DRAFT v0.1 / FILE REF CDD/2026/UK-MID-MKT / INDEPENDENT REFERENCE - NOT M&A ADVICE
§ PLAYBOOK
P.

The Eleven-Day CDD Playbook

Day-by-day cadence for a UK mid-market red-flag-to-full CDD mandate.

§ DIRECT ANSWER

The eleven-day playbook splits scoping (days 1-2), primary research (3-5), triangulation (6-8) and drafting (9-11). Partner-review loop opens day 6. Compresses for red-flag; expands by 5-10 days for full Big-4 mandate. Source: typical UK boutique CDD cadence.

§ 1.1Day-by-day

DaysPhaseOutput
1-2ScopingSoW, kickoff, data-room request list
3-5Primary research15-20 customer interviews
6-8TriangulationNumbers reconciled across sources
9-11Draftingv0.9 draft and IC summary lock

§ 1.2What slips first

Customer interviews. When the data room is late, interviews are pushed into the triangulation window and the synthesis chapter goes light. Resist; renegotiate timetable instead.

VERIFIED 21 JUN 2026NEXT REVIEW 21 SEP 2026SRC: ICAEW CF; BVCA Industry Activity 2025-26

Marked-up by Oliver Wakefield-Smith. Draft v0.1, 21 June 2026.