How we score

Every deal gets a score from 0 to 100. Here's how.

Three pillars with fixed weights, applied the same way to every deal: deal structure (40 points), operator track record (35) and market conditions (25).

356deals scored

24issues

20%cleared the bar

55average score

The framework

What each pillar looks at.

The score shows how much of the available evidence supports taking a deal seriously. It is not a return projection and not a recommendation.

Deal structure

How the deal is built, and how clearly it says so. The most verifiable pillar: a deal either discloses its terms or it doesn't, and opacity is itself a signal.

What we look at

Terms: what you get, for how long, and on what conditions
Capital stack: who is paid first, and where you sit
Investor protections: what shields you if things go wrong
Fee clarity: every fee disclosed, and who receives it

Operator track record

Who is running the deal, and what they have actually done. The strongest predictor of outcome in private markets. A first-time operator isn't disqualified, but the score reflects the higher execution risk.

What we look at

Verified exits: past deals that can be independently confirmed
Asset-class experience: has this operator done this kind of deal before
Transparency: how openly the operator discloses who they are and what they've done
Verification: passes the two-of-four standard below

Market conditions

What the outside world means for this deal. The pillar readers can judge best on their own, so it carries the least weight.

What we look at

Supply and demand: conditions in this asset class and region
Rate environment: how interest rates affect the deal's economics
Cycle timing: where the market sits in its cycle

What a score means

Three tiers. One standard.

Score	Tier	What it means
65 to 100	On the Docket	Clears the bar. Sourced, screened against the automatic disqualifiers, and scored on all three pillars. Published as a full entry with the complete breakdown and sourcing disclosed.
50 to 64	Worth Watching	Below the bar, but not dismissed. A real business, operator or structure held down by a specific, identifiable gap, such as undisclosed real estate value or single-customer concentration. Published with the score and the gap named.
0 to 49	Not Cleared	Reviewed and did not pass. Published as a transparency signal: what we examined, rejected, and why. Not every sub-50 deal is logged, only those where the reasoning is instructive.

The Dossier is a format, not a tier: the gated deep dive on a deal worth a closer look, with the capital stack, operator review and complete scoring rationale. Every Dossier shows the deal's score.

Before scoring begins

Seven reasons a deal never gets scored.

Deals are filtered first. A deal that triggers any of these is not scored, not published, and does not appear in the Not Cleared log. Silence is the right signal for deals that fail basic standards.

Operator cannot be verified by name, entity or prior filing

No disclosure of fee structure whatsoever

Minimum investment above $250,000

Active regulatory action or litigation against the operator or named principals

Deal is already closed to new investors

Use of proceeds includes repaying existing operator debt as a primary allocation

Non-accredited investors already admitted to the offering

Operator verification

Two of four. One source is never enough.

An operator clears The Docket's verification threshold when at least two of these four points can be independently established.

1The legal entity name on the filing matches the operator's disclosed legal name

2The same principal or entity has filed at least one prior SEC Form D on EDGAR

3The operator maintains a website with deal history, team bios or prior project documentation

4A named principal has a verifiable LinkedIn profile and a traceable professional background in the asset class

What the score is not

Precise about what it measures. Just as precise about what it doesn't.

Not

A return projection

The score doesn't predict what an investment will return, and it can't account for undisclosed liabilities, internal operator financials or future market conditions.

Not

A recommendation

Every reader makes their own investment decisions. The Docket is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer or fund manager, and nothing published is investment advice.

Not

Permanent

A deal scored today reflects conditions today. The Docket does not update scores after publication.

Most scoring systems only publish what passes. We publish what doesn't too, selectively. A Not Cleared entry proves the bar exists and shows exactly what fell short.

The record

What the method has produced.

Issues 001 to 024, April 29 to October 20, 2026. Updated every week from our sourcing logs and published ledger.

By tier

On the Docket

Worth Watching

179

Not Cleared

105

20% On the Docket, 50% Worth Watching, 29% Not Cleared.

By asset class

Business acquisitions

181

Real estate

Funds & ventures

Private credit

A typical week

Screened

1,000+

Passed filters

~190noise removed

Short-listed

~30ranked by how well each is documented

Scored 0 to 100

~17structure, operator, market

Cleared the bar

~365 and up: On the Docket

Weekly averages from our sourcing logs, Aug to Oct 2026. Screening volume rose in mid-September when we widened the search. This record shows how deals are screened and scored. It does not show how deals performed after publication.

Browse every scored deal

The Docket's scoring represents independent editorial judgment based on publicly available information at the time of review. Scores are not investment advice, recommendations to invest or not invest, projections of future returns, or representations about the accuracy of any sponsor's disclosures. All investment decisions are the sole responsibility of the reader. The Docket is not a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, or fund manager.

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