M&A template

Due Diligence Request List Template

A practical request-list structure for collecting documents before converting them into a buyer-facing data room.

Spreadsheet preview

Folder index rows

Corporate / Formation documents / Articles and certificate
Corporate / Ownership / Cap table
Finance / Historical financials / Audited accounts
Finance / Forecast / Budget and model
Contracts / Customers / Top customer contracts
HR / Employees / Employee census
Tax / Returns / Filed tax returns

Use case

Preparing a request list before folder creation

Download the CSV, open it in Excel or Google Sheets, customise the rows, then upload the finished index to Data Room Builder. The columns are intentionally simple: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Notes.

Level 1Level 2Level 3Notes
CorporateFormation documentsArticles and certificateLatest filed versions
CorporateOwnershipCap tableFully diluted if applicable
FinanceHistorical financialsAudited accountsThree years
FinanceForecastBudget and modelInclude assumptions where shareable
ContractsCustomersTop customer contractsInclude amendments and side letters
HREmployeesEmployee censusExclude personal data unless needed
TaxReturnsFiled tax returnsBy jurisdiction and year
ITSystemsCore software listLicences, owners and renewal dates

Implementation tips

  • Add owner, status and confidentiality columns before collecting documents.
  • Use consistent folder names in the request list so upload teams do not create duplicates.
  • Separate internal preparation notes from the buyer-facing index.

FAQs

What columns should a request list include?

At minimum: category, subcategory, request description, owner, status, notes and target folder path.

When should a request list become a data room?

Once the top-level categories are stable and each request has a target folder, convert the request list into the room structure.