Prepare a loan or grant proposal that answers the lender's questions first
A complete funding toolkit for finance managers, accountants, founders and fractional CFOs of established small and mid-size businesses: choose the product, read your numbers like a lender, size the loan, write the proposal, meet the bank and manage the covenants.
- A 10-chapter e-book that follows one composite case, a 40-person manufacturer borrowing GBP 480,000 for a machine, from the first question to the first covenant test
- The Funding Proposal Workbook: 15 sheets with three years of historicals, lender ratios with pass flags, a 36-month projection with the loan built in, DSCR by year, sensitivity cases, offer comparison and covenant monitoring
- A loan proposal template in ten parts, a grant narrative template, 38 lender messages and scripts, 28 AI prompts and a worked example pack
- 4 fillable PDF forms, an 8-sheet affordability calculator, a Start Here map, three cheat sheets including dated country scheme notes, a 40-event calendar and a 32-task CSV
The Bank Loan and Funding Proposal Kit · Bodhih Pro Kits · 181 by Bodhih Training, trainers to 2,000+ companies since 2008.
How do I prepare a business loan proposal a bank will take seriously?
Start from purpose and repayment source, read three years of your accounts through the ratios lenders use, size the loan from cash available for debt service, build a driver-based projection with downside cases, then write a ten-part proposal led by debt service cover. The Bank Loan and Funding Proposal Kit from Bodhih Training gives you a file for each step.
Want the full free guide first? Read How to Write a Business Loan Proposal Lenders Trust.
You already feel the problem. Here is what it is costing you.
A round number and a hopeful email
The machine costs 600,000, so the request is 600,000. Nobody has checked whether the business can service it, and the lender's first question is one you cannot answer in the meeting.
The wrong product
A term loan for a gap that invoice finance would close, or an overdraft for an asset that lasts ten years. The application is weaker before anyone reads the numbers.
Projections that take off
History grows at 12% a year and the projection grows at 30%. There is no downside case, no cash low point and nothing that tells the credit team you have thought about what could go wrong.
A pile of attachments, not a proposal
Eleven files and a two-line email. The analyst writes your summary for you, from the weakest document, and asks for fourteen more.
The cheapest offer with the hardest terms
A lower rate hides an unlimited personal guarantee and a quarterly covenant your seasonal business will struggle with. Nobody compared the conditions.
Covenants nobody is watching
The facility letter goes in a drawer. The first reporting date passes, headroom shrinks without anyone noticing, and the bank hears about a problem after the test date.
Picture the next few weeks with the kit open beside you.
Picture the morning the request arrives. Instead of guessing a number, you open the workbook, type three years of accounts and read the Lender Checks sheet. Before lunch you know your pro-forma debt service cover, the two ratios a lender will ask about, and the amount the business can actually service at the cover the bank wants.
Now it is week four. As you write the proposal from the template, every figure comes from one Dashboard, the weak year is explained in four calm sentences before anyone asks, and the sensitivity table shows what you would do if revenue fell 20%. Someone outside finance reads the executive summary and tells you in one sentence what the business wants and how it will repay.
Imagine the meeting. You open with sixty rehearsed seconds, answer the question about cover without looking down, and ask what would make them decline. That evening the follow-up message is already sent and the promised documents are logged with dates.
And then the offers. You type all three into the Lender Comparison sheet, score the conditions on the form, and negotiate the guarantee and the covenant test before the rate. Whether you start with the workbook tonight or the self-check tomorrow morning, the next facility starts from a system rather than a scramble.
19 files that do the work for you
The e-book shows you how. The tools make it happen. Here is exactly what you download.
The Bank Loan and Funding Proposal Kit (e-book, PDF)
The guide: methods, worked examples, scripts and exercises
Start here: funding map
The whole funding job as eight steps with the file to open at each, your first hour, a 30/60/90 day use plan and links to measure your starting point.
Funding Proposal Workbook
15-sheet workbook: settings, three years of historicals, lender ratios with pass flags, a driver-based 36-month P&L and cash flow with the loan built in, amortisation, DSCR by year, sensitivity cases, use of funds, document checklist, lender comparison on total cost, covenant monitoring and a dashboard with a DSCR chart.
Loan Comparison and Affordability Calculator
8-sheet calculator: how much you can afford at a target DSCR, the same loan over eight terms, rate shocks, the annual cost of a term loan versus a line versus invoice finance, and a cost breakdown with a chart.
Funding readiness self-check and use of funds worksheet
Four-page fillable form: the purpose and amount, a 21-point readiness check across the five Cs, your lender ratios against thresholds, the weaknesses to fix before applying, and a use-of-funds worksheet with quotes and your own contribution.
Lender meeting preparation sheet
Three-page fillable sheet: the one-minute opening, the ten numbers to know cold, the questions lenders ask with your prepared answers, the questions you will ask them, and the follow-up record.
Offer comparison form
Two-page fillable form to compare up to three offers side by side on amount, rate, fees, total cost of borrowing, security, guarantees, covenants, flexibility and the relationship, with a scored decision.
Covenant review record
Two-page fillable record for each covenant test date after approval: the covenants tested, actual versus threshold, headroom, early-warning signs, what you will tell the bank and the relationship update.
Funding proposal document template (lender-ready)
The complete lender-ready proposal in ten parts: a one-page executive summary, the business, management bios, market and customers, the project and use of funds, historical performance, projections and assumptions, repayment and cover, security and guarantees, risks and mitigation, and an appendix list. With example wording from the composite case.
Grant application narrative template
A narrative template built around the criteria most grant programmes score: fit with the programme, need and additionality, the project plan and milestones, outcomes and how they are measured, budget and match funding, capability, risks, and a compliance checklist for the submission.
Lender message and script library
38 ready-to-edit messages and scripts in 5 groups: introductions, submitting documents, explaining weak numbers, chasing decisions, negotiating rate, fees, covenants and guarantees, responding to a decline, drawdown, covenant warnings, reporting and relationship updates.
Borrowing and covenant policy one-pager
A one-page policy the owners or board can adopt: when the company borrows, who approves, the cover and cash buffers it keeps, how offers are compared, the rules on guarantees, and how covenants and lender reporting are monitored.
Worked example pack: Northgate Precision borrows for a machining centre
One composite case, a 40-person precision engineering firm borrowing GBP 480,000 over five years, shown from readiness check to approval and first covenant test: the self-check, the ratios, the sizing decision, the projection drivers, the executive summary, the lender meeting, the three offers compared, the negotiation and the covenant plan.
AI prompt pack for funding proposals
28 tool-agnostic prompts grouped by the seven steps of the funding job, from choosing the route to the first covenant test, each with what to paste in and what to check before you use the output.
Funding option and lender ratio decision card
Which product fits which need, the nine ratios lenders check with formulas and common thresholds, and if-this-then-that rules for the decisions in an application.
Funding mistakes to avoid
Twelve mistakes that get proposals declined, each with what to do instead and the file that prevents it, plus ten traps in the meeting and after approval.
Funding schemes by country (October 2026)
Dated quick reference to government-backed loan schemes and lender practice in India, the UK, the US, Singapore, the Gulf, the Philippines and other markets, with what to check.
8-week funding project calendar
40 calendar events for one funding application over eight weeks, from choosing the route to the first monthly lender update, each naming the file to open. Import into a new calendar and move to your dates.
Funding task board import
32 funding tasks as a CSV ready to import into Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira, with stage, week, owner, file to open and due date.
Chapter by chapter
Each chapter opens with a real situation, gives you a method and ends with something to do today, using the tools in your kit.
- Format
- PDF e-book + XLSX + fillable PDF + DOCX + printable PDF + ICS + CSV
- Files
- 19 files plus a one-click ZIP
- E-book
- 63 pages
- Workbooks
- 15-sheet funding workbook and 8-sheet calculator, with sample data, formulas and dashboards, in any currency
- Works with
- Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice, Word, Google Docs, Acrobat Reader, GoodNotes, Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner, Jira
- Best for
- Established businesses of roughly 10 to 300 people seeking a term loan, working capital facility, asset or invoice finance, a scheme loan or a grant
The Loan Nobody Taught You to Ask For
Why good businesses send weak applications, and the eight-step method with one workbook underneath it.
The Funding Menu
Term loans, lines, overdrafts, invoice, asset and trade finance, guarantee schemes and grants, matched to purpose and repayment source.
How Lenders Decide
The five Cs of credit in plain words and the three questions a credit analyst must answer, in the order to answer them.
Read Your Own Numbers Like a Lender
The ratios lenders check over three years, debt service cover in three versions, and a three-pass review of your own figures.
Fix the Weaknesses Before You Apply
The cash conversion cycle, six levers that move within eight weeks, a 13-week cash flow and the controls lenders notice.
How Much, How Long, and Projections Lenders Believe
Sizing the loan from cash available for debt service, a driver-based three-year projection and downside cases with a plan.
The Proposal Document and the Data Room
A proposal in ten parts in the order a credit paper reads, writing for an analyst, and a complete data room on day one.
The Lender Meeting
A one-minute opening, ten numbers known cold, prepared answers to the eight standard questions and the same-day follow-up.
Grant Applications and Scoring Criteria
Testing the fit, writing each section to a criterion in the funder's words, and managing the award like a covenant.
Comparing Offers and Negotiating Terms
Total cost of borrowing, what security, guarantees and covenants really mean, and the words to negotiate them.
After Approval
Drawdown, monthly reporting, covenant headroom, the early-warning rule, a one-page policy and AI with human review.
The Bank Is a Customer You Sell Repayment To
The whole method in one idea, your first hour with the kit, and how to measure your starting point.
Lender Ratio Definitions and Formulas
Plain definitions and formulas for every ratio in the workbook.
Using AI in the Funding Job Safely
Six review rules for using AI assistants on a funding proposal, and a facts-only executive summary prompt.
Not just reading. Tools you will actually open again.
E-book
- The Bank Loan and Funding Proposal Kit: 10 chapters, 2 appendices and 6 hand-drawn figures (PDF)
Start here
- 00-Start-Here-Funding-Map: the job as eight steps with the file to open at each, your first hour and a 30/60/90 day use plan
Spreadsheets
- Funding Proposal Workbook (15 sheets): Start here, Settings, Historicals, Ratios, Lender Checks, P&L Projection, Cash Flow, Amortisation, DSCR, Sensitivity, Use of Funds, Documents, Lender Comparison, Covenants and a Dashboard with 24 live measures and a DSCR chart
- Loan Comparison and Affordability Calculator (8 sheets): maximum loan at a target DSCR, the same loan over eight terms, rate shocks, product cost comparison and a cost breakdown
Fillable PDF forms
- Funding readiness self-check and use of funds worksheet: purpose and payback, a 21-point five Cs check, ratios against thresholds and the use of funds
- Lender meeting preparation sheet: one-minute opening, ten numbers, prepared answers, your questions and the follow-up record
- Offer comparison form: up to three offers on money terms and conditions, with a weighted scorecard and decision
- Covenant review record: covenants tested, headroom, early-warning signs and what you tell the bank
Word templates
- Funding proposal document template (lender-ready): ten parts with example wording, including executive summary, management bios and a risk and mitigation statement
- Grant application narrative template: fit test, eight scored sections and a submission checklist
- Lender message and script library: 38 messages and scripts, from first introduction to the annual review
- Borrowing and covenant policy one-pager your owners or board can adopt
- Worked example pack: Northgate Precision borrows for a machining centre, from readiness check to first covenant test
- AI prompt pack for funding proposals: 28 prompts, each with what to paste in and what to check
Cheat sheets
- Funding option and lender ratio decision card: which product fits, the ratios lenders check and if-this-then-that rules
- Funding mistakes to avoid: twelve mistakes that get proposals declined and ten traps in the meeting and after
- Funding schemes by country, dated October 2026: India, UK, US, Singapore, the Gulf, the Philippines and what to check elsewhere
Calendar and import
- 8-week funding project calendar (ICS): 40 events for Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar
- Funding task board import (CSV): 32 tasks for Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira
When you have worked through it, you will be able to…
Every outcome is practised with a worked example and a tool, not just described.
- Match a funding need to the product that fits its purpose and repayment source
- Read three years of your accounts through the ratios lenders use and list what to fix and what to explain
- Work out how much the business can service at a target debt service cover, before anyone else does
- Build a driver-based three-year projection with the loan built in and downside cases with a plan for each
- Write a ten-part proposal or a scored grant narrative, with a one-page executive summary
- Prepare for a lender meeting with a one-minute opening, ten numbers and prepared answers
- Compare offers on total cost of borrowing and on guarantees, covenants and flexibility, and negotiate the terms that matter
- Log every covenant and reporting date and spot shrinking headroom before a test date
Know your starting point. Prove your progress.
People who measure before and after improve faster and can show it. AssessAll, our sister assessment platform, has AI-graded assessments that pair with this kit. Take one now, work through the kit, then re-take it.
Four Quarters: Financial Judgement for Managers Who Are Not in Finance
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentBid and Proposal Quality Assessment for Sales, Consulting and Grant Teams
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentCommercial Judgment & Market Sense
Take the assessment →JobularyHow a Jobulary development plan works
Make it a growth plan →A taste of Chapter 5
The P&L Projection sheet builds 36 months from those drivers, with interest from the Amortisation sheet and depreciation of the new asset. The Cash Flow sheet adds tax, working capital, project spend, drawdown and repayments, and flags any month below your cash buffer. The DSCR sheet rolls everything up into debt service cover for each of the three years. If a lender wants a full projected balance sheet, your accountant can build it from the same drivers. Northgate's projection gave a DSCR of 1.95 in year one rising to 3.19 in year three, and a cash low point in month three of about GBP 78,000, below the 100,000 buffer. Sarah did not hide the dip. She asked for a GBP 50,000 standby overdraft and said why.
The honest comparison
| Free templates and typical advice | This kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | A loan application form and a request for 'projections' | An eight-step method from choosing the product to the first covenant test |
| Numbers | A blank projection template with no link to your history | A 15-sheet workbook: three years of historicals, lender ratios with pass flags, a 36-month projection with the loan built in and DSCR by year |
| Loan size | The price of the asset | The amount you can service at a target cover, with headroom shown |
| Risk | No downside case | Sensitivity cases with a plan for each, written into the proposal |
| The proposal | A start-up pitch template | Ten parts in the order a credit paper reads, with a worked example |
| Words | Write every email from scratch | 38 lender messages and scripts, from introduction to annual review |
| Offers | Pick the lowest rate | Total cost of borrowing plus a scored comparison of guarantees, covenants and flexibility |
| After approval | The facility letter goes in a drawer | A covenant sheet, review record, one-page policy and calendar |
Made for you if…
- Finance managers and accountants in industry preparing a first or larger facility
- Founders and owners of businesses with roughly 10 to 300 people who want to understand what the bank sees
- Office and admin managers who keep the books and have been asked to put the application together
- Bookkeepers, fractional CFOs and advisers who prepare funding proposals for clients
- Teams applying for grants that are scored against published criteria
- Businesses in India, the UK, the US, the Gulf, Singapore, the Philippines, Africa and Australia
Probably not for you if…
- Start-ups raising venture capital or selling shares: this kit is about debt and grants for established businesses
- Anyone looking for financial, tax or legal advice: the kit teaches a method and points you to your accountant, auditor, lawyer and local law
- Readers who need bookkeeping basics or a chart of accounts: Small Business Books in a Box covers that ground
Built by trainers, tested in real rooms.
Bodhih Training has designed and delivered corporate programmes since 2008. Bodhih Pro Kits package what works in those workshops into a guide plus the exact tools we use, so you can apply it the same day without a facilitator in the room.
From here to using it in three steps
- STEP 1
Tap Get the kit
Name, email and country. UPI, card or netbanking in India; international cards everywhere else. No account to create.
- STEP 2
Download instantly
Your download page opens at once, with every file and a one-click ZIP. A permanent link lands in your inbox too.
- STEP 3
Open the first tool
Start with the quick-start chapter, then the main spreadsheet or planner. Most buyers use something from the kit the same day.
Make your business easy for a lender to see
Open the Start Here map, type three years into the workbook and read what a lender would read. Whether you begin with the ratios tonight or the self-check tomorrow, the proposal you send will answer the lender's questions before they ask them.
Personal licence for the buyer's own use (and use with your own team or clients where the kit says so). Please don't share or resell the files. Team and company licences: solutions@bodhih.com.
What buyers say
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The Bank Loan and Funding Proposal Kit: FAQs
Read the free guideAlready bought? Resend my linkWhat do banks look for in a business loan application?
Lenders want to know whether cash flow will repay the loan, what happens if it does not, and whether they trust the people and the purpose. In practice that means debt service cover, security and guarantees, a track record in clean accounts and bank statements, and a clear purpose. Chapter 2 explains the five Cs of credit and the order to answer them in.
How much can my business borrow?
Work backwards from cash available for debt service: EBITDA less tax less owner drawings, divided by a target cover such as 1.35, less what existing debt already costs. The calculator converts what is left into a loan amount at your rate and term and shows the headroom against your request. Lenders set their own thresholds, so ask yours.
What is a good debt service coverage ratio?
A DSCR of 1.0 means every spare unit of cash goes to the lender. Many lenders look for 1.25 or more on a term loan, some want more and some schemes accept less. The workbook calculates it on existing debt, pro-forma with the new loan, and projected by year, and lets you type the lender's own threshold.
Does the kit work outside the UK?
Yes. The workbook takes any currency, the examples run across India, the UK, the US, the Gulf, Kenya, the Philippines and Australia, and country scheme notes for India, the UK, the US, Singapore, the Gulf and the Philippines sit in one dated cheat sheet so you know when to recheck them.
Is this financial, tax or legal advice?
No. The kit is educational: it teaches a method and gives you tools. It is not financial, tax or legal advice and it is not a lender's decision. Check your accountant, auditor, a qualified lawyer and local law before you borrow, give security or sign a personal guarantee.
Does it cover grants as well as loans?
Yes. Chapter 8 and the grant narrative template cover testing the fit, writing each section to the funder's scoring criteria, match funding, and managing reporting and clawback terms after the award.
How should I use AI on a funding proposal?
Use it to draft from facts, explain terms in plain words, challenge your assumptions and rehearse the meeting. Do not let it decide the amount or a guarantee, interpret a clause legally or supply numbers you have not checked. The prompt pack has 28 prompts, each with what to paste in and what to check, and Appendix B sets out the review rules.
How can I measure my starting point?
Three AssessAll assessments match this kit: Four Quarters: Financial Judgement for Managers Who Are Not in Finance, the Bid and Proposal Quality Assessment for Sales, Consulting and Grant Teams, and Commercial Judgment & Market Sense. They are separate products; links are on the Start Here map.
How do I turn this into a development plan for my finance team?
Use what the kit and an assessment show you to pick two or three skills to build, such as reading ratios or writing for a credit analyst. A Jobulary development plan can turn those into a structured plan; see how a Jobulary development plan works at jobulary.com.
Can I use the kit with clients or across my company?
The personal licence covers your own use and use with your own team or clients where the kit says so. For company-wide or adviser-practice use, contact solutions@bodhih.com about a team or company licence.
How much does The Bank Loan and Funding Proposal Kit cost?
₹999 including 18% GST for buyers in India, or $29 for buyers outside India. One-time payment, no subscription, with an automatic invoice.
How do I get the files after paying?
Instantly. Your download page opens the moment payment succeeds, and a permanent download link is emailed to you. Download each file separately or everything in one ZIP.
What software do I need?
Any of the usual tools: Excel or Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Word or Google Docs for templates, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Xodo or GoodNotes for the fillable PDFs, and Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar for the calendar plan.
Can I get a refund?
Because it is a digital download, kits are not refundable once downloaded. We always refund a duplicate charge or a failed delivery, and if a file is corrupted and we cannot fix it within 3 working days. Full terms: bodhih.org/refunds.
Can my company buy this for a team?
Yes. Team and company licences, and workshops on this topic run by Bodhih Training, are available. Write to solutions@bodhih.com or call +91 99000 11601.
