Aviva launches 'Double the Difference' fund to boost broker fundraising efforts. Published: 03 Aug 2026 * Aviva has launched the 'Double the Difference' fund to support broker charity fundraising initiatives * Brokers can register projects to receive up to £5,000 in fund-matching, with a total of £200,000 available on a first-come, first-served basis * More than £13,000 has already been donated to causes chosen by brokers across the UK Aviva is helping brokers' charity efforts go twice as far through its new fund-matching initiative, Double the Difference. Through the new scheme, Aviva is providing up to £5,000 per broker-led charity initiative through matching individual donations of up to £250, enabling brokers to double their support for the charities they champion. Available to UK-based brokers that trade with Aviva, the insurer has pledged to donate up to £200,000 through the programme, with funding available on a first-come, first-served basis. Since its launch in June, Double the Difference has already supported 18 broker-led projects, with Aviva providing over £13,000 in fund-matching. Overall, broker fundraisers have raised more than £31,000 for their chosen causes. Championing community causes. Through the 'Double the Difference' programme, brokers can raise money for any UK-registered charity of their choice. Recognising the important role brokers already play in their community, the initiative encourages firms to support the causes that matter most to their employees - whether that's a longstanding charity partnership or a community project in their local area. Brokers can register one project per location, up to a maximum of five projects, enabling them to support multiple initiatives across their regional branch network. The new fund replaces the former Aviva Broker Community Fund, giving brokers a simple way to support the causes they care about by matching eligible fundraising pound for pound. Alistair Body, Business Development Director, Momentum Broker Solutions Limited, said: "Aviva's Double the Difference campaign has already matched £5,000 for our charity, The Community Rugby Trust. For a charity as young as this, that's an incredible amount of money, and on its own it allows us to deliver coaching to more than 800 children. Added to everything else Aviva has done for us, it's hard to overstate what their backing has meant to this journey." "Insurers and brokers working together on causes that matter to our communities is exactly what this partnership represents. Supporting The Community Rugby Trust gives us, as a broker, a genuine opportunity to give back to our local community and help bring people together through the sport we love." With funding still available, brokers can get ready to make an even bigger difference. I'd encourage them to choose a cause, sign up, and get fundraising, because together, Aviva plc can make double the difference. Michelle Taylor, Broker Distribution Director, Aviva Michelle Taylor, Broker Distribution Director, Aviva, said: "Aviva plc know its brokers have an incredible impact on their communities across the UK, but Aviva plc believe that together, Aviva plc can achieve even more. That's why Aviva plc is delighted to help brokers champion the causes they care about through the new Double the Difference fund. By matching every pound up to £5,000, the fund makes it simple for brokers to make twice the impact, driving even more positive change in their communities. "It's been fantastic to see such a positive response so far, with brokers across the country already getting involved and securing extra support for their chosen charities. I'm looking forward to seeing even more causes benefit from the fund in the future, thanks to the commitment and passion of our broker partners. With funding still available, brokers can get ready to make an even bigger difference. I'd encourage them to choose a cause, sign up, and get fundraising, because together, we can make double the difference." Wider initiatives. Double the Difference is in addition to Aviva's wider social impact programmes, the Financial Futures Fund and Communities Fund. Delivered through the Aviva Foundation, these initiatives support projects that build financial resilience and drive climate action, helping communities across the UK get ready for the future. Additional information: * Aviva will match broker fundraising on individual donations up to £250, up to an overall total of £5,000 per broker project. * Brokers can register a project for Double the Difference funding here: Aviva Broker Fundraising - Double the Difference Enquiries: Beth Meyer General Insurance - Commercial Lines Notes to editors: * Aviva plc is the UK's only diversified insurer and Aviva plc operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada. Aviva plc also have international investments in India and China. * Aviva plc help its 25.2 million customers make the most out of life, plan for the future, and have the confidence that if things go wrong Aviva plc'll be there to put it right. * Aviva plc has been taking care of people for more than 325 years, in line with its purpose of being 'with you today, for a better tomorrow'. In 2025, Aviva plc paid £31.9 billion in claims and benefits to its customers. * Aviva is a Living Wage, Living Pension and Living Hours employer and provides market-leading benefits for its people, including flexible working, paid carers leave and equal parental leave. Find out more at www.aviva.com/about-Aviva plc/its-people/ * As at 31 December 2025, total Group assets under management at Aviva Group were £454 billion and its estimated Solvency II shareholder capital surplus as at 31 March 2026 was £6.1 billion. Its shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and Aviva plc is a member of the FTSE 100 index. * For more details on what Aviva plc do, its business and how Aviva plc help its customers, visit www.aviva.com/about-Aviva plc * The Aviva newsroom at www.aviva.com/newsroom includes links to its spokespeople images, podcasts, research reports and its news release archive. Sign up to get the latest news from Aviva by email. * You can follow Aviva plc on: * X: www.x.com/avivaplc * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/aviva-plc * Instagram: www.instagram.com/avivaplc/ * For the latest corporate films from around its business, subscribe to its YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/aviva

Aviva pilots partnership with ACCURE in move to further de-risk the energy storage sector. Aachen, Germany - August 2026 - ACCURE Battery Intelligence, a leading provider of predictive battery analytics, today announced a pilot with Aviva, one of the largest renewable energy insurers globally, to support improved data transparency for battery energy storage system (BESS) assets monitored through ACCURE's platform. ACCURE's platform serves as an independent safety and performance monitoring solution for BESS owners and operators. It uses field data and analytics to detect irregular battery behavior, identify elevated safety risks, and enable early fault detection that supports corrective action before issues escalate. The platform is used by asset owners and operators to strengthen operational oversight across grid-scale storage sites. Under the two-year pilot framework, eligible Aviva clients can benefit from preferential onboarding fees with ACCURE whilst aligning closer with Aviva's best practices in risk management. Clients can get in touch via their insurance broker for further details on eligibility. Kai-Philipp Kairies, CEO and Co-founder of ACCURE Battery Intelligence, said: "BESS owners are expected to show that safety risks are actively managed. ACCURE's unique predictive analytics create transparency and accountability at the asset level. We are encouraged to see this approach recognised in a way that translates into improved insurance conditions for operators." Chris Andrews, Director of Global Risk Management Solutions at Aviva, added: "Predictive analytics such as those provided by ACCURE enable BESS asset owners to materially improve their risk profile by providing the tools for predictive condition-based maintenance. This reduces the likelihood of faults causing downtime or provoking larger losses. Through this pilot, we're applying ACCURE's analytics to better understand and manage risk across BESS assets, building on strong industry and third-party validation." The collaboration reflects a growing focus within the insurance market on data-backed risk management for BESS assets. As deployment accelerates, insurers are placing greater emphasis on preventive measures and documented safety controls. ACCURE's leadership in safety analytics was recognised with the Safety Product of the Year award at the Energy Storage Awards. At the intersection of BESS and insurance, the company also collaborates with PROTH!NX, which aspires to serve as a bridge between analytics providers and insurance groups, using ACCURE's platform to support closer alignment between technical risk assessment and underwriting practice. About ACCURE Battery Intelligence ACCURE helps companies reduce risk, improve performance, and maximize the business value of battery energy storage. Its predictive analytics solution simplifies the complexity of battery data to make batteries safer, more reliable, and more sustainable. By combining cutting-edge artificial intelligence with deep expert knowledge of batteries, ACCURE Battery Intelligence Inc. bring a new level of clarity to energy storage. Today, ACCURE Battery Intelligence Inc. support customers worldwide, helping optimize the performance and safety of their battery systems. White Paper Reclaiming lost capacity: Understanding Reversible Battery Degradation Media Contact Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies [email protected]

Building relationships on trust, transparency and understanding the bedrock of my career - Andy Stephenson. Andy Stephenson, a stalwart of the group risk sector who has just retired from his role as senior account manager at Aviva, speaks to Health & Protection about starting out as a life and pensions broker consultant three and a half decades ago. He explains why narrowing his remit to just protection meant less can mean more, and why building long standing relationships has meant the world to him. Stephenson also touches on standout achievements such as forming a group protection team at Aviva and taking a key role in product proposition launches at MetLife. He also reflects on overcoming redundancy and the key challenges and opportunities driving the group risk market. Starting out and specialising. "When I became a life and pensions broker consultant at Sun Alliance in 1989, there was a superb sales consultants training course run over several months in which I learned how to become a broker consultant," Stephenson tells Health & Protection. During this time Stephenson learned many aspects of the role from technical product knowledge, how to present, developing relationships, planning activity, organisation, closing deals and achieving targets. "I was given my own panel of intermediaries to develop and secure new business opportunities, as well as be their main point of contact to resolve any issues and servicing of existing business," he continues. "There was a wide range of products, and this was my first introduction into the world of group protection." That introduction would eventually see Stephenson move on from Sun Alliance to a role specialising in group protection, a move he admits he found "daunting". "I wondered whether this may compromise my career development, however, I quickly learned that less can often mean more," he continues. "It takes courage to adapt to the concept of less, with a specialism in one market only." Developing relationships. While Stephenson regards all the segments of the group protection market as important, he reflects he was very fortunate to be responsible for developing the key relationships across many of the major intermediaries, such as Mercer, now Marsh, WTW, and Aon. "It was always very satisfying working closely with intermediaries and internal colleagues to present options and solutions for clients, and especially the more diverse, larger organisations," he says. "I recall my first £100,000 per annum premium scheme, my first £1m per annum premium scheme - negotiating large deals was both satisfying and rewarding. "While I have worked for a few providers, I have developed and maintained the strong relationships that are required across the key intermediaries." Hitting targets. While Stephenson has routinely hit his sales targets, he is mindful of the support he has received along the way. "For me, a significant achievement is the level of support I received from these intermediaries throughout my career," he continues. "I do not recall a single year in which I didn't achieve my targets - and the targets were high enough, believe me. "So a standout achievement for me is the trust and relationships that I developed across the market that have been integral to the support I have received throughout my career. "These long standing relationships mean the world to me." Consolidating group protection team. Elaborating on other standout achievements, Stephenson points to his time at Aviva and MetLife. "When I first joined Aviva which was Norwich Union Healthcare at the time in April 2005, their group protection proposition was split between group income protection (GIP), group life assurance (GLA) and group critical illness (GCI)," he explains. "My aim was to bring these together to form a complete group protection team and proposition, which was not easy in a complex multi-sited organisation. "This achievement did take some time, but Healthcare & Protection got there in the end - and this to me was a massive achievement. "And while I was at MetLife, I was integral to the development of their GLA proposition, and also the successful launch of their GIP proposition too. "Many of the key intermediaries supported this, and my relationships with them helped establish a great foundation for growth." Keys to success. In terms of what he has learned about himself over his long career, Stephenson reflects that the key to success is developing long-term, meaningful relationships. "This doesn't happen overnight, and is built on trust, transparency and understanding - be that of the intermediary and how they operate, the client, and also your internal colleagues, as well as of course technical knowledge too," he continues. "While there has been so much change in the industry over the years, especially new technology, for me it is still very much a people business. "You may have the best product out there in the market, but without a strong relationship, you would struggle to be successful. "Therefore the art of developing and maintaining those strong relationships, and being adaptive, are important strengths I have learned about. "It is extremely important to deliver what you say or promise, and if things don't go to plan, to resolve quickly and effectively." Building deeper understanding. But Stephenson adds that not worrying about the peaks and troughs that tend to characterise a career in sales has also been a key learning. "While achieving targets each year is important, I learnt to build a deeper understanding of clients and intermediaries, knowing these opportunities would present themselves again in the renewal cycle," he says. "Being in distribution, it really is a roller-coaster effect, and I learnt not to be too worried in the dips. "As long as you remain focussed on the opportunities ahead and continue strengthening those relationships, the business would come in. "I learned about resilience and determination from a behavioural perspective to help my mind focus on the positives. "I learned that a combination of technical expertise and relationships is key. And I learned how to navigate both internally and externally to get the best out of situations." Retaining resilience. That resilience has held Stephenson in good stead as he has been unfortunate enough to have been made redundant twice. "Having the resilience to overcome setbacks and bounce back, you do learn a lot about yourself," he continues. "The sector has changed over the years - Healthcare & Protection has seen a lot of consolidation and acquisition across both providers and intermediaries. "I do anticipate more of this to continue in the future, and that is another reason why those relationships are so crucial." Product development. A further significant trend, Stephenson points to, is how products and propositions have developed over the years. This is especially true of the wellbeing space where there has been a major shift in focus to help employers with a more proactive, preventative approach to health and wellbeing. Additional wellbeing services such as the EAP or digital GPs and health services have proved to be important to customers in developing wellbeing strategies, along with being more proactive around employee communication. "For example, all of the additional wellbeing services that are included within group protection propositions are now vital for employers to be aware of, so that these services can be communicated and utilised effectively by their employees," Stephenson explains. "Ultimately these wellbeing services will help employers to save costs over the longer term." Significant growth ahead. As for the future of the protection sector, Stephenson adds that with bodies such as Grid raising awareness of the group protection market, there are significant growth opportunities ahead, especially in the SME market. "However, with a shift from employers to focus on solutions, wellbeing support, earlier intervention and cost savings, the industry is well positioned to grow the market further," he notes. "While cost is important, I firmly believe in understanding client needs by asking the right questions, and broadening conversations away from pure price. "Having a more consultative approach with clients can really help to develop this market further." Honesty and transparency. Asked about what he might regard as his mission over his career, Stephenson says this was always to ensure both intermediaries and clients received the best from himself and the insurer and to be the main point of contact for opportunities and resolution. "I have always been honest and transparent with both intermediaries and clients, and delivered what I have said or agreed to, in effect being the 'go to' person for them in the market," he continues. "I have always tried to simplify technicalities with clients too, to ensure everything is clearly understood. "Doing business with a smile on my face and being positive has been a mission of mine too." Missing banter and competition. As for his own future, while he will miss his colleagues, he has much planned. "I will definitely miss the people and the banter, and having built up some great friends over the years, I fully intend to remain in touch," he continues. "However, I will miss the challenge of closing those deals, some of which take significant time due to additional complexities and the renewal cycle. "I thrived in a competitive environment, and I'm sure adapting to retirement will take some time. "In retirement, I plan to spend more time with my wife and family, with travel and holidays - there's lots to explore. "My wife already has a list of DIY jobs for me to do but I've been a keen sportsman throughout my life, so I intend to play more golf, watch Holbrook RFC when I can, and follow Brighton & Hove Albion FC across the country and Europe."