# Cash Flow Forecast (13-Week)

**What this is:** A rolling 13-week cash flow forecast tracking actual and projected cash inflows and outflows. The 13-week window is the standard for operational cash management — long enough to see material risks, short enough to be accurate.  
**Use for:** Weekly cash management, fundraising preparation, burn rate tracking, covenant compliance.  
**Note:** The Excel version includes formula-driven weekly columns, running balance, and a variance-to-forecast tracker.

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## How to read a cash flow forecast

The cash flow forecast answers: *will we run out of money in the next 13 weeks, and when?*

- **Operating cash flows** — money in/out from the core business
- **Investing cash flows** — capital expenditures, acquisitions, asset sales
- **Financing cash flows** — debt draws/repayments, equity raises

The bottom line is **ending cash balance** — if it goes below your minimum operating threshold in any week, that's a crisis flag.

**Key terms:**
- **Burn rate / net burn:** Total cash out minus total cash in per period
- **Runway:** Cash balance ÷ monthly net burn
- **Gross burn:** Total cash outflows, regardless of revenue

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## Company: _______________ | Forecast prepared: _______________
## Starting cash balance: _______________ | Minimum cash threshold: _______________

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### OPERATING CASH INFLOWS

| Category | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer receipts — existing | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Customer receipts — new bookings | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Contract milestone payments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Other operating inflows | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| **Total Operating Inflows** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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### OPERATING CASH OUTFLOWS

| Category | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll & benefits | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rent & facilities | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Software & SaaS vendors | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Marketing spend | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| COGS / contractor payments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Insurance | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Taxes & compliance | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Travel & expenses | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Other operating outflows | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| **Total Operating Outflows** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

**Net Operating Cash Flow** = Total Inflows − Total Outflows

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### INVESTING CASH FLOWS

| Category | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital expenditures | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Asset sales / proceeds | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Other investing | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| **Net Investing Cash Flow** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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### FINANCING CASH FLOWS

| Category | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt draws | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Debt repayments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Equity raise proceeds | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Other financing | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| **Net Financing Cash Flow** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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### CASH BALANCE SUMMARY

| | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening balance | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Net operating cash flow | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Net investing cash flow | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Net financing cash flow | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| **Ending cash balance** | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Minimum threshold | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| **Buffer above minimum** | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

⚠️ **Flag any week where ending balance falls below minimum threshold.**

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### KEY METRICS SUMMARY

| Metric | Current week | 4-week avg | 13-week total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross burn (total outflows) | | | |
| Net burn (outflows − inflows) | | | |
| Runway at current burn (months) | | | |
| Cash collections (customer receipts) | | | |

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### FORECAST VARIANCE (track actual vs forecast weekly)

| Week | Forecast ending balance | Actual ending balance | Variance | Key driver of variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | | | | |
| Week 2 | | | | |
| Week 3 | | | | |
| Week 4 | | | | |

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### NOTES & ASSUMPTIONS

**Key assumptions underlying this forecast:**

1. _______________
2. _______________
3. _______________

**Items with high uncertainty (flag these for sensitivity analysis):**

- _______________
- _______________

**Actions required to improve cash position:**

- _______________

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*Covered in depth in the Financial Literacy Guide on biztechprimer.com.*