Template created as part of Gert-Jan Bruggink’s TI Essentials article: "How to pitch CTI to leaders: A new approach to CTI business cases" | Published February 12, 2026 | feedly.com/ti-essentials/

Business Case Title

Document Title	[CTI Program Business Case]
Author	[Your Name]
Date	[Date]
Version	[1.0]
Audience	[Executive Sponsor, CISO, Budget Approvers]

1. Executive Summary

[Provide a 2-3 sentence overview of your CTI proposal. Focus on the decision advantage CTI will provide, not just threat awareness.]

Key Ask

[State your specific request: budget amount, headcount, tools, or program expansion.]

Expected Outcome

[Describe the decision-making improvement this investment will enable.]

2. Problem Statement

Frame the problem in terms of decision-making gaps, not just threat existence. Remember: Leaders won't fund information for the sake of information, they will fund clarity, prioritization, and the ability to choose between imperfect options under pressure.

Current State

[Describe how decisions are currently made without CTI. What gaps exist? What assumptions go unchallenged?]

Impact of the Gap

[Quantify where possible: delayed response times, misprioritized resources, reactive vs. proactive posture.]

3. Proposed Solution

3.1 CTI Definition for Our Organization

Before proceeding, align on what CTI means for your organization. Reference CTI-CMM (cti-cmm.org) for standard definitions, but deliberately choose your own.

[Insert your organization's CTI definition here. Position CTI as a capability that improves decision-making, not just a collection of reports, feeds, or indicators.]