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Home My WebLink About02-26-26 Correspondence - MT Dept of Commerce - Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 8From:Montana Department of CommerceTo:Bozeman Public CommentSubject:[EXTERNAL]Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 8Date:Thursday, February 26, 2026 2:02:01 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. Feb. 26, 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. Guidance for Commerce Grant Announcements The Montana Department of Commerce will issue an initial press release announcing all awardees of the agency's grants. Commerce kindly asks grant recipients to refrain from issuing their own news releases, social media posts or public announcements until after Commerce has made its official announcement. This ensures a coordinated and consistent message regarding the grant awards. Once the initial press release has been issued, grantees are welcome to share their news. Commerce appreciates being tagged on Facebook or LinkedIn social posts by grantees. Housing Housing Coordinating Team Meeting: March 12. Join us for a discussion on housing and community needs assessments. The Montana Board of Housing will share its intention to procure a statewide housing needs assessment and will solicit feedback from stakeholders on this call. Additionally, attendees will learn about MSU Extension’s housing education and community coaching for rural communities, and the Commerce Community MT Division’s Community Technical Assistance Program. Montana Board of Housing public meeting: March 16 Montana Board of Housing public meeting: April 14 In April 2024, the Federal Department of Justice published a final rule update regarding accessibility requirements under Title II of the ADA for state and local governments’ websites, mobile applications and digital content. Your agency or business has or may again in the future provide Commerce or the administratively attached Montana Board of Housing with documents which will be posted to the Commerce website which fall into the category of needing to meet 508 ADA compliance prior to being posted on our website. Examples of these documents include, but may not be limited, to: Written requests/cover letters for a housing credit allocation, bond allocation, multifamily loan application and/or participating lender application All materials associated with a housing credit pre-application (i.e., slide deck for presentation, mini market study) All materials associated with a bond or loan application (i.e., project-specific information like architect renderings, floor plans, income targeting information, financial information etc.) Letters of support We ask that you review your documents and complete necessary 508 ADA compliance remediation steps prior to submitting these documents to us. This will help reduce staff time spent on remediation and ensure we're able to meet the State of Montana’s public meeting notice requirements by posting these documents to our website in advance of each public meeting. Specifically, all materials submitted for inclusion in public-facing Board packets posted to the Commerce website must be submitted with 12-point font and 1.5 line spacing. Additional information about Section 508, including accessibility standards and training materials, can be found at the State Information Technology Services Division website. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are available here. We appreciate your efforts to ensure members of the public attending Board meetings or reviewing materials your agency or business provides that are posted to the Commerce website are accessible, particularly for individuals experiencing disabilities. These requirements apply to the March 2026 Board meeting and all future Board meetings. Montana Department of Commerce 301 S Park Ave, Helena, MT 59620 Contact Us: 406-841-2700 commerce.mt.gov Business The Opportunities in Rural Economies Program is accepting applications from economic development organizations to enroll in the program through our online application portal. The enrollment period is open-ended, and organizations that are engaged in active economic development are encouraged to apply. Lenders interested in participating in the ORE Loan Participation Program are encouraged to contact program staff for more information and, if eligible, will be required to execute a General Lender Loan Servicing Agreement with the Montana Department of Commerce. For more information, contact Business Resource Partner Josh Bennett at 406-841-2748 or josh.bennett@mt.gov. 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 approximately $1.4 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 enhancements to future product offerings. This is the final week to submit applications under the current funding allocation; remaining funds are extremely limited. Applications must be fully and properly completed to be considered for review. Only complete applications submitted prior to the closure will be evaluated for eligibility and funding. Updates on future program offerings will be shared as additional information becomes available. In the interim, ongoing financing opportunities will continue through the SSBCI 2.0 Recycled Funds application portal, which will remain open for the duration of the program. Native American Collateral Support Program funding is available. The NACS Program is now accepting applications online, which can be found on the website under “Application Process.” Currently, approximately $61,235 in cash funding is available. For more information, contact Program Specialist Chris Ryan at chris.ryan@mt.gov or 406-841-2594. The Rural Tourism Asset Grant Program will accept applications March 2-26. The TAG Program supports projects that strengthen rural communities by enhancing visitor experiences with amenities, improving tourism assets and fostering economic growth. Visit the link to find webinar information, grant guidelines, a pdf version of the application, the budget template and scoring information. Free Webinar from the Montana World Trade Center: The “Ins and Outs of ATA Carnets": March 11. If your company moves goods, tools, equipment or merchandise across borders temporarily for trade shows, testing, repairs, installations or even hand- carried shipments, this webinar is for you. Join ATA Carnet Specialist Kiel Ursin of Boomerang Carnets for a walkthrough of how ATA Carnets work, what qualifies and how to avoid costly customs mistakes. Kiel’s tips can save your firm both time and money at the border. 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! The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program is returning to Montana, and applications are now open to small business owners ready to grow. This tuition- free, 12-week program offers one-on-one advice and personalized guidance, as well as better tools, clearer financials, stronger strategy and a trusted peer network to help grow small businesses. Participants will learn practical, immediately usable skills from experienced faculty and join a national community of entrepreneurs who keep collaborating long after graduation. Businesses must be at least two years old, have at least two employees and have revenues over $75,000 in the most recent fiscal year. Classes start in September. Infrastructure and Planning 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 a quarterly meeting on March 12. 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. Commerce will be scheduling a pre-application workshop for the Montana Coal Endowment Program’s 2029 Biennium application. More information will be available on the Meetings and Events web page once scheduled. The Montana Main Street Program seeks nominations for the Excellence on Main Street Awards. The award categories include best event, best education project or activity and small business of the year. The deadline for submitting nominations is March 15. Click here for Excellence On Main Street Awards Guidelines. Commerce News/Upcoming Events Commerce Awards $1.5 Million in Montana Coal Endowment Program Grant Funding to 51 Communities Commerce’s Montana Main Street Program Releases 2025 Annual Report The Montana Ireland Trade Commission will meet March 12 at 9 a.m. via Zoom. Mark your calendar for the 2026 Made in Montana Trade Show for Food and Gifts, Saturday, March 14, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena. This is the premier statewide event to see, sample and purchase the newest products and developments in the Made in Montana food and gift industry. Businesses interested in attending wholesale buyer day on March 13 must register here. 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 is at commerce.mt.gov. Please email mhc@mt.gov with any questions. Registration is now open for the Montana Board of Housing Annual Compliance Conference: April 27-30 at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. The training's agenda is still being finalized. A general timeline includes: Event check-in begins at 9 a.m. on April 27. LIHTC instruction will begin April 28 at approximately 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. LIHTC instruction will continue April 29 at the same approximate times. The HCCP exam will be offered to all interested parties the morning of April 30. A block of rooms has been set aside for attendees at the state lodging rate. Contact Fairmont Hot Springs Resort directly to reserve your lodging; be sure to mention you're attending the MBOH Annual Compliance Conference. Registration is $550 per attendee. Click here to register. World Trade and Investment Day will be held May 12 in Butte. This event brings together exporters, importers, investors, policymakers and service providers to explore global market opportunities, supply chains, foreign direct investment and the real-world challenges Montana firms face doing business internationally. Registration is now open for the 2026 Housing Partnership Conference, May 18- 20 at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. Early bird pricing is available for a limited time. 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. This year’s agenda features inspiring plenaries, practical breakout sessions and meaningful networking opportunities designed to strengthen housing solutions across our state. 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 this spring. UPDATE SUBSCRIBER PREFERENCES 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 View as a webpage Unsubscribe Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on yourSubscriber 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 59620 406-841-2700