our commercial distribution is anchored in close partnership with professional insurance brokers, intermediaries, and managing agents.
Streamlined accreditation
Regulated intermediary firms, individual brokers, and networks can apply for terms of business online in minutes or via structured PDF accreditation schedules.
Direct underwriting desk
Brokers discuss terms directly with named senior underwriters who have decision-making authority, avoiding bureaucratic committee delays on urgent tenders.
Commercial flexibility
We consider non-standard contract wordings, joint venture arrangements, and international project requirements that conventional lenders decline.
Instant online policy verification
Every bond and certificate issued by FDI Insurance d.a.c. carries a unique reference number and secure QR code. Employers, government departments, and banks can instantly verify instrument authenticity on our public portal at fdi-insurance.eu/verify-policy.
Corporate & Underwriting Contacts
- Broker Desk
- [email protected] · +353 1 604 4020
- General Enquiries
- [email protected] · +353 1 604 4000
- Working Hours
- Monday to Friday, 09:00–17:00 (IST)
Essential corporate facts
- Legal name
- FDI Insurance Designated Activity Company (FDI Insurance d.a.c.)
- Legal form
- Private company limited by shares, qualified as a Designated Activity Company under the Irish Companies Act 2014
- Incorporation
- 5 June 2001 · Dublin, Ireland
- Authorisation
- 5 July 2001 · Central Bank of Ireland (Institution Reference C33629)
- Registered number
- Companies Registration Office No. 344028
- Legal Entity Identifier
- 6354004DCXXTSLKWUZ20
- Statutory auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers, Spencer Dock, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1, Ireland
- Home supervisor
- Central Bank of Ireland, New Wapping Street, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1
FDI Insurance d.a.c. is an Irish insurance undertaking authorised and prudentially supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland. Cover is arranged through regulated intermediaries. Nothing in this brochure constitutes an offer of cover or an irrevocable commitment to issue a guarantee. Facilities are subject to technical underwriting, covenant assessment, and formal execution of counter-indemnity documentation.
This brochure is published on our official website. The online edition is available at https://fdi-insurance.eu/corporate-brochure.