HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-09-26 Correspondence - MT Dept of Commerce - Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 27From:Montana Department of CommerceTo:Bozeman Public CommentSubject:[EXTERNAL]Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 27Date:Thursday, July 9, 2026 2:01:42 PM
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July 9, 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.
Business
The Montana Department of Commerce has released revised guidelines for the
Montana Automation Financing Program, formerly the Montana Automation Loan
Program. This program suite now includes a direct loan product and a collateral
support product for Montana manufacturers. Commerce invites public comment on the
proposed guidelines; comments will be accepted until July 15 at 5 p.m. Draft guidelines
are available at commerce.mt.gov.
This is not a formal rulemaking process under Title 2, Chapter 4 of the Montana Code
Annotated. Commerce will finalize and post the proposed guidelines after giving the
public an opportunity to comment. Send comments to businessmt@mt.gov. If you need
an accommodation, email businessmt@mt.gov or call 406‑841‑2770.
The Montana Facility Finance Authority will host a free, in-person educational
session in Billings on Wednesday, July 22 from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Billings Library
Community Room, 510 N Broadway. This discussion will explore tax-exempt and
taxable bonds and how Montana’s C-PACE Program, Last Best PACE, can be
leveraged to finance development projects, create opportunities for expansion and
support long-term financial goals. The session will be followed by Q & A. RSVP to
mffa@mt.gov by Monday, July 20.
The Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer
Matching Funds Program opened for applications on July 1, 2026 via the online
application portal and will close on April 30, 2027. The Matching Funds Program
helps technology-based Montana companies by providing additional funding that can
be used for technology development or other purposes during the time that the
company is working on an SBIR/STTR project with a federal agency. This additional
funding increases the likelihood that technology-based Montana companies will
develop products and services that could be successfully marketed. Grants of up to
$30,000 are available. For more information, contact Grants Coordinator Kathy Bartlett
at kathy.bartlett@mt.gov or 406-841-2792.
The Wood Products Revolving Loan Fund is accepting new applications. The
program offers a loan participation structure for requests of 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; nearly
$1.4 million is currently 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: July 20.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development request for information on
Build America, Buy America-compliant products: HUD is seeking public comments,
especially from product manufacturers, suppliers and distributors on domestic
availability of the product, if the product is BABA-compliant and has the domestic
capacity to produce at scale. HUD wants to capture information on a wide variety of
manufactured products and product categories, especially: HVAC systems, plumbing
fixtures, door hardware, elevators, fire alarm and suppression systems, solar panels,
electrical components and wood trusses.
The Request For Information was published June 18; HUD will accept comments for
30 days afterward. Please share the RFI with your partners, especially the general
contractors you've been working with already. It's important that HUD receives as
much information as possible because comments will help determine future guidance
or other actions related to BABA implementation.
Infrastructure and Planning
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 until July 10 at 11:59 p.m. Application
guidelines are available on the CDBG planning web page. Apply through the grants
and loans portal.
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.
The Montana Coal Board will hold its next quarterly meeting on Sept. 10 in
Billings. Grant applications to be considered at this meeting are due no later than 11:59
p.m. on July 27. Visit the grants and loans portal to apply.
The Hard Rock Mining Impact Board is meeting on July 13 at 2:30 p.m. at Montana
Resources, 600 Shields Ave., Butte. The meeting can also be attended virtually. The
Board will gather informally at 10 a.m. prior to the meeting for a tour of the Montana
Resources mine. Members of the public are also invited to attend.
Commerce News/Upcoming Events
Commerce Closes $2 Million Loan for Native American Development Corporation
Health Center
Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks recently published a proposal to modify public
use and commercial use fees and are accepting public comment until July 24.
This includes everything from camping fees, to cave tour fees at Lewis & Clark
Caverns State Park, to commercial filming fees.
The Montana Department of Commerce's Research and Information Services
recently updated the bed tax dashboard for FY Q3 (CY Q1). Understanding the
concentration of this tax collection by area helps Commerce make informed decisions
when creating promotional campaigns as well as ensuring that these tax funds are
allocated back in ways that reflect use, impact and need. The agencies the tax funds
are distributed to are available on the dashboard.
Early bird registration is open until July 10 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
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Montana Department of Commerce
301 S Park Ave, Helena, MT 59620
406-841-2700