HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-28-26 Correspondence - MT Dept of Commerce - Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 21From:Montana Department of CommerceTo:Bozeman Public CommentSubject:[EXTERNAL]Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 21Date:Thursday, May 28, 2026 2:02:20 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.
May 28, 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.
Infrastructure and Planning
The Lead Service Line Technical Assistance Program migrated to the Montana
Department of Environmental Quality on May 9. Contact Drinking Water Scientist
Jayde Duysen at DEQ at jayde.duysen@mt.gov or 406-444-0917 for 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 Community Development Block Grant Planning Program will accept
applications for a third round of funding now through 11:59 p.m. on July 10.
Application guidelines are available on the CDBG planning web page. Apply through
the grants and loans portal.
The Montana Coal Board is hosting a public quarterly meeting on June 4 at 8:30
a.m. The meeting will be at the Hilton Garden Inn at 2465 Grant Road in Billings.
Interested individuals can also attend virtually.
The Community Technical Assistance Program is available to help with community
planning needs, including growth policies, subdivision regulations, downtown master
plans or long- or short-range planning. Contact the CTAP team for more information.
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.
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.
Housing
Montana Board of Housing Public Meeting: June 8. This meeting will include the
Board’s consideration of submitted loan applications.
Montana Board of Housing Public Meeting: July 20.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has published the following
income and rent limits for the HOME Investment Partnerships and Housing Trust Fund
programs. The new limits are effective June 1, 2026.
HOME income limits
HOME rent limits
HTF income limits
HTF rent limits
HUD also released the HOME per-unit subsidy limits, which Commerce applies to
HOME and HTF projects. They are now incorporated in the Maximum Subsidy tab of
the Pro Forma and Subsidy Review Spreadsheet on Commerce’s website. The per-
unit subsidy limits became effective May 11, 2026.
Commerce News/Upcoming Events
The Montana Heritage Commission will meet June 5 at 9 a.m. via Zoom and in-
person in Virginia City. In-person space is limited. Registration is required for online
participation; click the Zoom link in advance to do so.
The Montana Departments of Commerce and Public Health and Human Services
announce a joint public hearing for the 2025-2026 Consolidated Annual
Performance and Evaluation Report: The 2025-2026 CAPER, which reports
accomplishments and progress on consolidated plan goals for the State of Montana’s
Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships, Housing Trust
Fund and Emergency Solutions Grant programs is available for public comment from
May 26 to June 12, 2026. The 2025-2026 CAPER covers the period from April 1, 2025
to March 31, 2026. Public comments regarding the 2025-2026 CAPER must be
submitted to the address or email below no later than June 12, 2026 at 5 p.m. MST.
For more information and to provide oral comments, the public is invited to attend a
virtual public hearing on June 10, 2026 at 2 p.m. MST. The public hearing will be held
on Zoom and presentation materials will be available on Commerce’s website prior to
the public hearing. The State of Montana will consider any comments or views
provided in writing during the specified comment periods or orally during the public
hearing. To participate in the public hearing, follow the information on Commerce’s
website.
The Research and Information Services Bureau supports early outreach planning
for the 2030 Census through its role as the Census and Economic Information Center.
Census data drives over $4 billion annually in federal funding for Montana
communities, making accurate counts essential. Staff are working with partners to build
awareness strategies ahead of the 2030 count; community engagement will be key.
When residents share information with partners and neighbors, it strengthens
Montana's ability to ensure everyone is counted.
Early bird registration is 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 to educate, network and inspire one another. Instead of standard
breakout sessions, rural immersive experiences will be offered and are designed to
show attendees what Montana's landscapes need to thrive. Register today!
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