Liquidity guide
The 13-week cash flow forecast.
In a restructuring, banks usually ask for a 13-week cash flow forecast first. It shows week by week whether the company can meet its payments, and it is the basis for talks about standstill agreements. A Chief Restructuring Officer usually builds or reviews this plan in the first week of a mandate, before any further steps are taken.
When you need a 13-week plan
Banks are asking for a plan
When the lender requires a restructuring concept or a loan moves to intensive review, the 13-week forecast is among the first documents they request.
Cash is running short
The account balance is falling, payment terms are being stretched, some invoices are sitting unpaid. Until the scale is clear, nothing can be negotiated. The plan makes it visible.
Preparing a restructuring concept
A restructuring concept under IDW S 6 rests on reliable liquidity planning. The 13-week plan is regularly part of it.
Proposing a standstill to creditors
Anyone asking creditors for a payment pause has to show the company can keep trading during that period. The plan provides the evidence.
How the plan is built
- 01 · Receipts
Opening balance and receipts
Start with the available cash balance at the cut-off date. Then enter all expected receipts by week: open receivables by due date, forecast sales and other incoming payments.
- 02 · Payments
Structure the payments out
Assign all known outgoings week by week: wages and salaries, supplier invoices, taxes and social contributions, interest and loan repayments. Separate large blocks from smaller items.
- 03 · Every week
Run an actuals-versus-plan comparison
The plan is rolling: each week the actual payments are entered and compared with the forecast. Variances show early where measures are working and where they are not. Banks value this rhythm because it creates transparency.
What this is based on
- A restructuring concept under IDW S 6 rests on integrated planning, which regularly includes a short-term cash flow forecast
- Under the MaRisk rules, banks must base restructuring loans on a restructuring concept
- More than 150 business plans with three-year financial planning and bank meeting preparation
- Banking experience as financial planner and head of a profit centre with lending business at SEB AG in Stuttgart
- Consultant listed with BAFA, the German federal office that funds SME consulting (ID 193982)
Frequently asked questions
Why exactly 13 weeks?
13 weeks cover one quarter. That is enough to capture the immediate payment risks and short enough to plan week by week with reasonable effort. In practice, banks and advisers have settled on this period as the standard.
Who prepares the 13-week forecast?
Usually the company's finance team, often with the support of an adviser or a Chief Restructuring Officer. The earlier it is ready, the more room there is to act.
What happens if the plan shows a gap?
Then immediate measures need to be assessed: extending payment terms with suppliers, actively chasing open receivables, using short-term credit lines or prioritising outgoings. A gap is a signal you can work with.
Is the 13-week forecast enough for the bank?
It is the first step. Banks then expect a restructuring concept with an integrated three-year plan. Together they form the basis for a standstill agreement.
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Last updated: 01/11/2026