Department Of Commerce Montana

The Department of Commerce Montana, a division of the State of Montana Department of Commerce located in Helena, has been registered with SAM.gov since May 2005 and serves as a critical state economic development agency. As a U.S. state government entity, the department functions as a primary recipient of federal grant awards focused on affordable housing development, community development, small business support, and economic revitalization initiatives. Through its various divisions and partnerships, the Montana Department of Commerce administers substantial federal funding to advance statewide economic development goals and improve quality of life for Montana residents.

The Montana Department of Commerce has received substantial federal grant awards across multiple program areas. In housing and community development, the department has been a major beneficiary of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants, including repeated awards under the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (CFDA 14.239), which have provided millions in formula grant funding for affordable housing activities such as rehabilitation of owner-occupied housing, homebuyer assistance, rental housing acquisition and rehabilitation, and tenant-based rental assistance. Similarly, the department has received multiple Housing Trust Fund (CFDA 14.275) awards from HUD to expand affordable rental housing for extremely low-income and very low-income households. Additionally, the Montana Department of Commerce secured a significant $7 million Community Development Block Grant – PRO Housing award (CFDA 14.023) in January 2025 to remove barriers to affordable housing development. The department has also administered Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) formula grants for broader community development activities. Beyond housing, the Montana Department of Commerce has been actively involved in small business development and trade expansion, receiving multiple State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grants from the U.S. Small Business Administration (CFDA 59.061) totaling approximately $800,000 to $1.5 million per award cycle to support export promotion services and international market expansion for Montana small businesses. The department manages a Montana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Cooperative Agreement (CFDA 59.037) providing management counseling, training, and technical assistance to small businesses throughout the state. In infrastructure and energy, the Montana Department of Commerce has been awarded cooperative agreements under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, including a North Plains Connector Interregional Innovation (NPCII) project and a Southeastern Montana Transmission Siting and Economic Development (SM-TSED) Initiative from the Department of Energy to develop transformational electricity transmission infrastructure and foster rural economic development. The department received historic preservation support through a $1.55 million Save America's Treasures grant from the National Park Service (CFDA 15.929) for restoration of Stonewall Hall in Helena, a $2.9 million Economic Adjustment Assistance grant from the Economic Development Administration for tourism recovery, and a $1 million EDA Statewide Planning grant. Additionally, the Montana Department of Commerce manages formula grants for state developmental disability councils from the Administration on Aging. The department also received a subgrant from the Montana Department of Administration in 2024 for COVID-19 response efforts related to education services and veteran workforce training. Overall, the Montana Department of Commerce functions as Montana's primary conduit for substantial federal investment in affordable housing development, community economic development, small business support, workforce development, energy infrastructure, historic preservation, and rural economic diversification.