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Insurance glossary
What is a submission in wholesale insurance?
A plain-English definition for wholesale insurance producers, and for the retail producers they work with.
A submission is a request for a quote: the package of information about a risk that a producer sends to an underwriter, or that a retail agent sends to a wholesaler. A complete submission gives the underwriter everything needed to decide whether to quote and at what terms. In wholesale, the number and quality of submissions from retail agencies is the main measure of a wholesaler's relationships.
How it works.
A commercial submission typically includes applications, loss history, exposure details such as payroll, revenue or property schedules, current coverage and the terms requested. The wholesaler reviews it, sends it to the insurers whose appetite fits, and returns quotes or declinations to the retail agent.
Incomplete submissions slow everything down, so many wholesalers publish what they need for each line.
Why it matters to wholesale producers.
Submission flow is the lifeblood of a wholesale brokerage. Retail producers send submissions to the wholesalers they know, trust and find fast, so building relationships with the producers and account managers who write your lines is how you grow it.
For retail producers: a complete submission to a wholesaler whose appetite fits the risk gets a faster, better answer than a broad send to every market.
Related terms.
On ProducerSpark.
Sources (opened October 23, 2026): IRMI: submission; WSIA: An introduction to the surplus lines insurance market (2026). General information, not legal or tax advice. Requirements vary by state.
Questions.
Is a submission the same as an application?
Not exactly. A submission is the full proposal sent to an underwriter, and an application alone is a complete submission only when it contains all the information the underwriter needs.
Who sends submissions to wholesalers?
Retail producers and the account managers who support them.
How do wholesalers get more submissions?
By making their appetite easy to know, reaching the retail producers who write their lines directly, and answering quickly.