Department Of Commerce

The Montana Financial Assistance Center provides summary information for the most significant financing resources available from state, federal, and local institutions.

This site has been constructed by the Montana Department of Commerce. Our goal is to to assist the businesses and communities of Montana in achieving economic prosperity, keeping in mind that the vision of prosperity to be achieved must be defined by the businesses and communities that we serve.

TAX INCENTIVES
STARTING A BUSINESS
HOUSING PROGRAMS
Montana Housing strengthens our vibrant communities by supporting access to safe, affordable and sustainable homes for Montanans whose housing needs are not met by the market.

A variety of state, federal and local programs that provide financing for business start-up, expansion and retention. Most programs require bank participating with equity and matching funds. 

State Government Resources

Federal Government Resources

Venture Capital Resources

The Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association includes an eight-state association with more than 180 venture capital professionals from 43 firms that invest in the region. The Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association supports entrepreneurship and investment throughout the Rocky Mountain Region.

The focus of the Next Frontier Capital is to partner with mission-driven, talented entrepreneurs to build Montana technology companies of impact, utility, and value. Based in Bozeman, Montana this fund seeks to lead or co-lead venture investments in Montana industries with high intellectual property values.

Small Business Counseling

For an individual that is looking to start a new business or expand their existing business, the  Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network  is the best place to start. The SBDC Network supports ten centers around the state, focusing on counseling in areas such as financial analysis, business planning, training and workshops and loan packaging assistance to help small businesses achieve their goals of growth, expansion, innovation and success.

Capital Formation and Intellectual Property

Montana Innovation Partnership  provides no-cost outreach, training, and technical assistance to help Montana innovators and entrepreneurs learn about and compete for over $3.7 billion in federal research and development funding under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Based at Montana State University’s TechLink Center, MTIP is a statewide program and collaborates with Montana universities and colleges as well as regional economic development organizations to support individuals and small businesses engaged in research and development of novel early-stage technologies. Program staff and consultants bring combined expertise in high-tech commercialization, technology licensing, intellectual property, and SBIR/STTR.

Export Trade

Export Montana  is committed to helping Montana companies pursue commercial opportunities abroad.

An export specialist provides technical export assistance to Montana companies with information and training to address issues such as:

  • export regulation and compliance;
  • methods of shipment;
  • methods of payment;
  • market research;
  • responding to trade leads; and
  • follow-up communication with overseas clients.

Export Montana coordinates the state's protocol and foreign relations with foreign diplomatic office representatives. This includes providing briefings, scheduling meetings and arranging receptions for visiting dignitaries. Maintaining good relations with the various foreign diplomatic missions that serve the Montana region is essential to assisting Montanans with international business connections.

The State of Montana is committed to working closely with Montana's Indian Tribes.  Virtually all of the programs contained in the Montana Finance Information Center website are available to Montana's Tribal Governments and Native American business owners. There may be a few exceptions, such as the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG). The tribes have access to the CDBG program directly from the Department of Housing and Urban Development instead of through the state program.

State Tribal Resources

The  Office of Indian Country Economic Development (OICED) programs provide all of the business resources available to Native American businesses and tribal governments in Montana under one office.  These programs fall under the purview of the Office of Indian Country Economic Development.

Certified Regional Development Corporations Program

The   Certified Regional Development Corporations (CRDC)  program supports a regional approach to economic development, facilitating an efficient delivery of economic development programs by supporting regional capacity. The CRDC program supports each of the CRDCs with annual funding for economic development services supporting their region, including personnel and operating expenses, and any other expenses deemed necessary to maintain the organization’s certification as a CRDC.

Governor's Office of Indian Affairs

The   Governor's Office of Indian Affairs  facilitates effective communications between the State of Montana and the Tribal Nations of Montana, committed to working on a government to government basis with the governing bodies of each tribal government.

Federal Tribal Resources

Bureau of Indian Affairs

The   Bureau of Indian Affairs  also has programs specifically available for Tribal Governments and Native Americans in Montana.

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians

For 50 years, the members of the   Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI)  have provided regional leadership, and advocacy, for Northwest Tribal interests. Established in 1953 by Tribal leaders, ATNI represents 52 Tribes from primarily Oregon, Washington, Idaho, with additional member Tribes in Alaska, Western Montana, Nevada, and Northern California.

Small Business Administration

The   Small Business Administration  also has a number of very useful and successful finance and technical assistance programs.

Housing and Urban Development

The   Department of Housing and Urban Development  has a number of programs aimed at assisting Tribes and Native Americans. Visit their excellent website containing volumes of information. Another program for information about native american loan programs is   Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Program.

Other Financing Resources

There are numerous local  revolving loan funds  located around the state with several being available principally to Native Americans. Another useful research tool for federal grants is the   www.grants.gov  web site.

OnlineMBA.com - Best Resources for Indigenous American Entrepreneurs

OnlineMBA has compiled a resource to lend support to Indigenous American entrepreneurs, from networking groups to grant opportunities. OnlineMBA used each organization’s preferred language for describing the origin, tribal affiliation and location. For more information visit   this site. 

Water to drink, water to treat our sewage, water to grow our crops. All Montanans need a sufficient amount of clean, drinkable water to survive. Yet many of our communities have aging water and wastewater systems, or no system at all other than individual wells and malfunctioning septic system drain fields. Inadequate and failing private water, wastewater, and solid waste facilities threaten our public health and environment, and our capacity to support economic development and job creation.

Montana's citizens ultimately must pay for these public facilities, but local governments are responsible for operating and managing them, and when necessary upgrading or replacing them. Because of the tremendous expense of constructing these systems and the limited incomes in many of our communities, the State and the federal government have recognized that many communities, especially small rural ones, need help. Programs exist to assist and subsidize the high cost of upgrading or replacing environmental infrastructure. Unfortunately, even collectively, these programs cannot always close the gap between what systems cost and what Montana citizens can reasonably afford to pay.

State Infrastructure Programs

Montana Department of Commerce

Department of Natural Resources & Conservation

Department of Environment Quality

Federal Infrastructure Programs

Local Infrastructure Programs

Financial resources available to local and regional development corporations for operations and other purposes such as revolving loan funds. Most of these resources provide funding for development corporations directly for a variety of purposes, including capitalization of local loan funds. 

State Local Development

The  Certified Regional Development Corporations (CRDC)  program supports a regional approach to economic development, facilitating an efficient delivery of economic development programs by supporting regional capacity. The CRDC program supports each of the CRDCs with annual funding for economic development services supporting their region, including personnel and operating expenses, and any other expenses deemed necessary to maintain the organization’s certification as a CRDC.

Federal Local Development

The   Economic Development Administration is a federal agency housed in the U.S. Department of Commerce and provides funding for local economic development planning, infrastructure for economic development projects, and capitalization of local and regional revolving loan funds for businesses. The programs are available as grants to local and regional development entities.

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Another useful research tool for federal grants is the   www.grants.gov  web site.

Local Development

The  Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA)  is an association of economic development professionals. They are professional "lead" economic developers, business specialist, government employers, and staff members of affiliated non-profit organizations which promote and foster economic development activities in Montana.