What Lenders Want in a Project Finance Deck
What Lenders Want in a Project Finance Deck
It’s not your idea — it’s your deck. Here’s what real capital providers look for when evaluating a project finance opportunity.
Most project sponsors make the same mistake: they send over 50 pages of technical fluff and assume investors or lenders will “get it.” They don’t. Capital moves when the deal is framed properly — not when buried in spreadsheets and jargon. If you're raising debt or equity for an infrastructure, real estate, energy, or industrial project, your deck needs to hit all the right notes.
At Financely, we’ve reviewed thousands of project finance pitch decks. The ones that get traction all follow a common pattern: they’re concise, clear, and built around what a capital provider needs to say “yes.”
The 9 Elements Every Project Finance Deck Should Include
Lenders and investors have limited time. Here’s what they expect to see, clearly and early:
- Sponsor Background: Who’s behind the project, and what’s their track record?
- Project Snapshot: What are you building, where, and why now?
- Total Capital Need: How much do you need, and how’s it allocated?
- Use of Funds: Clear budget breakdown — land, capex, contingencies, soft costs
- Timeline: Key development milestones, with a realistic construction and drawdown schedule
- Market Validation: Data that shows demand, pricing, offtake, or pipeline
- Exit Strategy: Refinance? Sale? How are lenders getting out?
- Security and Guarantees: Collateral offered, SPV structure, recourse or not
- Financial Model Summary: DSCR, IRR, equity multiple, break-even sensitivity
Why Most Project Decks Get Ignored
Too long. Too vague. Too much engineering detail without addressing the investor’s risk. You can have a world-changing project and still get zero traction if your deck doesn’t speak the language of capital.
Lenders want visibility. They want to know if the deal fits their mandate, their risk profile, and their return expectations — before they commit time to a deeper dive.
How We Help Sponsors Package and Place Deals
At Financely, we don’t just fix decks — we help you build the whole story, backed by numbers and structure. That includes:
- Deal underwriting and model review
- Deck design and narrative restructuring
- Investor/credit committee summary prep
- Distribution to verified lenders and project finance investors
Every project goes through internal review before it’s distributed. We protect your time — and ours — by only sending out fundable, credible packages that meet the standards of the lenders we work with.
Example: 42MW Solar Project in East Africa
A sponsor submitted a 58-slide technical deck with no capital structure. We worked with their team to cut it down to 14 pages, refined the equity and debt layers, added a waterfall and DSCR summary, and distributed it to three infrastructure debt funds.
Two groups moved into DD. One issued a term sheet in 11 days.
| Item | Original | Revised |
|---|---|---|
| Deck Length | 58 slides | 14 slides |
| Capital Breakdown | Missing | $22M senior debt, $8M equity |
| DSCR Highlight | Buried in Excel | Shown in 3 formats on Slide 5 |
Project Finance Is a Capital Language — Learn to Speak It
Your project finance deck is more than a pitch — it's the first due diligence document. If you're not showing the key metrics, answering the unspoken questions, or making the deal simple to grasp, you're going to lose capital interest before the second page.
We work with project developers to bridge that gap — translating your technical plan into a financial story lenders want to fund.
Want Your Project Finance Deck Reviewed?
We help serious sponsors structure and position their projects for capital — then distribute them to real lenders and investors who can move. Submit your project or book a consultation now.
Submit Your Project Book a 1:1 CallWhat Lenders Want in a Project Finance Deck: Structure, Clarity, and Capital Logic
At Financely, we work with sponsors across infrastructure, energy, real estate, and industrial sectors to prepare project finance decks that meet institutional lender standards. Whether you’re seeking debt, mezzanine, or equity, we ensure your capital request is structured, validated, and presented in a way lenders can underwrite. If you want to raise funding for a project and need to know exactly what lenders want in a project finance deck, we can help you build it, pitch it, and place it — all in one platform.
Get Started With Us
Submit Your Deal & Receive a Proposal Within 1-3 Working Days
Submit your deal using our secure intake form, and receive a quote within 1-3 business days. Existing clients can connect with their relationship manager through our secure web portal.
All submissions are
promptly reviewed, and all communications are conducted through the intake form or the client portal for a seamless and secure process.
Thank you for considering working with us. A nominal fee of US$500 is required upon completion of each form. This fee covers the time and effort we invest in reviewing your submission and crafting a thorough proposal. We receive numerous inquiries and prioritize those that carry this fee, ensuring serious applicants receive prompt attention.
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Disclaimer: Financely provides financing based on due diligence and feasibility. Approval is not guaranteed, and past performance does not predict future outcomes. All terms are subject to review. Financely primarily assists with structuring and distribution. Qualified parties carry out the project if the client approves the proposal.
