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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-03-26 Correspondence - MT Dept of Commerce - Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 35From:Montana Department of CommerceTo:Bozeman Public CommentSubject:[EXTERNAL]Commerce Weekly Roundup - Volume 3, Issue 35Date:Thursday, September 3, 2026 2:01:37 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. Sept. 3, 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 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. The Community Development Block Grant Program is accepting applications for the Public and Community Facilities Program through Oct. 30 by 11:59 p.m. Eligible applicants are limited to counties, incorporated cities and towns and consolidated city- county governments. The application guidelines are available on the CDBG website and interested parties can apply through the grants and loans portal. Business Commerce's Film Office is offering 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 closes on Sept. 30 and must be completed and submitted in the Montana Grants and Loans Portal. Awards will be announced in December. Commerce is proposing updates to the Destination MT Office of Tourism Grants Program’s Agritourism Grants Program guidelines. The draft document is available for review and public comment through Friday, Sept. 11, at 5 p.m. Comments can be submitted electronically to docpubliccomment@mt.gov or via mail to Montana Department of Commerce, Destination MT Division, 301 S Park Ave., PO Box 200501, Helena, MT 59620. Join the Montana Facility Finance Authority Sept. 15 in Butte for a free, in-person educational session on innovative financing tools shaping Montana’s economic future. This discussion will explore how tax-exempt bonds, taxable bonds and Montana’s C-PACE Program can be leveraged to finance commercial development projects, create opportunities for expansion and support long-term financial goals. The session will run from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Thornton Building Ballroom, 65 East Broadway and be followed by Q & A. Topics include program eligibility, project size and financing requirements, key partners involved in the financing process, how the application process works and the differences and benefits of bond financing and C-PACE. With more than 40 years and $5 billion in development financing in Montana, the MFFA has played a significant role in business growth and community development across the state. The MFFA is administratively attached to Commerce. RSVP by Friday, Sept. 11 to mffa@mt.gov. SHOT Show sponsorship opportunities are 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 offers two funding opportunities for Montana-based manufacturing businesses seeking to upgrade, replace or expand equipment through automation and modernization investments: Direct Loans and Collateral Support. The Direct Loan application window is open through Oct. 23. Commerce will service eligible Direct Loans of up to $100,000. 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 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: Sept. 14. 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. The 2026-2027 Annual Action Plan, which covers the period from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, summarizes the actions, activities and resources available for the State of Montana’s Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Housing Trust Fund and Emergency Solutions Grant. Commerce took public comment on its 2026-2027 AAP through July 17, 2026 and before HUD had announced the 2026 HTF allocations on Aug. 4, 2026. Therefore, HUD now requires Commerce to submit a substantial amendment to its AAP that includes information regarding Commerce’s 2026 HTF allocation of $3,311,933.19. The draft amendment is open for public comment until Sept. 29; it's available on Commerce’s website at commerce.mt.gov/consolidated-plan/documents or as a hard copy by request. Montana Board of Housing - Board Training: Oct. 19. Montana Board of Housing Public Meeting: Oct. 20. Commerce News/Upcoming Events Commerce Allocates Planning Grants to Eight Montana Communities Registration Closes Sept. 7 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 for the 2026 Montana Rural Impact Forum. This year’s event is a two-day gathering Sept. 9-10, in Great Falls. The forum brings together partners from across Montana and the mountain west to showcase federal, state and local tools powering vibrant rural communities. There is no registration cost for this event. View the agenda and event booklet here. Register to 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. 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. 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 Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: MontanaDepartment of Commerce · P.O. Box 200501 · Helena, MT 59620-0501 Social media icons 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