# Understanding Delayed Draw Term Loans: A Guide to DDTL Features

## What Is a Delayed Draw Term Loan?

A Delayed Draw Term Loan (DDTL) is a type of financing option that allows businesses to withdraw specific amounts at predetermined intervals from a pre-approved loan. This structure helps companies manage cash flow effectively, especially for future acquisitions or expansions, while ensuring periodic access to capital.

### Key Takeaways

*   A Delayed Draw Term Loan (DDTL) allows borrowers to withdraw predefined amounts from a pre-approved loan at specific times. 
*   DDTLs are often used by businesses for future acquisitions or expansion. 
*   The loan terms can be based on achieving certain business milestones or timed intervals. 
*   For borrowers, DDTLs offer controlled access to funds, helping manage debt burden and interest payments. 
*   These provisions are typically available to businesses with high credit ratings, offering favorable loan terms compared to other credit options.

## How Delayed Draw Term Loans Benefit Borrowers and Lenders

A delayed draw term loan needs special terms added to the lending agreement. For example, a borrower might withdraw $1 million every quarter from a $10 million loan. Such provisions allow a lender to manage its cash requirements better.

Sometimes, payout terms depend on meeting milestones like sales growth or a certain number of unit sales by a deadline. Financial milestones, including [earnings growth](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/growthrates.asp), may also be considered. For example, a company is required to meet or exceed a certain level of earnings in each quarter of its fiscal year in order to receive the payouts from a delayed term loan.

A delayed draw term loan limits how much a borrower can draw, helping control spending and lowering [debt](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/debtoverhang.asp) and interest. Delayed draw also ensures borrowers get regular cash inflows, offering flexibility.

## Key Factors in Structuring Delayed Draw Term Loans

Delayed draw term loans are usually part of big institutional deals, not consumer loans, due to their complexity and larger payouts. These types of loans can have complicated structures and terms. These loans often go to businesses with high credit scores and generally feature favorable interest rates.

Since 2017, DDTLs have increasingly been used in [large syndicated loans](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/leveragedloan.asp) worth hundreds of millions. The leveraged loan market is known for lending to individuals and companies with high debt or poor credit histories.

Delayed draw term loans can be structured in a number of ways. They may be part of a single lending agreement between a financial institution and a business or they may be included as part of a [syndicated loan](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/syndicatedloan.asp) deal. In any situation, there are different types of contractual [caveats](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/caveat.asp) or requirements borrowers must meet.

> **Important**
>
> Once provided by middle-market lenders via non-syndicated leveraged loans, delayed draw term loan terms have become popular in larger, broadly syndicated leveraged loans.

When structuring the terms of a delayed draw term loan, underwriters may consider such factors as maintenance of cash levels, revenue growth, and earnings projections. Often a business may be required to maintain a certain level of cash on hand or report a minimum [quick ratio](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/q/quickratio.asp) factor for term loan installments to be dispersed over various time periods. Liquidity-focused factors limit the borrower from performing some particular acts, such as [overleveraging](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/overleveraged.asp), but they are still considered a flexible feature for a term loan.

## The Bottom Line

A Delayed Draw Term Loan (DDTL) provides businesses with the flexibility to access predefined amounts of a loan at specific intervals, aiding in cash flow management and expansion endeavors. Designed primarily for companies with strong credit standings, DDTLs allow for better alignment of funding with business milestones, minimizing unnecessary debt and interest payments. While they offer favorable terms and are becoming more popular in larger financial markets, businesses must comply with specific contractual conditions, making them suitable for organizations equipped to handle more complex financial structures.