← Insights
Corporate finance·25 March 2026·6 min read

Due diligence for refinancing — the CFO's checklist

A thorough due-diligence preparation delivers a faster process, fewer follow-up questions and better terms. Here is the checklist a CFO should work through at least 90 days before a refinancing.

Due diligence for refinancing — the CFO's checklist

Financial materials

Audited annual reports for the three most recent years, quarterly reports for the current year, a rolling 12–24-month forecast with sensitivity analysis, a cash-flow model and an EBITDA-to-cash-flow bridge. Historical EBITDA add-backs must be justified and documented.

Legal and structural

Current shareholder register, articles of association, material contracts, existing credit agreements and security documents, together with an overview of any disputes or regulatory matters. Change-of-control clauses in customer contracts should be identified in particular.

Operations and market

A description of the business model, customer concentration, supplier dependencies, market position and competitive landscape. Key-person dependencies and succession planning are also standard questions.

Summary
  • Start 90 days before the desired closing.
  • EBITDA add-backs must be justified and documented.
  • Identify change-of-control clauses early.
  • A complete data room saves weeks in the process.
Next step

Would you like to discuss your loan agreement or financing setup?

We review terms, covenants and pricing confidentially at no cost for the first conversation.

Contact us