For PE deal teams and principals: 11 Claude prompts that underwrite a mid-market buyout end to end, the data room read, the LBO model, the quality of earnings, the covenant stress, and the IC memo, with a reconciliation self-check before anything reaches committee. Replaces the $250K associate grind and the $1M Big 4 transaction services engagement.
Free — runs in your own ClaudeMedium setup · 4 steps11 ready-to-run prompts
Three minutes, four steps, nothing to install by hand
Claude sets it up for you. You just paste.
Never used Claude? It is free and takes 30 seconds to open. Copy the instruction below, paste it into Claude, and it reads this page and walks you through everything, one question at a time.
1
Tell Claude how to talk to you
One tap. It changes how much Claude explains, and how slowly it goes. You can change it any time.
2
Copy your setup instruction
A short instruction plus a link to this page lands on your clipboard. First copy asks for your email once. That unlocks every button across the whole library.
3
Open Claude in a new tab
Free account, no card, 30 seconds. This tab stays open so you can come back.
Claude reads this page, asks one question about your work, then guides you step by step until your first output is right. If anything looks wrong, tell Claude what you see, and it fixes it with you.
▸Prefer the full prompt instead of the link? (optional)
I am comfortable copy-pasting and following instructions, but I am not a developer.
There is nothing to install for this one and no commands to type: it all happens inside Claude. If any instruction below implies a Terminal, translate it into the equivalent click path for me instead.
- Plain English. Define jargon the first time it appears.
- One step at a time, then wait for me to confirm before the next one.
- Tell me what success looks like at each step, and diagnose any error before moving on.
Follow the instructions below with those rules applied.
If you can browse the web, open and read this page in full first, it has the complete guide and every prompt you will run (the vault is under the-vault anchor): https://consultance.ai/library/pe-diligence-pack#the-vault . If you cannot open links, tell me and I will paste the page in, do not guess the prompts.
I want to INSTALL the real setup so Claude underwrites my deal on the actual data room, not just a chat demo. Walk me through it step by step, do not skip the install. Treat me like a deal-team associate or principal who has never built a Claude Project or installed an Office add-in, and define every term once.
This is NOT a Terminal or coding install. There is nothing to compile. It is two paths: a Claude Project for the data room and financials (recommended), and an optional Excel add-in for the LBO model.
Set expectations once, up front: this pack is about 60% of the build. It gets me a defensible first-pass underwrite I can take into IC. The last 40% is production wiring, live data feeds off my VDR and warehouse, role-based permissions on who sees which deal, an audit trail my LPs and auditors accept, and multi-entity scale for a carve-out or a platform. Consultance wires that 40% into production. If I want it, the reply is "wire it" for a 30-minute slot. Do not oversell the prompts as a finished system; tell me where the wall is.
## Path 1 (RECOMMENDED) — a private Claude Project for the data room
This is where the CIM, financials, contracts, and customer data live so every prompt reads from one governed place.
Walk me through ONE step at a time, waiting for me to confirm each:
1. **What I need.** A Claude account. Pin **Opus 5**. Nothing to install for this path.
2. **Create the deal room.** In Claude, create a new **Project** and name it for the target. A Project is a private workspace with its own knowledge that other chats cannot see. My data room stays in my own tenant; nothing is uploaded to you, stored by you, or seen by you.
3. **Load the data room.** Drop the CIM, financials, contracts, and customer/cohort exports into the Project knowledge. For a large VDR, summarize or export the key files; I do not need every appendix.
4. **Run the vault.** Run prompt 01, the onboarding router. Pick the deal type (platform, bolt-on, carve-out, take-private, growth) and data source (A) upload, (B) paste, (C) Excel add-in, or (D) a governed connector. Then run 02 to 11 in order: data-room triage, LBO model, QoE, returns sensitivity, covenant stress, red flags, the reconciliation self-check, the IC memo, the confirmatory diligence list, and the first-100-day value plan.
5. **Gate it.** Run prompt 08 (reconciliation self-check) before the memo. Any FAIL is a number to fix, not a footnote.
6. A named human owns the IC decision. Claude is the analyst.
## Path 2 (OPTIONAL) — Claude for Excel add-in for the LBO model
If I want the model to live in real formulas:
1. In Excel (Microsoft 365 desktop or web): **Home** or **Insert** tab, **Add-ins** or **Get Add-ins**, search **"Claude"**, **Add**. Tell me where the button is in my version.
2. Sign in to the docked Claude side panel.
3. In vault prompt 01 choose data source (C) Excel add-in. For prompt 03 say "build the LBO into my workbook as real formulas, tab by tab." The base, downside, and returns grid then recompute on their own.
4. Pin **Opus 5** for the model, QoE, and IC memo.
## Path 3 (BEST, optional) — governed connectors for live data
This is the upgrade. If my firm has the Claude finance offering with governed data connectors, the market read and comps pull from live data and filings instead of a static upload, current and sourced, in my own tenant.
1. Confirm my firm has the governed finance connectors. If I am not sure, ask my admin whether they are enabled; if not, Path 1 still runs the full pack on uploaded files.
2. Turn on the connectors I have: S&P Capital IQ, PitchBook for market data and comps; my VDR (Datasite, Intralinks) for the data room.
3. In vault prompt 01 choose data source (D). The market prompts then pull live figures under governed access, each number sourced to the feed.
4. Pin **Opus 5**. A named human still owns the IC call.
This is optional. The pack does not require it; it just runs better with it.
## Rules for walking me through this
- One step at a time. Define every term once: Project, knowledge, connector, VDR, add-in, side panel, LBO, QoE, MOIC, IRR, covenant, `<review_gate>`, `{{TOKEN}}`.
- Do NOT tell me a step is "not possible." If the Excel add-in is missing, check Excel for Microsoft 365, try Excel on the web, or AppSource. For the Project path there is nothing to install.
- Never paste a live data room into a public Claude window outside a Project. Use a Project with my tenant controls; respect each VDR and data provider's terms.
- A named human signs the IC memo. Claude builds and ties the numbers; a person owns the call.
- Be honest about the ceiling. This pack is 60% of the build; if I want the live wiring, RBAC, audit trail, and multi-entity scale, that is the "wire it" call, not a prompt.
First message: ask me "Path 1 (Claude Project for the data room, recommended) and do you also want Path 2 (Excel add-in for the LBO model)? And are you uploading files or pulling from a connector?" Then start step 1.
Step 2 · run it on your data
Step 1 set it up. These 11 prompts do the work.
the vault
The 11 prompts
Grab the whole pack as one file, or tap any prompt below to copy it on its own. Placeholders that look like {{THIS}} get swapped for your own numbers — and if you ran Step 1, Claude fills them in for you.
One .md file · all 11 prompts, numbered, in order · nothing left out.
<role>You are a private equity investment committee in one: a Principal who has led 40+ mid-market LBOs, a Transaction Services partner from a Big 4 FDD practice, and a leveraged finance director. You run diligence with the rigor of Blackstone, KKR, and Bain Capital deal teams.</role>
<onboarding>
Before any analysis, set up the engagement. Ask me to confirm each block. Offer the options. Do not assume.
1. DEAL TYPE: (A) Platform (B) Bolt-on (C) Carve-out (D) Take-private (E) Growth / minority.
2. WHERE IS YOUR DATA? Pick all that apply. (A) upload the data room into this Project's knowledge (B) paste raw financials (C) Claude add-in for Excel, build in my workbook (D) governed connector (S&P Capital IQ, PitchBook, Datasite, Intralinks) (E) mix.
3. DEAL CONTEXT: Target {{TARGET_NAME}}, Sector {{SECTOR}}, Revenue / EBITDA {{REVENUE}} / {{EBITDA}}, Entry multiple {{ENTRY_MULTIPLE}}x, Hold {{HOLD_YEARS}} years, Fund {{FUND_OR_MANDATE}}.
4. OUTPUT BAR: every deliverable IC-ready, every number sourced to a document or my input, every assumption labeled ASSUMPTION.
</onboarding>
<rules>Never fabricate a number; ask or label ASSUMPTION. Match every later prompt to the data source I chose. Flag deal-killers early. Always end with "Next step:".</rules>
Confirm my four blocks back to me, then wait for prompt 02.
<role>Transaction Services partner running first-pass data room review.</role>
<task>Using the data source I selected in prompt 01, triage the data room. 1. Index what is present vs the standard LBO diligence checklist. 2. List the top 10 MISSING documents that would block IC approval. 3. Flag the 10 highest-risk items found, ranked, each with document and page reference. 4. Output a one-page state of the data room with a red / amber / green readiness call.</task>
<constraints>Work from the data source from prompt 01. Cite the source document for every flag. Label gaps explicitly.</constraints>
Then "Next step:".
<role>Leveraged finance analyst building the base-case LBO.</role>
<inputs>Entry EV {{ENTRY_EV}}, EBITDA (LTM) {{EBITDA}}, Entry multiple {{ENTRY_MULTIPLE}}x, Debt / total capital {{LEVERAGE_PCT}}%, Blended debt rate {{DEBT_RATE}}%, Revenue growth {{REV_GROWTH}}%, EBITDA margin path {{MARGIN_PATH}}, Exit multiple {{EXIT_MULTIPLE}}x, Hold {{HOLD_YEARS}} years.</inputs>
<task>Build the full base-case LBO from these inputs and the data source from prompt 01. 1. Sources and uses. 2. Debt schedule with mandatory + cash sweep paydown. 3. Projected P&L and free cash flow across the hold. 4. Exit equity, MOIC, IRR. 5. The 3 assumptions the return is most sensitive to. If in Excel add-in mode, write it into the workbook tab by tab.</task>
<review_gate>State every assumption. Do not smooth a number to hit a target return.</review_gate>
Then "Next step:".
<role>Big 4 FDD director normalizing EBITDA.</role>
<task>From the financials in the data source from prompt 01, build a quality of earnings bridge. 1. Reported EBITDA to adjusted EBITDA, every add-back itemized. 2. Flag aggressive or unsupported add-backs with a challenge note. 3. One-time vs recurring items. 4. Working capital trend and any earnings pulled forward. 5. The defensible adjusted EBITDA you would take to IC, and the number you would not.</task>
<constraints>Work from the data source from prompt 01. Every add-back needs a source and a recurring/one-time call. Mark anything you cannot support.</constraints>
Then "Next step:".
<role>VP running the returns grid.</role>
<task>Using the base-case model from prompt 03, run sensitivities. 1. IRR and MOIC grid across exit multiple ({{EXIT_LOW}}x to {{EXIT_HIGH}}x) and leverage ({{LEV_LOW}}% to {{LEV_HIGH}}%). 2. Downside: revenue flat, margin down 200bps, show IRR. 3. The multiple of money at which this clears the fund hurdle of {{HURDLE_IRR}}%. 4. The single variable that most moves the return, quantified.</task>
<constraints>Work from the model built in prompt 03 and the data source from prompt 01.</constraints>
Then "Next step:".
<role>Leveraged finance director stress testing the capital structure.</role>
<task>1. Build the covenant package (leverage ratio, interest coverage, FCCR) at entry. 2. Stress across rate paths: base, +200bps, +400bps, show headroom each year. 3. Identify the first year and scenario where a covenant breaches. 4. Recommend the structure change that buys the most headroom for the least return drag.</task>
<constraints>Work from the data source from prompt 01. Tie every ratio to the debt schedule in prompt 03. Flag breach years in red.</constraints>
Then "Next step:".
<role>Principal pressure-testing the thesis.</role>
<task>Across everything reviewed, surface what kills this deal. 1. Customer concentration and churn. 2. Management gaps and key-person risk. 3. Market or cyclical exposure. 4. Legal, tax, or regulatory landmines from the data room. 5. The 3 questions I must get answered before IC, and who answers them. Rank every flag by severity and likelihood.</task>
<constraints>Work from the data source from prompt 01 and the findings in prompts 02 to 06.</constraints>
Then "Next step:".
<role>You are a finance model reviewer. Your only job is to catch arithmetic and consistency errors before they reach the IC. You trust nothing; you recompute.</role>
<task>Re-derive the key numbers a SECOND way and reconcile them against the earlier prompts. Do not copy the earlier outputs, recompute from inputs, then compare. 1. MOIC: recompute as exit equity / entry equity, confirm it matches prompt 03/05, show both and the delta. 2. IRR sanity: for single entry / single exit, IRR is approximately MOIC^(1 / hold years) minus 1, flag if off by more than 0.5 points. 3. Debt tie-out: ending debt = entry debt minus cumulative mandatory amortization minus cumulative cash sweep, confirm against prompt 03 and 06. 4. Sources = Uses, to the dollar. 5. EBITDA chain: the adjusted EBITDA from prompt 04 is the same EBITDA used in prompts 03 and 06.</task>
<output_format>A RECONCILIATION TABLE: one row per check (1 to 5), columns = check, value A, value B, delta, PASS/FAIL. Then a one-line verdict.</output_format>
<review_gate>Any FAIL stops the process. Tell me what to fix; do not proceed to the IC memo with an open FAIL. Claude does this math in chat, so this self-check is your guard against a quiet miscalculation.</review_gate>
Then "Next step:".
<role>Deal lead writing the IC memo.</role>
<task>Synthesize prompts 02 to 08 into an IC-ready memo: 1. Executive summary and recommendation. 2. Investment thesis in 3 points. 3. Base-case returns (MOIC, IRR) and the downside. 4. Key risks and mitigants. 5. Diligence findings and open items. 6. Proposed structure and price. Two pages of substance, plain English, no filler.</task>
<review_gate>Work from the data source from prompt 01. Every figure must trace to an earlier prompt's output or my source data. Do not write this memo if prompt 08 left any reconciliation check on FAIL. Mark open items honestly.</review_gate>
Then "Next step:".
<role>Deal lead building the confirmatory diligence request list before exclusivity.</role>
<task>From the red flags (prompt 07) and open items (prompt 09), build the confirmatory diligence request list to send management and advisors. 1. Group requests by workstream (financial, legal, tax, commercial, IT, HR, insurance). 2. For each request, state the question, why it matters to the underwrite, and which IC concern it closes. 3. Rank by which answers could still kill the deal. 4. Draft the three management-meeting questions a seller cannot dodge.</task>
<constraints>Work from the data source from prompt 01 and the findings in prompts 02 to 09. Only ask for what changes the decision.</constraints>
Then "Next step:".
<role>Operating partner drafting the first-100-day value creation plan for IC.</role>
<task>Turn the thesis and the returns bridge into a first-100-day plan. 1. The 5 value levers that drive the base-case return (pricing, cost, working capital, bolt-ons, org). 2. For each lever, the size of the prize in EBITDA and the owner. 3. The first-100-day actions that de-risk the thesis. 4. The 3 KPIs the board tracks monthly to know the thesis is on track.</task>
<constraints>Work from the data source from prompt 01 and the model in prompt 03. Every lever ties to a number in the base case; do not invent upside the model does not support.</constraints>
Then "Next step:".
Got the prompts. Want them wired into your actual stack? We map that on a free AI audit.
For PE deal teams and principals: 11 Claude prompts that underwrite a mid-market buyout end to end, the data room read, the LBO model, the quality of earnings, the covenant stress, and the IC memo, with a reconciliation self-check before anything reaches committee
Path A · free
You just did it
The setup rail and every prompt above are free and stay free. The cost is your time, and the risk of wiring it wrong on live data.
• Run last quarter's numbers first. Live data is not a test bed.
• Nothing here uploads to us. It runs in your own Claude account, on your own machine.
• A named human reviews and signs every output before it reaches a board, lender, or client.
• Mask account numbers and names to the minimum the task needs.
the fine print
Straight answers on ownership
Free to use on your own deals inside your own Claude tenant. First-pass underwrite and decision support, not investment advice. A named human owns the IC decision and the bid.
Want this running in your business, not just your laptop? We build it and hand you the keys.
PE Diligence Pack for Deal Teams is a finance and data build in the consultance.ai AI Build Library. For PE deal teams and principals: 11 Claude prompts that underwrite a mid-market buyout end to end, the data room read, the LBO model, the quality of earnings, the covenant stress, and the IC memo, with a reconciliation self-check before anything reaches committee. Replaces the $250K associate grind and the $1M Big 4 transaction services engagement. It fits PE deal teams, principals & partners, GPs, corp dev, credit investors, and family office deal principals underwriting mid-market buyouts. Setup difficulty is Medium, with 4 plain-English steps.
What does PE Diligence Pack for Deal Teams do?
For PE deal teams and principals: 11 Claude prompts that underwrite a mid-market buyout end to end, the data room read, the LBO model, the quality of earnings, the covenant stress, and the IC memo, with a reconciliation self-check before anything reaches committee. Replaces the $250K associate grind and the $1M Big 4 transaction services engagement.
Who is PE Diligence Pack for Deal Teams for?
It fits PE deal teams, principals & partners, GPs, corp dev, credit investors, and family office deal principals underwriting mid-market buyouts.
How hard is PE Diligence Pack for Deal Teams to set up?
Medium to set up — one guided setup instruction covering 4 plain-English steps, plus 11 ready-to-run prompts on the resource page.
How would consultance.ai build this out?
This pack is about 60% of the build & Consultance wires the last 40% into production: live data wiring off your VDR & warehouse, role-based permissions on who sees which deal, an audit trail your LPs & auditors accept, and multi-entity scale for a carve-out or platform. Reply "wire it" for a 30-minute slot.
What are the licensing terms?
Free to use on your own deals inside your own Claude tenant. First-pass underwrite and decision support, not investment advice. A named human owns the IC decision and the bid.
Want this built into your workflow?
PE Diligence Pack for Deal Teams is the starting point. On a free AI audit we map where it fits your stack and what consultance.ai would build around it.