HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-19-26 Correspondence - MT Dept of Commerce - Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 19From:Montana Department of CommerceTo:Bozeman Public CommentSubject:[EXTERNAL]Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 19Date:Thursday, May 14, 2026 2:01:19 PM
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May 14, 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.
Commerce News/Upcoming Events
Missoula SBDC Advisor Wins National Award for Excellence
Housing Credit Applicants Invited for Full Application: At the May 11 Montana
Board of Housing public meeting, 11 developers presented their Housing Credit project
proposals to the Board. On May 12, the Board invited eight developers to submit a full
Housing Credit application. Final Housing Credit allocation decisions will be made by
the Board at its Oct. 20, 2026 public meeting in Miles City. A virtual option will be
available for members of the public. Congratulations to the following projects and
communities which made the first cut for this highly competitive resource:
Franklin Crossing: Missoula
Glacier View Senior: Columbia Falls
Libby Plaza 1 and 2: Libby
Homes on the Range: Roundup
Tumbleweed Court: Deer Lodge
Granite Peaks Apartments: Butte
Majestic Landing: Billings
Mountain Goat Court: Havre
The Montana Heritage Commission seeks concessionaires interested in running
business operations in Virginia 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.
The Income and Poverty Dashboard on Commerce's Community Planning Platform
is compiled by the Census and Economic Information Center within Research
Information Services to make economic data accessible to all Montana communities.
This information supports development planning by identifying community needs and
opportunities which assist in attracting businesses and investment. From 2019 to 2024,
Montana showed meaningful improvements; poverty dropped to 10.2% and median
household incomes rose, indicating greater financial stability and increasing potential
for economic growth.
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.
Registration is now open 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 for education, networking and inspiration. In place of standard breakout
sessions, immersive rural experiences will be offered instead. These sessions will offer
hands-on learning designed to show attendees what Montana's landscapes need to
thrive. Register by June 30 for early bird pricing.
Housing
Montana Board of Housing Public Meeting: June 8. This public meeting will include
the Board’s consideration of submitted loan applications.
Montana Board of Housing Public Meeting: July 20.
The Montana Department of Commerce works together with the Montana Department
of Public Health and Human Services on the intersection of housing and healthcare. As
part of the collaborative efforts, Commerce is amplifying the following Rural Health
Transformation opportunity for vendors and subcontractors, recently released by
DPHHS.
DPHHS is offering a networking opportunity for vendors to explore potential
partnerships before submitting their responses to the Rural Health Transformation
Program solicitations. DPHHS is developing a shared directory to aid communication
among potential collaborators. If your organization is interested in connecting with
others who may wish to participate in RHTP initiatives, complete the Contact
Information for Vendors and Subcontractors Form to be included in the directory. The
information that is collected will be shared on the DPHHS RHTP website.
Participation is intended to support networking and the exchange of information related
to the upcoming RHTP solicitations. Organizations that intend to submit as primary
vendors may find potential subcontractors through this list; others may find value in
exploring potential collaborations for joint submissions through this resource.
The directory will remain up through the end of this calendar year and possibly into the
future. Participation in this form is entirely voluntary and optional. Submission does not
guarantee a partnership, subcontracting opportunity or contract award. For more
information about becoming a vendor with RHTP, visit the Information for
Vendors page.
Infrastructure and Planning
The Lead Service Line Technical Assistance Program migrated to the Montana
Department of Environmental Quality on May 9. Contact Jayde Duysen at DEQ at
jayde.duysen@mt.gov or 406-444-0917 for more information or help regarding lead
service lines.
The Montana Main Street Program seeks additions to its MMS murals catalog. MMS
members may submit a mural by visiting the project's web page.
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 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 Community Development Block Grant Planning Program will accept
applications for a third round of funding starting May 26 through 11:59 p.m. on July
10. Application guidelines are available on the CDBG planning web page.
The Montana Coal Board is hosting a public quarterly meeting June 4, at 8:30
a.m. The meeting is at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2465 Grant Road, Billings or can be
attended virtually.
Business
The Opportunities in Rural Economies Program is accepting applications from
economic development organizations through its online application portal. The
enrollment period is open-ended; organizations engaged in active economic
development are encouraged to apply. Lenders interested in participating in the ORE
Loan Participation Program may contact program staff for more information and, if
eligible, will be required to execute a General Lender Loan Servicing Agreement with
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. The
program offers a loan participation structure for requests up to $2 million and continues
to provide direct loans to eligible businesses for amounts under $1 million. The
application portal will remain open until all available funds are committed, with
approximately $1.4 million currently available. 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 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. Montana companies are well-positioned to benefit from exports and
increase their international sales in these countries. For more information, contact our
export team.
Join Commerce’s export team for a trade mission to India, Oct. 5-9, to initiate or
expand your business profile there. For more information, contact our export team.
UPDATE SUBSCRIBER PREFERENCES
Montana Department of Commerce
301 S Park Ave, Helena, MT 59620
Contact Us: 406-841-2700
commerce.mt.gov
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Montana Department of Commerce
301 S Park Ave, Helena, MT 59620
406-841-2700