UK cities
45+
Direct coverage
Partners
Join the CityGrip partner network
We work with vetted UK partners across recovery, storage, repair, credit hire and authorised legal services. Onboarding is structured around quality, compliance and customer outcomes.
- 24/7 UK dispatch
- £0 upfront cost
- Independent engineer
- Like-for-like replacement
24/7
UK response
Recovery dispatch and live claim handlers, 365 days a year.
Response
<60m
First contact SLA
Cost
£0
Upfront to driver
Who are CityGrip's partners and how do they work with a non-fault claim?
CityGrip Accident Claims operates a UK partner network across three core categories: garage partners (PAS 125 / BS 10125 accredited bodyshops for repair), solicitor partners (SRA-regulated firms for consented personal injury referrals) and recovery partners (PAS 43 compliant 24/7 operators, including National Highways-approved motorway recovery), backed by CCTV-monitored storage yards, like-for-like credit hire providers and independent engineering firms. Customers retain the right to choose their own repairer and their own solicitor; partner referrals are made only with that disclosure.
The three partner categories
A CityGrip non-fault claim file is a coordinated workflow rather than a single service. To run that workflow we depend on three categories of UK partner - and each category is vetted against a specific accreditation standard before any customer is referred. The categories are garage partners, solicitor partners and recovery partners, supported by CCTV-monitored storage yards, credit hire providers and independent engineering firms.
Garage partners are PAS 125 / BS 10125 accredited body-repair shops. Accreditation is awarded by the British Standards Institution against a documented quality framework covering equipment, technician competence, repair methods and quality control. Manufacturer-aware repairers also hold OEM-specific approvals for aluminium structure, electric vehicle high-voltage isolation, and modern advanced-driver-assistance system (ADAS) recalibration. We route every repair through a garage partner whose accreditation matches the vehicle's specification - see /garage-partners and repair management for the operational detail.
Solicitor partners are SRA-regulated UK firms with documented competence in road traffic personal injury work. Solicitor referrals are made only with the customer's explicit written consent, the referral arrangement is disclosed at the point of referral, and the customer is free to instruct their own solicitor instead. Low-value (≤£5,000 general damages) RTA injuries run through the Official Injury Claim portal under the Civil Liability Act 2018. See /solicitor-partners and injury claim referral.
Recovery partners are 24/7 PAS 43 compliant operators with the equipment and motorway / National Highways approval needed to recover non-driveable vehicles safely from the scene. PAS 43 is the publicly available specification for the safe working of vehicle recovery operators - covering equipment, training, scene management and insurance. Motorway recoveries specifically require National Highways approval; we coordinate that escalation through motorway recovery.
How we vet partners
Partner onboarding is a documented process. For each category we test:
- Accreditation: the relevant industry standard (PAS 125 / BS 10125 for bodyshops, PAS 43 for recovery, SRA practising certificate for solicitors).
- Insurance: adequate public liability, professional indemnity and motor traders' cover.
- Capacity and coverage: the geographic catchment, throughput and response times needed for the workstream.
- Documentation quality: a sample of past invoices, engineer reports or repair sign-offs to confirm the at-fault insurer's engineer will accept it.
- Re-audit cycle: ongoing review on a rolling cycle, with corrective action where any standard slips.
Sources for the accreditation standards referenced on this page include the British Standards Institution (PAS 125 / BS 10125), the Solicitors Regulation Authority (regulated solicitor firms) and the ABI (motor industry standards and the Salvage Code).
PARTNER NETWORK
03
Section 3 of the walkthrough.
How partner relationships affect you
Two principles apply to every customer journey. First, you retain the right to choose your own repairer, your own solicitor and (within practical recovery constraints) your own recovery operator. Partner referrals are recommendations backed by accreditation evidence - not contractual obligations. Second, if you decline a partner referral we will still coordinate the file on your behalf using your nominated provider, provided that provider can produce documentation the at-fault insurer's engineer will accept. The objective is to get the bill paid by the at-fault insurer, not to push volume to one network.
All partner arrangements must comply with UK regulatory requirements. Personal injury referral arrangements must comply with LASPO and SRA rules. We do not operate prohibited PI referral fee structures.
What good partner documentation looks like
The quality of a non-fault claim often depends less on the headline repair cost than on the documentation behind it. A recovery partner should record dispatch time, arrival time, exact location, vehicle position, damage photographs, whether the vehicle was driveable, whether police or National Highways were involved, and where the vehicle was taken. A storage partner should log the vehicle in and out, photograph it on arrival, control access, and keep a record of any insurer, engineer or repairer inspection. A garage partner should produce an engineer-ready estimate, manufacturer method notes, parts availability, repair photographs, ADAS calibration records and a final quality-control sign-off.
Solicitor partners need a different standard. They must identify the regulated entity, SRA number, retainer terms, funding arrangement, cancellation rights and complaints route before any personal injury referral proceeds. CityGrip does not bundle accident-management consent with injury-referral consent, and we do not mark solicitor referral as recommended inside a form. The customer chooses whether to instruct a solicitor, whether to use the panel firm or their own firm, and whether to share the file pack with that solicitor.
Why regional partner strength matters
A partner network is not stronger simply because it is larger. A London ULEZ vehicle, a Birmingham Clean Air Zone vehicle, a rural Cambridgeshire recovery, a motorway HGV incident and a licensed private-hire file all need different local capability. We map partners by postcode reach, response time, vehicle class, accreditation, EV capability, commercial equipment, storage capacity and insurer documentation quality. That map lets the handler choose the provider that fits the file instead of the provider closest to the top of a generic list.
Regional knowledge also reduces delay. A recovery operator who knows the local police force, trunk-road arrangements, low-emission zone, council CCTV retention routes and nearby approved repairers can preserve evidence and move the vehicle with fewer handoffs. That is why our location pages name local roads, hospitals, police areas and repair logistics rather than treating every city as the same claim with a different postcode.
06PARTNER NETWORKKey takeaway
Apply to become a partner
If you are a UK bodyshop, recovery operator, storage yard, credit hire provider, engineer firm or SRA-regulated solicitor and you would like to be considered for the CityGrip partner network, the first step is an enquiry through /contact. Please include your accreditation, insurance details, capacity, geographic coverage and a short sample of your documentation. See also about us for the wider group context, and services for the workflow each partner category slots into.
Partner categories
Garage partners
PAS 125 / BS 10125 accredited bodyshops, manufacturer-aware.
Learn more →Solicitor partners
SRA-regulated solicitors for consented injury referrals.
Learn more →Recovery operators
UK-wide 24/7 recovery, including National Highways-approved partners.
Learn more →Storage yards
CCTV-monitored storage with controlled access and audit logs.
Learn more →Credit hire partners
Like-for-like vehicle providers with insurer-friendly documentation.
Learn more →Engineer firms
Independent engineering firms for damage assessment and total-loss valuation.
Learn more →All partner arrangements must comply with UK regulatory requirements. Personal injury referral arrangements must comply with LASPO and SRA rules. We do not operate prohibited PI referral fee structures.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to use your partner garage or can I choose my own repairer?
- You are free to choose your own repairer. UK motor insurance policies preserve the policyholder's right to choose the repairer, and as a non-fault driver dealing with the at-fault insurer directly there is no contractual obligation to use any specific network. We recommend our PAS 125 / BS 10125 accredited garage partners because they document the repair scope, methods and parts in a format the at-fault insurer's engineer can sign off - which is the test that drives whether the bill is paid - but the choice is yours, and we will work with the bodyshop you nominate provided it can produce equivalent documentation.
- How does CityGrip vet its solicitor partners and is the referral fee disclosed?
- Solicitor partners must be regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), carry the required professional indemnity insurance and have specific competence in road traffic personal injury work. Personal injury referrals are made only with the customer's explicit written consent. The referral arrangement is disclosed at the point of referral in line with LASPO and the SRA's conduct rules. We do not operate prohibited PI referral fee structures; the customer is free to instruct their own solicitor instead.
- What accreditations do CityGrip's recovery and storage partners hold?
- Recovery operators are vetted for PAS 43 (safe working of vehicle recovery operators) compliance, insurance, fleet condition and motorway / National Highways approval where relevant. Storage yards must operate CCTV-monitored secure perimeters with controlled access, audit logs and adequate insurance cover. Engineer firms are independent of the at-fault insurer and produce reports compliant with court-acceptable instruction standards.
- We're a UK bodyshop / recovery operator / solicitor firm - how do we become a CityGrip partner?
- Partner onboarding starts with an enquiry through /contact. You will be asked for evidence of accreditation (PAS 125 / BS 10125 for bodyshops, PAS 43 for recovery, SRA practising certificate for solicitors), insurance cover, capacity, geographic coverage and a sample of your documentation. We carry out due diligence before any referral is made and we re-audit on a rolling cycle. Partner arrangements are evidenced in writing.
- Can a partner relationship create a conflict with the customer's choice?
- It can if it is not handled transparently, so the customer choice point is explicit. We recommend vetted partners because their accreditation and paperwork reduce insurer disputes, but customers can choose their own repairer or solicitor. Any referral arrangement is disclosed before the referral is made and personal injury referrals require separate written consent.
- What documentation do you expect from a garage or recovery partner?
- We expect dated photographs, chain-of-custody notes, recovery sheets, storage logs, engineer-ready repair estimates, method statements, parts records, ADAS calibration reports where relevant, and invoices that separate recoverable work from non-accident betterment. Poor documentation creates the dispute, even where the repair itself is sound.
- Do partners have to work UK-wide?
- No. Local and regional partners are valuable where they can respond quickly and document work correctly. We map each partner by postcode reach, response time, specialist equipment, vehicle classes and accreditation so the right provider is used for the right file rather than forcing every job into a national network.
Talk to a real person
Become a partnerUK accident support, end-to-end.
Tell us about your business, capacity and accreditations.
Calls may be recorded for quality and compliance. We do not provide legal advice. Personal injury enquiries are referred only with your consent to authorised partners.
Visit our team
London office
124 City Road
London, EC1V 2NX
Coverage
- Phone & accident form24 / 7
- Recovery dispatch24 / 7
- Repair coordinationMon-Sat 8:00 - 18:00
- SundaysEmergency only
45+UK cities
9vehicle types
GDPRcompliant
Tip: submit the accident form first - our team will call back with a reference and next steps.