Commerce’s New Revolving Loan Program Allocates $24 Million of Grant Funding to Support Montana’s Tourism Industry

Downtown Missoula - Photo by Montana Department of Commerce
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  • November 26 2024
HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that $24 million of grant funding has been awarded to 12 local economic development organizations to generate revolving loans to further develop and enhance Montana’s tourism industry. The funding is through Commerce’s Tourism Development and Enhancement Revolving Loan Fund Program.

“The Tourism Development and Enhancement Revolving Loan Fund Program creates a public-private partnership between the State of Montana and local economic development organizations, with the sole purpose of further developing our tourism economy,” said Paul Green, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce.

Through this loan program, Commerce will award funding as grants to eligible economic development organizations. The EDOs must use that money to create new revolving loan funds that will retain or expand existing tourism-related businesses, encourage workforce development, create good-paying jobs and promote long-term economic growth in Montana’s tourism economy.

Tourism Development and Enhancement Revolving Loan funding has been awarded to these EDOs:
  • Discover Anaconda will receive $276,785.69 of grant funding.
  • Great Falls Development Authority, Inc. will receive $2,214,285.72 of grant funding.
  • Great Northern Development Corporation will receive $1,383,928.58 of grant funding.
  • Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development will receive $1,383,928.58 of grant funding.
  • Jobs Now, Inc. dba Montana West Economic Development will receive $2,767,857.15 of grant funding.
  • Mission West Community Development Partners will receive $3,500,000 of grant funding.
  • Montana Business Assistance Connection will receive $2,767,857.15 of grant funding.
  • Montana Community Development Corporation dba MoFi will receive $2,767,857.15 of grant funding.
  • NCMEDD dba Sweetgrass Development will receive $553,571.43 of grant funding.
  • Ravalli County Economic Development Authority will receive $1,107,142.86 of grant funding.
  • Sanders County Community Development will receive $276,785.69 of grant funding.
  • Snowy Mountain Development Corporation will receive $5,000,000 of grant funding.
In 2023, the Montana Legislature authorized Commerce to establish the Tourism Development and Enhancement Revolving Loan Fund Program by enacting Senate Bill 540.

For more information about this program, visit commerce.mt.gov.

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