Project Finance Underwriting Memo (What’s In One And Why Lenders Require It)

Project Finance Documentation

Project Finance Underwriting Memo (What’s In One And Why Lenders Require It)

A project finance underwriting memo is not a pitch deck. It is a credit document written in lender language that explains how a project works, how it makes money, how risks are mitigated, and how a lender gets repaid.

Financely prepares memo-grade underwriting packages for sponsors seeking project debt. These memos are used to drive real credit committee decisions, not casual feedback.

What A Project Finance Underwriting Memo Is

An underwriting memo is a structured credit narrative that allows a lender to evaluate a project without reverse-engineering a pile of attachments. It distills technical, legal, and financial diligence into a single decision document.

Simple truth: if a deal cannot be explained cleanly in a memo, it is not ready for lender review.

What A Project Finance Underwriting Memo Is Not

  • A marketing deck
  • A feasibility study replacement
  • A promise of funding
  • A success-fee-only exercise

Core Sections Inside A Memo

Section What Lenders Expect
Executive Summary Project description, size, location, capital stack, and financing request
Project Overview Technology, scope, development status, and timeline
Revenue Model Contracts, offtake or PPA, pricing, tenor, and counterparty strength
Construction EPC structure, budget, contingency, and completion risk
Operations O&M plan, costs, and performance assumptions
Financial Model Summary Base case, downside case, DSCR, sensitivities
Capital Stack Senior, mezzanine, junior, and equity
Risk Matrix Key risks and mitigants
Collateral And Security Security package and lien structure
Sponsor Profile Track record and financial capacity

Why Lenders Require A Memo

Credit Committees Decide From Memos

Committees do not read raw data rooms. They read summarized risk.

Faster Internal Approvals

A clean memo reduces back-and-forth and accelerates term sheet issuance.

Comparable Risk Framing

Lenders compare deals across their portfolio using memo structure.

Clear Recovery Story

The memo explains how the lender exits if something breaks.

Collateral And Security Section

Most project lenders expect a comprehensive security package built around an All-Asset Lien Packages framework at the project company level, plus step-in rights and control agreements.

How Financely Prepares Memo-Grade Packages

Financely is a transaction-led capital advisory desk. We do not write academic reports. We prepare underwriting memos designed to support real placement.

1) Scope And Data Room Build

  • Document checklist
  • Model review
  • Contract summary

2) Memo Drafting

  • Lender-style narrative
  • Risk-mitigant framing
  • Capital stack positioning

3) Placement

  • Routing to matching capital providers
  • Term sheet negotiation support

For firm-level process context, see What We Do.

Submit A Project For Underwriting Memo And Debt Placement

If you have a defined project and preliminary model, submit your deal. We will assess feasibility and outline memo and placement scope.

Submit Your Deal
Important: This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, or investment advice. Financely is not a lender and does not guarantee outcomes.

Projects get financed when risk is explained clearly and mitigated credibly. The underwriting memo is where that happens.