Data Room Builder
M&A template

M&A Data Room Folder Structure Template

A copy-ready folder index for sell-side M&A processes, mapped to the diligence categories buyers normally request.

Download Excel template Download CSV Generate this M&A folder tree

Spreadsheet preview

Folder index rows

01 Corporate and Governance / 01.01 Incorporation documents
01 Corporate and Governance / 01.02 Shareholders and cap table
02 Financial Information / 02.01 Audited financial statements
02 Financial Information / 02.02 Management accounts
03 Tax / 03.01 Tax returns
04 Legal and Contracts / 04.01 Customer contracts
05 Commercial / 05.01 Revenue analysis

Use case

Selling a business or preparing buyer due diligence

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
01 Corporate and Governance01.01 Incorporation documents—Certificate, articles, bylaws and registers
01 Corporate and Governance01.02 Shareholders and cap table—Current ownership, options, warrants and historical issuances
02 Financial Information02.01 Audited financial statements—Three years where available
02 Financial Information02.02 Management accounts—Monthly P&L, balance sheet, cash flow and KPI packs
03 Tax03.01 Tax returns—Corporate tax, VAT/sales tax and payroll tax filings
04 Legal and Contracts04.01 Customer contracts—Material customer agreements and amendments
05 Commercial05.01 Revenue analysis—Revenue by customer, product, geography and channel
06 HR and Management06.01 Organisation chart—Current team, role, location and reporting line
07 IT, Operations and Assets07.01 Systems and software—Core tools, licences, hosting and security overview

Implementation tips

  • Keep the top-level index stable during the process so bidder links and advisor notes do not break.
  • Mirror the buyer request list in your numbering so every request can be traced to a folder.
  • Put sensitive items in restricted subfolders rather than creating a separate parallel room unless counsel advises otherwise.

FAQs

Can I use this template for every M&A process?

Use it as a starting architecture, then tailor the subfolders to the business model, sector, buyer request list and counsel instructions.

Should empty folders be created before documents are ready?

Yes. Empty placeholders make collection gaps visible and help the seller assign owners before the buyer starts reviewing.