The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Cooperative Service awarded a $175,000 Project Grant under the Socially-Disadvantaged Groups Grant (CFDA 10.871) program to Montana Cooperative Development Center Inc. The grant, awarded on August 24, 2023, will fund the organization's efforts to provide technical assistance services that promote the establishment, operation, and expansion of cooperatives and other mutually-owned enterprises benefiting socially disadvantaged agricultural producers and rural communities in Montana. As the state's designated Cooperative Development Center, Montana Cooperative Development Center utilizes this federal funding to deliver a range of cooperative business planning, training, feasibility studies, operational guidance, outreach, and other technical support tailored to the needs of minority farmers, ranchers, and other underserved rural groups.