MONTANA – The Montana Department of Commerce today announced it is awarding $430,273 to support small business growth and local community development across 15 Montana communities.

The funding is from the Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund (BSTF) Planning Grant at Commerce, which provides state funds to promote long-term, stable economic growth in Montana.  

“When small businesses across Montana thrive, our communities and the hard-working Montanans who live and work here have new opportunities to prosper as well,” said Commerce Director Scott Osterman. “This funding invests in Montana’s economy by planning for business and local economic growth to create good-paying jobs for Montanans.”

• Absarokee | Beartooth RC&D Area, Inc. will receive $8,750 to assist Absarokee Community Services with a re-use plan for the sandstone school in Absarokee
• Anaconda | Headwaters RC&D Area, Inc. will receive $26,250 to assist 64 Mile Distillery with an architectural and engineering plan
• Belgrade | Prospera Business Network will receive $27,000 to assist OptimaLabs, Inc. with a good manufacturing practices plan
• Billings | Big Sky Economic Development Authority will receive $13,500 to assist Genityte, Inc. with a patient reported outcomes report
• Bozeman | Prospera Business Network will receive $26,683 to help Chrome Squirrel, LLC complete an architectural and engineering site planning for a new building
• Bozeman | Prospera Business Network will receive $27,000 to assist Q Factor with civil site and engineering plans
• Butte | Headwaters RC&D Area, Inc. will receive $27,000 to assist FORT + HOM Development LLC with a building analysis of the Kenwood Building in uptown Butte
• Butte | Headwaters RC&D Area, Inc. will receive $21,600 to assist Foothold Housing Solutions, LLC with a feasibility study for prefabricated housing manufacturing
• Dillon | Headwaters RC&D Area, Inc. will receive $19,440 to assist the city of Dillon with a downtown street design and plan
• Havre | Bear Paw Development Corporation will receive $27,000 to assist MSU-Northern with a meat processing workforce training feasibility study
• Helena | Lewis & Clark County will receive $27,000 to assist Helena Area Habitat for Humanity with a preliminary architectural report for a new facility
• Helena | Montana Business Assistance Connection will receive $27,000 to assist Montana Common Goods with a site selection plan for their cooperative business
• Laurel | Beartooth RC&D Area, Inc. will receive $25,750 to assist the city of Laurel with an industrial development study for the I-90 Interchange area
• Libby | Kootenai River Development Council will receive $5,850 to assist the Lincoln County Port Authority with a property development feasibility study within the Kootenai Business Park
• Lincoln | Montana Business Assistance Connection will receive $27,000 to assist the Lincoln Valley Chamber of Commerce with a downtown masterplan
• Missoula | Missoula Economic Partnership will receive $27,000 to assist All Nations Health Center, Inc. with a preliminary architectural report for a new facility
• Missoula | Missoula Economic Partnership will receive $23,350 to assist Diversified Plastics, Inc. with an architectural and engineering report for a building expansion
• Troy | Kootenai River Development Council will receive $21,500 to assist the town of Troy with an outdoor recreation- and trail-based economic development plan
• Whitehall | Headwaters RC&D Area, Inc. will receive $21,600 to assist the town of Whitehall with a community master plan

The Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund has two components – planning and job creation. The next application deadline for projects through both the BSTF Job Creation and Planning grants is June 16.

For more information about the Big Sky Trust Fund, visit BSTF.MT.GOV.