Deal readiness
Deal readiness: A structured preparation state in which a leadership team has clarified the proposed transaction question, organised available evidence, documented material assumptions and gaps, and identified matters requiring qualified professional advice.
Plain-English Explanation
Deal readiness does not mean a business is certain to sell, acquire, merge, raise capital or complete a transaction. It means the people considering a deal can explain what they are evaluating, show where key information came from, distinguish facts from assumptions, and prepare useful questions for accounting, legal, tax, valuation, finance and transaction advisers.
The appropriate evidence and advice depend on the transaction, parties and jurisdiction. A readiness checklist is therefore a preparation aid, not a substitute for due diligence or professional work.
Why It Matters
A structured readiness review can make missing documents, inconsistent information, unresolved decisions and adviser dependencies visible earlier. This helps leaders decide whether to gather more evidence, refine the transaction thesis, seek advice, consider alternatives or pause. It does not establish value, remove transaction risk or predict how a counterparty will respond.
Next Step
Organise the available evidence, label assumptions and gaps, and ask appropriately qualified professionals to confirm the scope required for the actual matter and jurisdiction.
This definition is general education, not legal, tax, accounting, valuation, financial-product, securities, investment, intermediary, brokerage or transaction advice.
Examples
- A leadership team considering an acquisition records its strategic thesis, indexes the information currently available, lists assumptions about customers and operations, identifies confidential material requiring controlled access, and prepares questions for qualified advisers. The resulting pack improves the quality of the next conversation without claiming that the acquisition should proceed.