Financial Model Audit: Independent Model Review For Project Finance, Commercial Real Estate, And Structured Credit

Financial Model Audit

Independent Model Review For Project Finance, Commercial Real Estate, And Structured Credit

Your model is either financeable, or it is not. Lenders and investors do not "kind of" accept a model. They either trust it, or they walk.

We run a structured, independent review of your financial model and produce a clean, lender-ready audit pack: issues log, fixes, sensitivity set, and a clear assumptions memo that explains the story the numbers are telling. This is not capital raising. It is the work that makes capital raising possible.

Our execution workflow is defined and controlled. See How It Works.

Who This Is For

This service is built for teams that already have a model and need it to survive real scrutiny.

Typical Clients

  • Project sponsors preparing for lender credit, investment committee, or rating-style review
  • Commercial Real Estate buyers refinancing, acquiring, or recapitalizing with an institutional lender
  • Independent sponsors and search funds presenting an acquisition model to debt providers
  • CFOs who need a second set of eyes before the model becomes the basis for legal commitments
  • Advisors who want an external QA layer before they put their name on a deck

Readiness Standard

If your plan is "we will explain it on a call," you are not ready. If your plan is "here is the model, here is the logic, here are the outputs," you are.

Baseline expectation: a third party should be able to open the file, trace key drivers, and reconcile outputs without asking for hidden context.

What You Get

You receive a complete review package that a lender, investor, or credit committee can actually work with.

Core Deliverables

  1. Model Health Check Summary (Executive Memo) covering what is reliable, what is questionable, what must be corrected before submission, and where assumptions are aggressive, soft, or inconsistent.
  2. Issues Log (Structured, Prioritized) categorized with severity ratings: critical, material, technical, and presentation.
  3. Corrected Model Or Redline Guidance either an updated file returned by us or fix instructions for your team.
  4. Assumptions Book And Definitions inputs, sources, rationale, units, covenant definitions, sculpting logic, and key drivers.
  5. Outputs Pack (Decision-Grade) base, downside, break-even, key metrics, sensitivities, and reconciliation summaries.

Optional Add-Ons

  • Covenant case build with headroom and trigger mapping
  • Term sheet sizing case with leverage and amortization options under constraints
  • Investment committee narrative: what drives returns and risk in plain English
  • Data room checklist and CP tracker for financing readiness

If your submission is going to institutional counterparties, this optional layer often compresses the Q&A cycle because it reduces interpretive ambiguity.

What We Check, Specifically

We do not skim. We test the model the way a hostile credit committee would.

Structure And Mechanics

  • Integrity of the cash flow waterfall
  • Circularity and convergence handling
  • Consistency of time series, flags, and scenario switches
  • Correct linking across statements, schedules, and outputs
  • Stability under realistic stress

Documentation And Traceability

  • Can a third party understand the model quickly
  • Are key drivers defined, sourced, and defensible
  • Are outputs stable, or fragile and dependent on hidden assumptions

Debt And Funding Logic

  • Sculpting mechanics and repayment schedule consistency
  • Interest calculations, day count conventions, base rate assumptions
  • Fees, OID, commitment fees, reserve accounts
  • Covenant calculations and definitions matching outputs
  • Debt sizing logic that does not quietly rely on optimistic assumptions

Revenue And Cost Drivers

  • Volume, price, utilization, occupancy, and ramp assumptions
  • Indexation, inflation pass-through, and lag effects
  • Cost stack logic and fixed versus variable clarity
  • Working capital mechanics and timing assumptions

Commercial Real Estate Focus (If Applicable)

  • Rent roll tie-out logic and vacancy assumptions
  • T-12 mapping to forward projections
  • Capex and TI/LC assumptions and timing
  • Exit cap assumptions and refi constraints
  • Debt yield and DSCR sizing sanity

Project Finance Focus (If Applicable)

  • Construction period logic and drawdown schedule
  • DSU and contingency handling
  • COD timing sensitivity and ramp profile
  • O&M, degradation, availability assumptions
  • High-level alignment to contract logic (offtake, EPC, O&M)

Indicative Engagement Terms

The table below is an indicative summary of how an engagement is typically documented. Definitive terms are set in the engagement letter.

How The Engagement Works

Procedure

  1. Intake And Scoping (Same Day): you send the model and supporting docs, we confirm scope and complexity.
  2. First Pass Review (2 To 5 Business Days): mechanics, integrity, outputs testing, initial issues log delivered.
  3. Fix Cycle (3 To 7 Business Days): fixes applied by us or implemented by your team, scenario validation executed.
  4. Final Pack Delivery (1 To 2 Business Days): final model, final issues log, decision-grade outputs pack delivered.

Operating Standard

If your model is chaotic, we will tell you immediately. No pretending.

Practical point: If the file is beyond repair, we recommend a rebuild and quote separately. Most clients do not need a rebuild. They need a disciplined QA process and a clean output suite.

Pricing

We price based on size, complexity, and how clean the starting file is. Fixed fee, defined deliverables, no open-ended advisory.

Positioning: If you want the cheapest option, this is not it. If you want the model to hold up under pressure, this is designed for that.

What We Need From You

Minimum

  • Excel model file (not PDF exports)
  • Any current term sheet or target terms (if debt is involved)
  • A brief assumptions note or deck if it exists
  • Historicals where relevant (Commercial Real Estate T-12, rent roll, or operating statements)

Nice To Have

  • Contract summaries (offtake, EPC, O&M) for project models
  • Existing sensitivity runs and scenario definitions
  • Data room index if you already started organizing

If inputs are incomplete, we can still review structure and mechanics, but scope becomes model integrity rather than bankability.

Common Results Clients See

  • Models become readable and defensible, not just "works on my laptop"
  • Financing conversations move faster because the file stops creating confusion
  • Investors stop requesting endless clarifications because outputs match the narrative
  • Debt sizing becomes realistic, and weak assumptions are corrected early
  • Teams avoid errors that kill trust instantly

Clear Boundaries

  • We do not provide legal advice.
  • We do not act as your accountant.
  • We do not promise funding outcomes.
  • Any regulated activity, if required, is handled through appropriately licensed parties under their approvals.

FAQ

Do You Guarantee A Term Sheet Or Financing?

No. We deliver a model that can withstand scrutiny. Financing depends on credit, structure, collateral, and market appetite.

Is This A Statutory Audit?

No. This is an independent financial model review and QA process designed for decisioning, not statutory financial reporting.

Will You Rewrite The Entire Model?

We can if needed, but most clients do not need a full rebuild. We start with the fastest path to a lender-grade file. If the model is beyond repair, we recommend a rebuild and quote separately.

What Tools Do You Use?

Primarily Excel-based testing, structural checks, scenario stress, reconciliation checks, and audit-style documentation. The value is the discipline and process.

Can You Review Models Built In Google Sheets Or Specialized Software?

Yes, but Excel is the standard. We can convert or provide a review approach depending on the platform.

How Fast Can You Do It?

If inputs are complete and the model is not a disaster, a QA sprint can be delivered in under two weeks. If the file is chaotic, you will lose time either way. We reduce that loss.

Ready To Audit Your Model

If you are about to send your model to lenders or investors, do not guess. Get it checked properly. Submit the request with model type, approximate complexity, target use, and deadline. We will revert with a fixed fee, delivery timeline, and a short scope statement defining exactly what you will receive.

This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, investment, or regulatory advice. Financely is not a bank and does not promise approvals, ratings, or funding outcomes. Any engagement is subject to diligence, document review, and agreed scope.