HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-27-26 Correspondence - MT Dept of Commerce - Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 3From:Montana Department of CommerceTo:Bozeman Public CommentSubject:[EXTERNAL]Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 3Date:Thursday, January 22, 2026 7:06:03 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Jan. 22, 2026 – News, events, grants, loans and other funding opportunities
Montana Department of Commerce
Weekly Roundup
The Weekly Roundup is a summary of events, news and information important to
Commerce's constituents this week. Click on any topic for more information.
Housing
Montana Board of Housing public meeting: Feb. 9.
Montana Board of Housing public meeting: Mar. 16
Infrastructure and Planning
The Montana Emergency Tourism Assistance Program is accepting grant
applications until Feb. 5 at 11:59 p.m. The METAP is a state-funded opportunity to
distribute grant awards for tourism-related emergency service projects in rural areas.
Visit the grants and loans portal to apply.
Commerce is accepting applications for the Montana Historic Preservation Grant
through 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 28. Application guidelines can be found on the MHPG
web page; eligible parties should visit the grants and loans portal to apply.
The Montana Coal Board will hold its next quarterly meeting on March 12 in
Billings. Grant applications to be considered at this meeting are due no later than
midnight on Jan. 26. Visit the grants and loans portal to apply.
The Uniform Application for Montana Public Facility Projects, which is part of
Commerce’s Montana Coal Endowment Program’s application, has been
updated and is available for use. The updates include a preliminary engineering
report outline with requirements for irrigation projects, an application that now requests
information regarding short-lived assets and contact information including links and
phone numbers.
Business
The Opportunities in Rural Economies Economic Development Organization
Capacity Building Grant application deadline is swiftly approaching. The grant
application window will close Jan. 28 and is available to EDOs enrolled in the ORE
Program. This 10:1 match grant is designed to help enrolled EDOs increase their
internal capacity to better assist underserved businesses, make technological
improvements and innovations, expand staff training and professional development
opportunities and support other activities that strengthen economic development in
their regions. For more information about the grant or the ORE Program, contact
Business Resource Partner Josh Bennett at 406-841-2748 or josh.bennett@mt.gov.
The Tribal Tourism Small Business Grant has reopened to receive applications
now through Jan. 25 at 11:59 p.m. The Tribal Tourism Small Business Grant assists
startup or expanding Native American-owned tourism businesses in Montana. A total
of $240,000 is available for Fiscal Year 2026. Approximately 24 awards will be granted;
an average of three per tribal nation.
The Wood Products Revolving Loan Fund is accepting new applications under
updated program guidelines. The program has transitioned to a loan participation
structure for funding requests of up to $2 million and will continue to offer direct loans
for amounts under $1 million. The application portal will remain open until all available
funding has been committed to eligible businesses. Currently, the WP RLF has $1.5
million available for lending. For more information, contact Program Specialist Chris
Ryan at chris.ryan@mt.gov.
The Montana State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0 Loan Participation
Program application portal will temporarily close at midnight on Feb. 28 as the
program explores increasing future product offerings. While funds remain available, all
fully and properly completed applications submitted prior to the closure will be
reviewed for eligibility. Updates on program offerings will be released as more
information becomes available. Ongoing funding opportunities will be supported
through the SSBCI 2.0 Recycled Funds application portal which will remain open for
the duration of the program.
The Montana State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0 Loan Participation
Program-Recycled Funds application is open and will remain so for the duration of
the program, with capital availability contingent on repayments from existing borrowers.
A list of participating lenders with funds for recycling can be found on the SSBCI
webpage.
Native American Collateral Support Program funding available: The NACS
Program is now accepting applications online, which can be found on the website
under “Application Process.” Currently, $170,832 in cash funding is available. For more
information, contact Program Specialist Chris Ryan at chris.ryan@mt.gov or 406-841-
2594.
The Big Sky Film Grant is open. This grant program aims to build and support
partnerships with filmmakers and production companies to create Montana film
industry jobs. The application deadline is Feb. 15 at 11:59 p.m. MST. For more
information, contact Commerce's Film Office.
Did you significantly grow your exports in 2025? You may be eligible to apply
for an Exporter of the Year Award. Applications are due March 15. For more
information, contact exportmontana@mt.gov or call 406-841-2783. Commerce’s Export
team will submit applications to the Montana District Export Council’s review committee
for consideration. Don't miss this opportunity to spread the word about your 2025
export success!
Commerce News/Upcoming Events
The Montana Heritage Commission is looking for concessionaires interested in
running business operations in historic Virginia City, Nevada City and Reeder's Alley in
Helena. A list of currently available opportunities can be found at commerce.mt.gov.
Please email mhc@mt.gov with any questions.
The Montana Departments of Commerce and Public Health and Human Services
are collaborating on various housing and service programs administered by
their respective agencies. One of these programs is Money Follows the Person,
administered by DPHHS. The MFP Program provides a smooth and successful
transition for individuals moving from an institutional setting back into the community
for people who:
Resided in an institutional care setting for 60 days at the time of transition;
Are eligible for Medicaid at least one day prior to transfer to a community setting;
Are eligible for certain Waiver or State Plan programs.
DPHHS is accepting referrals for the program. If you know a person who may benefit
from this support, please consider making a referral. For more information about
Money Follows the Person, visit dphhs.mt.gov.
Commerce invites economic development organizations to the SelectUSA
Investment Summit in National Harbor, Maryland on May 3-6. This summit is the
largest international business attraction event in the country. Partner with Commerce at
no additional cost beyond travel and hotel expenses. To be a part of Commerce's
booth, send an email to Business Attraction Coordinator Cameron Johnson at
camjohnson@mt.gov by Jan. 31.
Save the date for the 2026 Housing Partnership Conference, May 18–20 at
Fairmont Hot Springs. Registration opens Feb. 23. This conference brings together
housing professionals, policymakers, developers and advocates from across the state
and nation to explore innovative solutions, share expertise and collaborate on the
future of affordable housing in Montana.
Sponsoring the Montana Housing Partnership Conference puts your organization in
front of housing leaders and decision makers from across the state before, during and
after the event. More sponsorship information is available here.
Save the date for the 2026 Montana Department of Commerce Governor’s
Conference on Tourism. This year’s conference will be held Sept. 16-18 in Great
Falls. The event brings together more than 350 tourism and business professionals to
educate, network and inspire one another. More information will be available on the
conference website when registration opens in March.
UPDATE SUBSCRIBER PREFERENCES
Montana Department of Commerce
301 S Park Ave, Helena, MT 59620
This email was sent to comments@bozeman.net using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: MontanaDepartment of Commerce · P.O. Box 200501 · Helena, MT 59620-0501
Contact Us: 406-841-2700
commerce.mt.gov
View as a webpage Unsubscribe
Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your
Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in.
Discover information about additional topics at Commerce. Sign up for more topics.
If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.
Montana Department of Commerce
301 S Park Ave, Helena, MT 59620406-841-2700