Montana Tribal Tourism Small Business Grant
Montana Department of Commerce — Office of Indian Country Economic Development
Up to $10,000
Montana tribal tourism grants — no match required
Montana's Tribal Tourism Small Business Grant provides up to $10,000 to enrolled members of Montana's eight federally recognized tribes who are starting or expanding tourism-related businesses. No matching requirement. The state allocates $240,000 annually and has awarded approximately 21–24 grants per cycle. Applications open October 1 and close November 30. Tourism businesses include hospitality, guiding, cultural experiences, arts-crafts retail, and outdoor recreation.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $500 – $10,000
- Realistic amount
- In recent cycles, 21–24 businesses shared the $240,000 pool — average award approximately $10,000 (most awards are at or…
- Deadline
- Annual: applications open October 1 and close November 30. Award decisions typically in January-February.
- Status
- active
- States
- MT
- Payment model
- advance
Who qualifies
- Applicant must be an enrolled citizen aged 18 or older of a federally recognized tribe in Montana
- Must provide valid photo ID and documentation of tribal enrollment
- Business must be a tourism-related startup or expanding existing tourism business in Montana
- Tourism businesses include: lodging/hospitality, guiding and outfitting, cultural experiences, arts and crafts retail, outdoor recreation, food and beverage serving visitors, and similar tourism-facing enterprises
- No matching requirement (unlike the Indian Equity Fund, which requires 1:1 match)
- Only one award per business entity per cycle
Hard requirements
- Demographic eligibility: native-american-owned
- Location restriction: Montana — enrolled member of one of Montana's 8 federally recognized tribes
- Restricted to industry: tourism — must be a tourism-related business (hospitality, guiding, cultural experiences, arts-crafts, outdoor recreation)
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Tourism equipment (canoes, kayaks, hiking gear, horses/tack, ATV/snowmobile)
- Lodging and hospitality setup and improvements
- Arts and crafts inventory and supplies for retail
- Marketing and website development for tourism customers
- Cultural experience programming supplies and materials
- Working capital for operating a tourism season
- Food service equipment for tourism-facing operations
Ineligible expenses
- Personal expenses
- Non-tourism business expenses
- Debt repayment
- Businesses not located in Montana
How to apply
-
1
Gather tribal enrollment documentation
Obtain a current valid photo ID and tribal enrollment documentation. Applications without both pieces of documentation are considered incomplete.
-
2
Access the Montana Grants and Loans portal in October
When the window opens October 1, access the application at montana.servicenowservices.com/mtgl. Download and review the current program guidelines for FY2026 eligible expenses and documentation requirements.
-
3
Complete and submit application by November 30
Fill out the online grant application by November 30. Include: tribal enrollment documentation, valid photo ID, tourism business description, planned use of grant funds, and budget breakdown. Since no match is required, focus on the quality of the tourism business concept and growth plan.
No match required — this makes it more accessible than the Indian Equity Fund. The 3-per-tribe structure means your competition is primarily other enrolled members of YOUR tribe, not the entire Montana Native entrepreneur pool.
Deadline & timing
The FY2026 application window opens October 1, 2026 and closes November 30, 2026. Applications submitted outside this window are not accepted. Access the application through the Montana Grants and Loans portal. Approximately 3 awards per tribal nation (8 tribes × 3 = ~24 awards).
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.