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Home My WebLink About08-27-26 Correspondence - MT Dept of Commerce - Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 34From:Montana Department of CommerceTo:Bozeman Public CommentSubject:[EXTERNAL]Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 34Date:Thursday, August 27, 2026 2:01:20 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. Aug. 27, 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: Sept. 14. On Aug. 4, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provided Commerce with its 2026 Housing Trust Fund allocation of $3.3 million, which will be available to applicants to develop or rehabilitate permanent housing to address homelessness and provide affordable homes for households with extremely low incomes. Applications for HOME Program, Housing Trust Fund and Community Development Block Grant housing funds are now available on the Montana Grants and Loans Portal. Applications are due Sept. 15; an overview is provided on Commerce’s website. For more information, contact the Community Housing staff. Montana Board of Housing - Board Training: Oct. 19. Montana Board of Housing Public Meeting: Oct. 20. Infrastructure and Planning The CDBG Program will host a pre-application workshop on Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. The CDBG Public and Community Facilities Application Guidelines have been updated and are available for review. The funding opportunity will be in the grants and loans portal soon. Applications are due Oct. 30 by 11:59 p.m. 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 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. The Montana Emergency Tourism Assistance Program will host a pre-application workshop on Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. The application guidelines are posted on the METAP web page and the funding opportunity will be available soon. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 28. Business The Montana Department of Commerce Film Office will offer a new funding opportunity: the Film Fest and Theater Sponsorship Program. The sponsorship program, with a maximum funding limit of $10,000, aims to support Montana-based film festivals, film tours, screening series and conferences related to the film industry. Additionally, theaters may receive sponsorship for one-time projects. Program guidelines and application information are available at commerce.mt.gov. The online application, which opens Sept. 1 and closes Sept. 30, must be completed and submitted in the Montana Grants and Loans Portal. Awards will be announced in December. The 2027 Made in Montana Trade Show team will highlight the creativity and talent of Montana artists through a bag design contest. Commerce is seeking a unique, eye- catching design that reflects the spirit of Montana craftsmanship, community and entrepreneurial pride. The winning design will be printed on official trade show shopping bags used by attendees and exhibitors. Artists who are part of the MIM Program are encouraged to submit original artwork that celebrates what it means to be Made in Montana, Grown in Montana and Native American Made in Montana. The contest ends Aug. 31. Click here for eligibility, rules and regulations. SHOT Show sponsorship opportunities are now available: Commerce’s business attraction team announces the availability of sponsorship opportunities for Montana's SHOT Show 2027 presence in Las Vegas next January. This show is one of the premier events for the shooting sports and hunting and outdoor recreation industries. It also helps the team promote Montana manufacturers, recruit new businesses and strengthen industry partnerships. Sponsorships support Montana's signature networking events and the new Montana Room at the show while providing valuable brand exposure and networking opportunities for participating organizations. Oct. 16 is the sponsorship deadline. For more information, see this sponsorship flyer or contact Business Attraction Coordinator Cameron Johnson at camjohnson@mt.gov or 406-471-4418. The Montana Automation Financing Program consists of two parts: a collateral support program and a direct loan program. These programs support Montana-based manufacturing businesses seeking to upgrade, replace or expand their equipment through automation and modernization investments. The direct loan is serviced through Commerce; the application window is open Sept. 1 through Oct. 23. Loans of up to $100,000 will be available for eligible projects. The collateral support application window will open later this year. For details, contact Business Resource Specialist Josh Bennett at josh.bennett@mt.gov or 406-841-2748. 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. 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.” Approximately $44,952 in cash funding is currently available. Contact Program Specialist Chris Ryan at chris.ryan@mt.gov or 406-841-2594 for more information. 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. Commerce News/Upcoming Events Commerce Announces Revised Montana Automation Financing Program to Support Local Manufacturers Save the date: Join the Montana Housing Partnership in kicking off its inaugural affinity groups on Sept. 23 from noon to 1 p.m. Affinity groups will bring together practitioners to work on shared challenges and solutions, identify resource gaps, share best practices and collaborate on tangible activities to grow industry capacity. During the kickoff call, attendees will learn about the Montana Housing Partnership’s proposed asset management/property management and housing preservation and development affinity groups, along with next steps on how to participate in these new convenings. Details on how to register and join this virtual convening will be shared soon by NeighborWorks Montana and Commerce's Housing MT Division. Register today 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. Registration closes Sept. 7. Register now for the 2026 Governor’s Summit on Montana Food and Agriculture, which will be held Oct. 23-24 in Helena. The summit, hosted by the Grow Montana Food Policy Coalition in partnership with the Montana Department of Agriculture and the Governor’s Office, aims to gather Montanans to design a strategic roadmap toward solving pinch points in the state’s supply chain. This two-day event will feature speakers and regional work sessions focused on identifying gaps and opportunities in the distribution, marketing, production and retailing of food grown and produced in Montana. 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