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Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund (BSTF)

Important! Contact program staff about funding availability before applying for BSTF Category I: Economic Development Funding.

Program Summary

The Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund (BSTF) program is a state-funded program created by the 2005 Legislature. It is designed to aid in the development of good paying jobs for Montana residents and promote long-term stable economic growth in Montana.

The BSTF program is designed to provide financial assistance in the following two categories:

Category I: Economic Development Projects 75% of BSTF earnings shall be awarded to local governments in the form of grants and loans for economic development projects that create net new qualifying jobs for Montana residents. Applications will be accepted on an open-cycle basis until all available funds are committed to approved projects.

Category II: Planning Grants 25% of BSTF earnings shall be awarded to Certified Regional Development Corporations and other qualified economic development organizations in areas not covered by a CRDC in the form of a grant for planning activities such as feasibility studies, business plans and preliminary architectural reports. Applications will be accepted throughout the year on a quarterly basis.

Please reference the attached guidelines for further information on the eligible activities and requirements for funding under this program. It is highly recommended that potential applicants contact the Department directly by calling Angela Nelson, Program Manager at (406)841-2792 or Quinn Ness, Section Manager at (406)841-2758 or a Department Regional Development Officer (RDO) for guidance and funding availability before submitting a formal application. This is especially important due to the limited funding available statewide.

BSTF Weekly Wage Rates

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Due to recent legislative changes, the BSTF program allows higher financial assistance per job for higher poverty counties, as defined by the US Census Bureau:

Up to $7,500 per eligible job (Up to $7,125 in business assistance and $375 in grant administration)

50% match requirement

High Poverty County Map

**All other program requirements still apply, see Application Guidelines for all other eligibility requirements**

The application guidelines are in PDF and Microsoft Word formats. You can download Adobe Acrobat for free in order to view and/or print the files. If you are unable to open the documents or need the files in any other format please contact the Department.

2008 BSTF Application Guidelines (PDF)

2008 BSTF Application Guidelines (Word)