Bankabilty Audit
Independent lender-style verdict on if and how your deal can be funded.
STIDE’s Bankability Audit is a fast, blunt, lender-grade review of your transaction. We analyse assets, cashflows, structure, contracts and jurisdiction risks, then tell you exactly where your deal stands – and what must change – before you burn months on the wrong capital or the wrong story.
What the Bankability Audit delivers
A lender-style verdict, structuring options and a practical remediation roadmap – so you know whether to proceed, reframe, phase or pause before approaching capital providers.
Bankability verdict
Clear Green / Amber / Red verdict on whether your deal is fundable in the current market.
- Independent, lender-style assessment (not sell-side optimism).
- Verdict at facility level and structure level.
- Order-of-magnitude view on realistic ticket size.
Written Bankability Report
15–25 page written report plus live walkthrough with your team.
- Deal overview, asset base and cashflow profile.
- Risk, structure and enforceability analysis.
- Credit-style commentary on key hot-spots.
Structuring options (A/B/C)
Credible structures that could support funding rather than generic “ideas”.
- SPV / co-obligor and security architecture.
- Cashflow waterfalls, DSRA and covenant frameworks.
- Indicative term-sheet parameters and conditions.
Lender / investor targeting
Short list of realistic capital pockets to target – and which channels to avoid.
- Profiles of likely lender / investor types.
- What they will care about and push back on.
- Channels that are a time-waste for this deal.
Gap analysis & remediation
Blunt view of what will block or delay serious credit, legal and compliance approval.
- Data, documentation and governance gaps.
- Issues around sponsor strength and alignment.
- Concrete “fix before mandate” checklist.
Next-step options
How to move from Audit to execution – if the deal is bankable and you choose to proceed.
- Whether to proceed, reframe, phase or pause.
- How a Mandate & Structuring Sprint would build on the Audit.
- Where full Execution Mandate makes sense.
Process
A clear five-step flow from intake to verdict, typically delivered in 10–15 working days from data room access (subject to deal complexity and data quality).
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1
Discovery & intake
Focused 45–60 minute call to understand your business, asset base, cashflows, existing facilities and objectives, then define the Audit scope and data room checklist.
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2
Data & documentation review
Review of financials, contracts, security, corporate structure and jurisdiction constraints the way a credit team would – not like a pitch-deck reviewer.
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3
Structuring hypotheses
Formulation of realistic A/B/C structures around SPVs, security, cashflow waterfalls and covenant frameworks that could support funding.
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4
Bankability assessment
For each structure, assessment of lender fit, risk hot-spots and likely IC / credit objections. This drives the Green / Amber / Red verdict and the rationale behind it.
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5
Report & live review
Delivery of the written Bankability Report and a live walkthrough with your team, including Q&A and discussion of next steps – proceed, reframe, phase, or pause.
Scope & timeline
Know exactly what is included (and not included) before you commit. The Audit is a paid, independent review – not an execution mandate, and not a guarantee of funding.
Included in the Audit
Core components that are always covered.
- Independent bankability verdict (Green / Amber / Red).
- Review of capital structure, security and key commercial terms.
- Assessment of sponsor strength, asset quality and cashflow resilience.
- High-level stress tests on leverage, DSCR and refinancing risk.
- Structuring options (A/B/C) and indicative lender profiles.
- Practical remediation checklist for data, contracts and structure.
Not included
Deliberately excluded from the Bankability Audit by design.
- Execution work – lender outreach, CP management, documentation, closing.
- Full financial modelling build from scratch (light model review only).
- Formal legal, tax or regulatory opinions (external counsel can be coordinated later).
- Any guarantee of funding, pricing or terms from specific lenders.
Indicative timeline
Typical cadence from data room access to final report.
- Days 1–3: Intake & Data Room – kick-off call, refine scope, share data checklist, receive core financials and contracts.
- Days 4–9: Review & Structuring – detailed review, risk mapping, structuring hypotheses, preliminary verdict.
- Days 10–15: Report & Debrief – finalise written report, share with you, live walkthrough with Q&A and next-step recommendations.
Who it’s for and when to use it
The Bankability Audit is designed for serious mid-market transactions, typically USD 5–150m+, where you need an independent lender-style view before committing months of time, fees and management bandwidth.
Borrowers & sponsors
Mid-market corporates and asset-heavy sponsors considering private credit or structured solutions.
- Complex assets or jurisdictions (e.g. ASEAN cross-border, offshore SPVs).
- Refinancing short-term or expensive bridge facilities.
- Large capex, acquisition or expansion programmes.
Originators & NBFIs
Licensed originators and platforms deciding whether a deal is worth taking to their lender network.
- Pre-screening before eating internal IC time.
- Independent second opinion on structure and risk.
- Input into your own mandate / fee discussions.
Lenders & investors
Funds or credit investors wanting an external, arranger-style view on a sponsor’s proposal.
- Cross-checking sponsor or advisor materials.
- Stress-testing structure, security and enforcement.
- Understanding where you have negotiating leverage.
Good fit indicators
Signals that a Bankability Audit is likely worth the fee.
- Facility size of at least USD 5–10m.
- Access to core financials, contracts and corporate structure documents.
- Willingness to confront inconvenient risks and constraints.
When it’s not a fit
Situations where you should not expect a useful outcome.
- Early-stage ideas with no hard data, contracts or assets.
- Pure equity / venture-style raises with no debt component.
- Where you only want marketing language or “validation”.
From Audit to execution
How the Bankability Audit plugs into STIDE’s broader services.
- Can roll into a Mandate & Structuring Sprint if the deal is bankable.
- Forms the analytical backbone for an Execution Mandate.
- Reduces re-work and surprises in later phases.
FAQs
Does a Bankability Audit guarantee funding?
No. The Audit is deliberately not a promise of funding, pricing or terms. It is an independent, lender-style view on whether your deal is realistically bankable, under what structure and with what constraints. We will say “no” – and explain why – if the deal is not bankable in its current form.
Do we have to mandate STIDE if the deal is bankable?
No. The Bankability Audit can stand alone. If the verdict is Green or Amber and you choose to proceed, you may engage STIDE for a Mandate & Structuring Sprint and/or Execution Mandate, but there is no obligation to do so. You are free to use the findings internally or with other counterparties.
How are fees structured?
The Audit is priced as a fixed fee that reflects facility size, complexity, jurisdictions, and the breadth of documents to be reviewed. For mid-market facilities in the USD 5–150m+ range, the fee is sized to be meaningful enough for serious work but small relative to the transaction economics. After an initial scoping discussion and data checklist, we will quote a fixed fee and indicative timeline.
What information do you need to start?
At minimum: recent financial statements, cap table / corporate structure, key commercial contracts, existing facility agreements, security documents (if any), and a clear statement of use of proceeds and target timing. Additional documents – such as valuations, business plans or feasibility studies – are helpful where available.
Can you run the Audit while we are already talking to lenders?
Yes, but expectations must be clear. If you are already in market, the Audit can act as an external “red team” on your structure and materials. However, if you are deep into term sheet negotiation or documentation, some recommendations may be harder or more expensive to implement. The best time to run the Audit is before you commit to a particular structure or lender strategy.