Commerce’s New Capital Access Opportunity for Rural Montana Businesses Launching Soon
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HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that it will open the Opportunities in Rural Economies Loan Participation Program preliminary application portal from Oct. 1-28, 2025, giving partners four weeks to bring forward eligible projects.
Marta Bertoglio, director of the Montana Department of Commerce, said, “By streamlining our processes and partnering with economic development organizations, Commerce has made it easier to support growing businesses through innovative rural development efforts under the ORE Program.”
The ORE application is designed as a multi-phase process. The first stage is the Preliminary Project Application, which serves to establish eligibility and obligate funds to the proposed project or business. Applications must come through an external partner organization or be supported by an enrolled economic development organization, and they will be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the open window. All application determinations, approved or denied, will be communicated after the preliminary application portal closes on Oct. 28, 2025.
Once the applicant and external partner organization are ready, the process advances to the comprehensive application stage. This phase is more detailed and is used to collect the data required for Commerce to issue a commitment letter. At this point, a participating lender is required, and applicants should be prepared to provide financial information and project details that align with lender expectations.
In preparation for October, lenders are encouraged to begin identifying potential projects, while EDOs and external partners should start early conversations with businesses to ensure applications can move smoothly from preliminary review to the comprehensive stage.
Enrollment steps are critical to access funding. Lenders participate under Commerce’s General Lender Loan Servicing Agreement, which standardizes servicing across multiple programs. EDOs that plan to support applications should ensure their enrollment is complete in order to access program incentives when the portal opens.
For additional information on eligibility, enrollment or the application process, contact Business Resource Partner Josh Bennett at 406-841-2748 or josh.bennett@mt.gov.
Marta Bertoglio, director of the Montana Department of Commerce, said, “By streamlining our processes and partnering with economic development organizations, Commerce has made it easier to support growing businesses through innovative rural development efforts under the ORE Program.”
The ORE application is designed as a multi-phase process. The first stage is the Preliminary Project Application, which serves to establish eligibility and obligate funds to the proposed project or business. Applications must come through an external partner organization or be supported by an enrolled economic development organization, and they will be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the open window. All application determinations, approved or denied, will be communicated after the preliminary application portal closes on Oct. 28, 2025.
Once the applicant and external partner organization are ready, the process advances to the comprehensive application stage. This phase is more detailed and is used to collect the data required for Commerce to issue a commitment letter. At this point, a participating lender is required, and applicants should be prepared to provide financial information and project details that align with lender expectations.
In preparation for October, lenders are encouraged to begin identifying potential projects, while EDOs and external partners should start early conversations with businesses to ensure applications can move smoothly from preliminary review to the comprehensive stage.
Enrollment steps are critical to access funding. Lenders participate under Commerce’s General Lender Loan Servicing Agreement, which standardizes servicing across multiple programs. EDOs that plan to support applications should ensure their enrollment is complete in order to access program incentives when the portal opens.
For additional information on eligibility, enrollment or the application process, contact Business Resource Partner Josh Bennett at 406-841-2748 or josh.bennett@mt.gov.
Tags: Business and Press Release
