Advanced Foundations of Financial Modelling Training Course – Rome, 2–13 Aug 2027

Advanced Foundations of Financial Modelling is a 2-week training course for financial analysts, FP&A staff and investment and business development teams who build spreadsheets that executives rely on, and who leave with an integrated three-statement model linked to a valuation and scenario dashboard. Investment committees and lenders now test every assumption in a model, so a fragile workbook can sink a sound proposal. Advanced Foundations of Financial Modelling is delivered by Jupiter Prime Training.

Why Financial Modelling Matters Now

Three groups shape financial modelling today. Investment committees want to see how value moves when price, volume or cost assumptions change, not a single forecast. Lenders and partners ask for models they can audit cell by cell before they commit funds. Finance leaders want analysts who can rebuild a forecast in hours when conditions shift. A team with disciplined models answers these questions quickly and credibly; one with tangled workbooks wastes time on errors and loses trust. The course rests on recognised spreadsheet design conventions, discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation and structured scenario and sensitivity testing.

Who Gains Most from Financial Modelling

• Financial analysts who prepare forecasts and valuation support for investment proposals
• FP&A specialists who maintain rolling forecasts and long-range plans in spreadsheets
• Business development analysts who model new markets, partnerships and acquisitions
• Project finance analysts who build cash flow models for capital projects and their lenders
• Model reviewers who check workbooks before they reach executives or external parties

An FP&A or investment team that sends model builders and reviewers together gains most, because they can agree one layout standard, one checking routine and one way of presenting scenarios.

Financial Modelling Capabilities

Participants turn scattered spreadsheet habits into a disciplined build sequence, from input sheet to valuation output and scenario switches.

• Design a model layout that separates inputs, calculations and outputs with consistent formulas — the model reviewer
• Build an integrated income statement, balance sheet and cash flow that balances in every period — the finance director
• Specify revenue, cost and capital expenditure drivers linked to operating assumptions — business unit heads
• Calculate enterprise and equity value with discounted cash flow and terminal value methods — the investment committee
• Test scenarios and sensitivities with data tables, switches and tornado charts — lenders and partners
• Assess a workbook for errors, circularity and hard-coded figures before release — the chief financial officer

Key Financial Modelling Terms

• Three-statement model — a model where the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement are linked so a change flows through all three
• Forecast driver — an operating assumption such as volume, price or headcount from which forecast figures are calculated
• Discounted cash flow (DCF) — a valuation method that converts forecast free cash flows to present value using a discount rate
• Terminal value — the value of cash flows beyond the explicit forecast period, estimated by perpetual growth or an exit multiple
• Sensitivity analysis — changing one input at a time to see how much an output such as value or cash moves
• Circular reference — a formula chain that refers back to itself, common with interest calculations and needing controlled handling

Financial Modelling Day by Day

Day 1: What Makes a Model Trustworthy

• Model Purpose Statement and Scope — Matching Detail to the Decision
• Spreadsheet Design Conventions — Inputs, Calculations and Outputs Separated
• Common Model Failures in Investment Proposals — Lessons From Costly Errors
• Timeline and Period Flags — Monthly, Quarterly and Annual Columns
• Naming, Colour Coding and Documentation — Readability for Reviewers

Day 2: Inputs and Assumption Management

• Assumption Sheet Structure — One Source for Every Input
• Historical Data Cleansing and Normalisation — Credible Starting Points
• Data Validation and Input Controls — Preventing Entry Errors
• Scenario Input Blocks — Base, Upside and Downside Sets
• Assumption Book for Sign-Off — Evidence Behind Each Driver

Day 3: Revenue and Operating Cost Drivers

• Volume, Price and Mix Revenue Builds — Linking Sales to Market Assumptions
• Capacity and Ramp-Up Profiles — New Plant or Service Launches
• Fixed and Variable Operating Cost Modules — Margin Behaviour Under Growth
• Headcount and Payroll Schedules — Staffing Assumptions in the Forecast
• Inflation and Escalation Indices — Real Versus Nominal Projections

Day 4: Capital Expenditure and Asset Schedules

• Capital Expenditure Phasing — Construction and Replacement Profiles
• Depreciation Waterfalls by Asset Class — Useful Life Assumptions
• Lease Schedules in the Model — Right-of-Use and Repayment Lines
• Working Capital Days Schedules — Receivables, Inventory and Payables
• Tax Computation Module — Taxable Profit and Cash Tax Timing

Day 5: Integrating the Three Statements

• Income Statement Assembly From Modules — Operating to Net Profit
• Balance Sheet Corkscrews — Opening, Movement and Closing Balances
• Indirect Cash Flow Statement Build — Profit to Cash Linkage
• Balance Check and Error Flags — Detecting Breaks Immediately
• Retained Earnings and Dividend Logic — Equity Movements Over Time

Day 6: Debt and Financing Structures

• Debt Schedule With Drawdowns and Repayments — Funding the Plan
• Interest Calculation and Circularity Switches — Stable Model Behaviour
• Cash Sweep and Revolving Facility Logic — Minimum Cash Rules
• Debt Service Coverage and Covenant Tests — Lender Acceptance
• Equity Injections and Shareholder Distributions — Sponsor Returns

Day 7: Valuation by Discounted Cash Flow

• Free Cash Flow to Firm Derivation — From Model Outputs to Valuation
• Discount Rate Build-Up — Cost of Equity and Debt Inputs
• Terminal Value by Growth and Exit Multiple — Cross-Checking Results
• Enterprise to Equity Value Bridge — Net Debt and Other Claims
• Trading Multiples Cross-Check — Sanity Testing the DCF Answer

Day 8: Scenarios, Sensitivities and Risk

• Scenario Manager and Switch Design — Running Cases Without Rewiring
• One- and Two-Way Data Tables — Value Sensitivity to Key Inputs
• Tornado and Spider Charts — Ranking Assumptions by Impact
• Break-Even and Goal Seek Analysis — Thresholds for Approval
• Monte Carlo Simulation Concepts — Ranges Rather Than Point Estimates

Day 9: Model Audit and Presentation

• Model Review Checklists — Logic, Arithmetic and Presentation Checks
• Formula Auditing Tools and Trace Maps — Locating Hidden Errors
• Version Control and Change Logs — Trusting the Latest File
• Dashboard and Output Sheet Design — Messages for Decision Makers
• Model Handover Notes — Enabling Others to Run the Model

Day 10: Practising the Integrated Model and Valuation Dashboard

• Driver and Schedule Build for a Chosen Business — Applying Days 2 to 4
• Statement Integration and Financing Logic — Applying Days 5 and 6
• Renewable Energy Project and Private Hospital Cases — Peer Review of Assumptions
• Valuation and Scenario Results — Applying Days 7 and 8
• Integrated Model and Valuation Dashboard — Audited Workbook Ready for Committee

Applying Financial Modelling After the Course

• Rebuild one existing forecast workbook into separate input, calculation and output sheets with balance checks and a change log
• Add a scenario switch and a two-way sensitivity table to the next investment proposal before it goes to committee

Financial Modelling Questions (FAQ)

What is Advanced Foundations of Financial Modelling and why does it matter now?

Advanced Foundations of Financial Modelling is the disciplined building of linked forecast, financing and valuation spreadsheets. It matters now because investment committees and lenders test every assumption and expect models they can audit and rerun quickly.

Which roles gain most from Financial Modelling?

Financial analysts, FP&A specialists, business development analysts, project finance analysts and model reviewers gain most. Cases from a renewable energy project and a private hospital show how drivers, financing and valuation differ between asset-heavy and service businesses.

How does Advanced Foundations of Financial Modelling differ from a financial statement analysis course?

It builds forward-looking models rather than interpreting published accounts. A statement analysis course reads past results through ratios; here you construct the forecast, financing and valuation engine that projects future results.

What do you bring back from Financial Modelling?

You bring back an audited three-statement model with debt schedules, a DCF valuation and a scenario dashboard. It can serve as the template for your team's next investment or planning model.

Financial Modelling: The Way Forward

The integrated model and valuation dashboard gives decision makers one audited workbook showing forecast statements, value and scenario outcomes. Its first decision is whether a proposal meets its return threshold under downside cases, and analysts use it as the standard template for future proposals. After its first committee cycle, revisit driver logic and discount rate inputs against actual results.