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Great Falls came out in full force to show their patriotic spirit at the 4th of July Hootenanny, sponsored by several Great Falls businesses, and the 4th of July parade. What a great day in Great Falls!

1) Alluvion Health in Great Falls is creating a workforce development program for nurses called Next Nurse. A grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for up to $3 million over five years will help fund it; see KRTV and the Great Falls Tribune. Two Great Falls women build their businesses with friendship; see KTRV. Benefis Health System acquired the Missouri River Medical Center in Chouteau County; see KFBB.

2) Get ready for our first class of Touro medical students! We need your help to welcome them to our community. We are asking for business support – gift cards, discounts, food, beverages, and more. We want to show them how excited we are that they chose Great Falls. To be part of the team, call Jenn 406.781.9499.

3) The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that Montana will receive $629 million to improve broadband service across the state; see KRTV. The Blackfeet Nation celebrated the release of a herd of bison near Babb, the first time bison have roamed the area since 1873; see KRTV. The McLaughlin Research Institute in Great Falls is hosting 8 interns this summer, including a University of Providence student from Burkina Faso; see KRTV. Nike released a new N7 sneaker designed by fashion designer Rebekah Jarvey of Havre and the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation; see KRTV.

4) The Montana Chamber and the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center are holding a Manufacturer Meet-up at the El Conejo Cantina in The Wild Hare in downtown Great Falls this Thursday, July 13 from 5:30-7:30 PM. RSVP here.

5) Congratulations to the 10 new Owner Built Homes homeowners who closed on their homes through NeighborWorks Great Falls! Congratulations to the Choteau Lions Club and all who donated and helped create the new City Park Bandshell! See Choteau Acantha.

6) We want to make our region more competitive in the Meat and Poultry Processing industry by increasing the number of processors and expanding existing ones. We have engaged with 64 Meat Processors, toured 6 Meat Processing facilities, and had 14 separate Training or Advising sessions with Meat Processors in our region so far, and we're ready for more! Are you a processor looking to start-up, expand, or upgrade? Let us help! Contact Katesha at 406-788-0860 or Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org for more information.

7) The Great Falls trade area won over $2.5 million in historic preservation grants from the Montana Department of Commerce, including $500,000 for the Blackfoot Spiritual & Heritage Center in Browning, $340,000 for The History Museum in Great falls, $400,000 for the Rocky Mountain Building in Great falls, $250,000 for the Civic Center in Great Falls, $300,979 for the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, $359,672 for Havre Beneath the Streets, $100,000 for Qullette Place in Lewistown, $270,000 for the Waite House in Lewistown, and $5,600 for the Shelby Town Hall. See Tribune and TheElectric.

8) As part of our effort to increase housing production in Great Falls, GFDA is partnering with the Montana Facility Finance Authority to offer a free interactive presentation on the C-PACE program and how this and other tools can be leveraged to get housing projects off the ground. The event will be held on Thursday, July 20, at 10:30 AM at Great Falls College MSU in room B101. Registration will be live soon! Contact Jake with questions, Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org. 

9) The 12th Annual Montana Clean Energy Fair will be in Billings this year. The Fair will be held on the MSUB campus on August 12 from 9:00am to 3:30 pm. The Fair is free and open to the public. No tickets or registration are required. There will be workshops, exhibits and clean energy experts. Workshops will take place throughout the day, starting at 10 am and running through 2:45 pm. For more information call (406) 214-9405 or see montanarenewables.org.

10) Good news from our friends at the Montana Farmers Union: U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the United States and the Republic of India have agreed to terminate six outstanding disputes at the World Trade Organization. Furthermore, India agreed to remove retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. ag products, including chickpeas, lentils, almonds, walnuts, and apples, marking a big win for Montana Agriculture.

11) The University of Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research annual Mid Year Economic Update is coming to Great Falls on August 2nd, Noon-1:30 at the Hilton Garden Inn. Register here.

12) I enjoyed presenting part of a national webinar on loan fund capitalization for equitable lending hosted by the Council of Development Finance Agencies.

13) The GFDA Board elected officers for FY2024: Chair - Mark Cappis of Cappis Consulting & Tax; Vice Chair - Jennifer Fritz of The Wendt Agency; Treasurer - Forrest Ehlinger of Benefis Health System; Secretary - Dan Reardon of Liberty Electric, Inc.; and, Immediate Past Chair - Mark Macek of Macek Companies. The Board also appointed additional Executive Committee members: Joe Briggs, Cascade County Commissioner; Rebecca Engum of Great Falls Tourism; Ted Lewis of First Interstate Bank; Dr. Renee Pera of the McLaughlin Research Institute; Errol Rice of Transystems; and Casey Schreiner of Alluvion Health.

Have a great summer week!

Brett

Brett Doney

President & CEO

Connect with me on LinkedIn to network with the Great Falls Montana region. Forward the GFDA Top 10 to friends and colleagues. You can join our distribution list HERE or text GFDA to 22828.

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"Goals are dreams with deadlines."

Diana Scharf Hunt

Edition 590

We have a great career opportunity to join the GFDA staff team. Download info on Small Business Advisor -- Director Regional Small Business Development Center. GFDA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer!

If your company needs a rail-served, BNSF-Certified, shovel-ready site with all municipal services at your door, we have lots available for immediate construction in the Great Falls AgriTech Park. Contact Jolene Schalper at 1.406.750.4481 or JSchalper@GrowGreatFalls.org

July SBA 504 Loan Rates

The 25-year loan effective rate (including all fees) is 6.579%; 20-year at 6.632%; 10-year equipment loan at 7.063%; and, 20-year refinance 6.650%; 25-year refinance 6.597%. These rates are FIXED for the life of the loan and are inclusive of all fees. If you would like to find out how to get financing for commercial real estate and equipment at potentially lower rates than you're paying for your home mortgage, please contact Jill Kohles at 406-590-1056 or JKohles@GrowGreatFalls.org.

Central Montana Works!’s second annual Worlds of Work™ (WOW™) will be held in Great Falls on September 26th. WOW™ is not your typical job fair, but a hands-on career exploration event which opens new avenues of opportunity for middle school and high school students they never knew were possible. The goal for this second year is to have approximately 100 businesses spread across sixteen “worlds,” each of which represents one of the sixteen nationally recognized career clusters. If you are a business interested in being an exhibitor at Worlds of Work™, please click here. If you need to edit your existing participant profile, need assistance with registration, or are interested in sponsorship information, please reach out to Alyssa Larkey at alarkey@greatfallschamber.org or call 761-4434. 

The Great Falls Housing Market Assessment shows a need for over 450 new housing units per year in the immediate Great Falls area. For assistance with housing development, contact Jake Clark at Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937.

USDA has launched a new online tool to assist small businesses in identifying procurement opportunities; see USDA's Procurement Forecast.

Zero to 5 has launched the Montana Child Care Business Connect website to help support the startup and expansion of early childcare businesses. The Great Falls Childcare Demand Assessment shows a need for additional childcare facilities to serve 580 children in Great Falls. For assistance with childcare facility business planning, contact Rich Gannon at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-2078.

One of the many tools we have for renovating your building in Downtown Great Falls is the City's Downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Grant. This 50% match grant can help with Façade, Building Code Compliance, and Safety & Security. One of the biggest uses of this grant is Fire Suppression and updating the face of your building. To find out more about this grant, call Christian at 406.836.0136 or email CLeinhauser@GrowGreatFalls.org and let's discuss how TIF and other tools can help you change the face of Downtown Great Falls. 

Employers are you looking for timely data on our local workforce? JobsEQ for Workforce is a software tool that provides timely data on our local workforce and employers—including demographics, occupations, wages, certifications, and more. Contact Lyndsay Bruno at Lyndsay@GrowGreatFalls.org or at (406) 590 – 1539 to be connected with a JobsEQ-trained Business Advisor today. To learn more about our talent attraction tools visit our website. 

We launched the new Livability Great Falls Magazine. Find and share Livability Great Falls online or contact Lyndsay Bruno at Lyndsay@GrowGreatFalls.org or (406) 590 – 1539 for hard copies of the magazine. 

Recruiters are you hiring for a job position that is a:  

• High level position 
• High salary position 
• Out-of-the-box/unique/creative position? 

Help us attract workforce to move to Great Falls - send us a one sentence description of the job, 3-5 of your company's top employee benefits, salary (if listed), and link to apply for your job to Lyndsay@GrowGreatFalls.org to be included in the Hot Jobs in Great Falls blog post.  

The 2023 Montana Food and Beverage Show, hosted by the Montana Department of Agriculture, is scheduled for October 16 in Missoula. The show allows Montana businesses to showcase their food and beverage products to professional buyers from restaurants, hotels, bars, retailers, and more.

The Montana Department of Commerce has extended the application deadline to December 31st for the Montana Cybersecurity Program will provide up to $8,000 reimbursement for your cybersecurity expenses. And don't forget about funds available for your workforce through the Incumbent Worker Training Program and the Primary Workforce Training Grant. We can help you access these programs if you run into snags.

Navy Week - Doing Business with the Department of Navy & GovMatch Event (Billings Depot on Montana Avenue) - Join the Montana APEX Accelerator (formerly known as Procurement Technical Assistance Center - PTAC) August 9th from 9 AM – 5 PM as they welcome Mr. David E. Walz to Billings. Mr. Walz is the Deputy Small Business Program, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport. He serves as the principal advisor and advocate to the commander, senior management, contracts, and the technical department on all matters pertaining to small business program. During this event, businesses will receive information on the following topics: 1. Department of the Navy (DON) Office of Small Business Programs' Achievements and Goals 2. The DON OSBP Mentor-Protégé Program 3. Preparing for the DON procurement process 4. Resources and assistance to help businesses 5. GovMatch event in the afternoon. You will be able to meet with various other federal agencies in the afternoon. To register, click here. If you have any questions, contact Shannon Clancy SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org.

USDA opened a new round of Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants and loans. Rural small businesses and agricultural producers can use the funds to make energy-efficiency improvements to lower operating costs or to install renewable energy systems. Quarterly competitions will be held through September 30th. See MATR.net for more info. Contact Katesha Campbell if you would like help with applying; Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-0860. 

The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center has launched an apprenticeship program. The Certified Manufacturing Associate Apprenticeship is a one-year program that combines on-the-job training with online technical classes on safety, math and measurements, manufacturing processes, and quality control.

Are you in the planning and development phase of expanding your agricultural product or adding value to Montana agriculture by expanding your product into new markets? Montana’s Growth Through Agriculture (GTA) Business Acceleration Program (BAP) and Market Development Program (MDP) grants could help! Funds are available; click here for more information or contact Katesha at Katesha@GrowGreatFalls.org.

The 341st Contracting Squadron, Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), is contemplating a solicitation for a multiple award contract (MAC) and is looking for responses to this Sources Sought Notification. Awarded MAC indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts would be for the construction of structures and facilities, repair, maintenance, and alteration of real property assets within the confines of Malmstrom AFB, Weapons Storage Area (WSA), and Missile Alert Facility (MAF) and Launch Facility (LF) sites located within the Missile Complex throughout Montana. This is a great opportunity to Introduce your company to the Contracting Wing at Malmstrom AFB. Do you have a Capability Statement prepared that you can provide with your Sources Sought reply? If not, contact us at LSunwall@GrowGreatFalls.org. For more information on the Notice, click here.



ArtsFest Montana will return to downtown Great Falls August 11-18. The Business Improvement District is looking for property owners who would like to have a professionally painted mural installed on their building. Contact Kellie at kellie@downtowngreatfalls.net or 1-406-727-5430. See TheElectric for more details.

If you are trying to redevelop a property that involves an environmental cleanup (including lead paint and asbestos) and you have a gap in your financing, your project may qualify for our low-interest brownfield redevelopment loan funds. We can make loans anywhere in Cascade County or within 100 miles from the borders of Cascade County which covers much of the region. We're eager to help make your project move forward. Contact Tony Peres at 1-406-750-2099 or Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org. We also have some small business or nonprofit startup or expansion loan funds available for Glacier and Blaine counties.

Cybersecurity challenges for businesses continue to grow. The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) is offering an array of useful resources to help Montana businesses to protect themselves.

Do you have open government contracts? Is your SAM.gov registered due to renew in the next few months? SAM.gov continues to have issues with the transition of the new validation process. It is recommended that businesses start early to renew their registration to keep from going inactive. If you are having trouble getting through the process, contact Shannon Clancy at SClancy@GrowGreatFalls.org for assistance. 

The Montana Innovation Partnership is offering a number of trainings and an accelerator program for companies interested in pursuing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants.

Montana STEP grants can pay for 75% of your international export marketing efforts up to $10,000. The Montana TechLink Center at MSU is offering a new round of workshops on how to win Small Business Innovation Research funding.

We have migrated our pre-business workshop for early stage and pre-venture startups to a self-paced, video-facilitated, online format. Business Basics for Startups is now live and ready for beta testing. If you’d like to check out the content and provide feedback, we’d appreciate it. Click here to check out the new modules and resources. All of our recorded monthly business strategy webinars are available online for viewing anytime, check them out here. Please direct feedback to Rich at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org.

The best resource we scan daily to stay abreast of business and community innovation is MATR.net (Montana Associated Technology Roundtables) which we are proud to help sponsor. Sign up for their free newsletter.

Join our Trailing Partner Email Group specifically for local employers to share resumes of trailing spouses/partners across the Great Falls region with other employers looking to hire. “Your (Live in Great Falls) website is very impressive and helpful! Great Falls looks amazing, and we love what we've seen real estate-wise, and business-wise.” This quote was from an email sent to us from a couple considering relocation to Great Falls. We will be sharing their resumes (with their permission) on the Trailing Partner Email Group.

Visit our relocation website LiveInGreatFalls.com. This website was the #1 request we got from local recruiters and HR professionals for aiding in attracting talented workers to Great Falls. The Great Falls At-A-Glance two-pager is a great complementary resource that highlights Great Falls for people unfamiliar with our community.

Of our online business planning tool, LivePlan, one said: "LivePlan is Awesome!" The LivePlan tool is helping her streamline her strategy in preparation for presenting to bank partners. We offer LivePlan licenses for free to active clients. Learn more about LivePlan on our website.

Grow diverse economic opportunities that enhance quality of life.

GFDA is a certified Community Development Financial Institution and a 501(c)3 charitable organization. High Plains Financial is a certified Community Development Corporation that offers SBA 504 loans statewide. GFDA and High Plains Financial are Equal Opportunity Employers, Lenders and Providers.

GFDA is proud to host a Montana Small Business Development Center, a Montana Procurement Technical Assistance Center, and a Montana Food & Ag Development Center. We are also proud to provide office space for MSU's Montana Manufacturing Extension Center and an SBA Women's Business Center in partnership with the University of Montana and the Montana Native Growth Fund.

GFDA was the first economic development organization in the Rocky Mountain West to earn accreditation from the International Economic Development Council.

Great Falls Development Alliance | GrowGreatFallsMontana.org