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Home My WebLink About03-19-26 Correspondence - Montana Department of Commerce - Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 11From:Montana Department of CommerceTo:Bozeman Public CommentSubject:[EXTERNAL]Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 11Date:Thursday, March 19, 2026 2:04:40 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. March 19, 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: April 14 Public Hearing: Fiscal Year 2027 Public Housing Authority Annual Plan and Administrative Plan: April 15 at 10 a.m. Commerce announces the public hearing for the Fiscal Year 2027 Public Housing Authority Annual Plan and Administrative Plan for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, the Moderate Rehabilitation Program and related voucher programs. The PHA Annual Plan, which includes the 2027 Administrative Plan, has been developed and published to incorporate new federal regulatory requirements and other administrative modifications. The public is now encouraged to review the draft document and provide feedback. The hearing will be held on Zoom; presentation materials will be available on Commerce’s website in advance. The hearing will give attendees an opportunity to respond to Commerce’s FY2027 PHA Annual Plan and Administrative Plan. Commerce will consider any comments or views provided orally during the public hearing or in writing during the comment period from March 2 to April 15, 2026, at 5 p.m. Infrastructure and Planning 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. The Montana Coal Endowment Program will host a pre-application training for the 2029 Biennium MCEP Application and Guidelines application cycle. The training will be held in person at 301 S. Park Ave. in Room 228 and via Zoom on March 20 at 10:30 a.m. This training will cover updates to the 2029 biennium application guidelines and walk prospective applicants through details of the ranking criteria. Commerce will accept applications for the Montana Coal Endowment Program now through May 19 at 11:59 p.m. Application guidelines can be found on the MCEP web page; eligible parties should visit the grants and loans portal to apply. The Montana Coal Board will hold its next quarterly meeting on June 4 in Billings. Grant applications to be considered at this meeting are due no later than midnight on April 20. Visit the grants and loans portal to apply. The Montana Main Street and Downtown Conference is now accepting registrations. The conference will be held in Glasgow, April 29-May 1. 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; 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-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 is on the SSBCI web page. Native American Collateral Support Program funding is available. The NACS Program is 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 is accepting applications through April 2. 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 archived webinars, grant guidelines, a pdf version of the application, the budget template and scoring information. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program is returning to Montana. Applications are open until May 18 for this tuition-free, 12-week program. One-on-one advice and personalized guidance, as well as better tools, clearer financials, stronger strategy and a trusted peer network will be offered to help grow small businesses. Participants will learn 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 revenues over $75,000 in the most recent fiscal year. Classes start in September. Join Commerce’s export team for a trade mission to Argentina and Uruguay, Sept. 7-11, to initiate or expand your business profile. Montana companies are well- positioned to benefit from exports and increase their international sales in these countries. For more information, contact our export team. Commerce News/Upcoming Events Montana Makers Invited to Use State Brand Helena Business Wins Retailer of the Year Award at 2026 Made in Montana Trade Show The Voices of Montana radio show broadcast live from the Made in Montana Trade Show Wholesale Buyer Day on March 13. Listen to interviews with the Retailer of the Year and other Montana business owners, who share their challenges and successes. Commerce Awards Economic Impact and Destination Event Grants Commerce Awards Small Business Grants to 26 Native-Owned Businesses in Montana Commerce Announces 2026 Concessionaires in Virginia City and Nevada City Havre’s Northern Montana Hospital recently broke ground on a new surgery center and ICU. While adding 31,000 square feet of new construction and remodeling 18,000 more, the hospital will continue to serve patients along the Hi-Line during construction. The project was financed by $45 million in bonds from the Montana Facility Finance Authority, which is administratively attached to Commerce. This includes $15 million through the MFFA’s Master Loan Program, where the bonds carry a guarantee from the Montana Board of Investments. To read the full story in the Havre Weekly Chronicle, visit https://shorturl.at/4Hiq6. Commerce Housing Division Administrator and Montana Board of Housing Executive Director Cheryl Cohen and MBOH Board Vice Chair Shelia Rice were recently interviewed by KGPR-Great Falls Public Radio. The discussion included mention of MBOH's new Growth and Opportunity Housing Loan Program, which is accepting applications through April 13. Montana Board of Housing Annual Compliance Conference: April 27-30 at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. The training's agenda is being finalized, but a general timeline includes: Event check-in: April 27 at 9 a.m. LIHTC instruction begins: April 28, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. LIHTC instruction continues: April 29, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. HCCP exam: April 30 (morning) 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. Register now 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. The Montana Heritage Commission will meet June 5 at 9 a.m. via Zoom. Registration is required; click the Zoom link in advance to do so. Save the date for the 2026 Montana Department of Commerce Governor’s Conference on Tourism, 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 Montana Department of Commerce 301 S Park Ave, Helena, MT 59620 Contact Us: 406-841-2700 commerce.mt.gov 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