Montana Growth Through Agriculture Program (GTA)

The Growth Through Agriculture (GTA) program is a grant and loan program established by the Montana Legislature to strengthen and diversify Montana's agricultural industry through the development of new agricultural products and processes. Examples of eligible project activities involve equipment purchases, construction costs, advertising and promotion, and consultant services for engineering. The GTA program is administered by the Agriculture Development Council (Council) which is attached to the Department of Agriculture.

For Current GTA and BAM Recipients: We are holding quarterly Technical Assistance calls to go over claim submission, reporting, and any other TA questions you have as you progress with your grant and/or loan. These calls will be held at 11:30am on the last Tuesday of the quarter. 

For 2026, the calls are scheduled for March 31, June 30, September 29, and December 29.

Growth Through Agriculture Program Guidelines

Eligibility Criteria

Projects should primarily add value to Montana’s agricultural products, have prospects for achieving commercial success given the current personnel, experience and resources of the applicant and have the possibility to create and/or retain jobs in Montana. In addition, projects should either benefit additional agricultural producers and/or companies, and/or projects should accomplish research that will benefit Montana’s agriculture industry as a whole. An applicant that receives any two GTA grants within a two-year period will have a one-year cooling off period before applying again, starting in the current calendar year. Please contact GTA staff for any questions on this recent adjustment.

Eligible Costs

Eligible costs under the GTA program include, but are not limited to:

• Equipment

• Consultant Services (professional, technical, operational)

• Travel

• Advertising and Promotion

• Supplies and Materials

• Communication (telephone, postage, printing, etc.)

• Data Processing 

Who Can Apply

Proposals for funding are accepted from:

• Individuals

• Businesses and Industry Organizations

• Public and Private Agencies and Organizations

• Educational Institutions

• Local Governments

• Cooperatives

• Non-profits

Business Registration Required

To be eligible to receive funding your business must be registered with the Montana Secretary of State's office (www.sos.mt.gov). If your business is not registered, we encourage you to begin that process prior to submitting an application.

Joint Applications

Two or more individuals or organizations may propose to conduct a project jointly by submitting one application as co-applicants. Please contact program staff for procedures if you are interested in submitting a joint application.

Joint applicants must demonstrate their team has proven ability to carry out all elements of the proposed project. In addition, applicants proposing to rely upon the expertise of another individual or organization to undertake any part of the project must clearly define the responsibilities of that party as well as provide evidence of that entity’s willingness and demonstrated ability to undertake that area of responsibility.

Additional Loan Eligibility Requirements

The Council has the option to set loan interest rates and offer terms on awards up to $100,000. To be eligible for a low interest loan, the applicant must have unencumbered collateral to secure the full amount of the loan.

The Council may select up to two targeted areas for projects which would be eligible for lower interest loans. These targeted areas encourage specific types of projects and will inform the public of the Council’s particular interests. Targeted areas must be announced 60 days prior to becoming effective. 

Growth Through Agriculture Program Guidelines

The Council may make a grant or loan if it determines a project is consistent with the goals of the Growth Through Agriculture Act. Projects should primarily add value to Montana's agricultural products and have the potential to create and/or retain jobs in Montana.

BEFORE beginning the application process, the applicant should be able to document exactly how the project will expand Montana agriculture (e.g., increased sales by dollar amount or percentage, or number of jobs created).

Projects may potentially be funded in a single application for a maximum total amount of $150,000 in the form of grant funding up to $50,000 and loan funding up to $100,000. A $1 for $1 match is required for all proposals.

FY2026 Priority Areas:

• Projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to expanding access to diversified marketplaces

• Projects that can demonstrate a significant impact on the applicant's scalability

• Projects that can demonstrate increased access to local foods with a focus in rural areas (including rural grocery stores)

• Businesses that help strengthen supply chains and market access for rural areas (rural area = fewer than 10,000 people)

Important Dates:

• October 10, 2025 - GTA Pre-application opens

• November 10, 2025 - Pre-application deadline (5:00pm)

• Early December 2025 - Council meeting to select pre-applicants for full application

• Mid-December 2025 - Full application opens

• February 2, 2026 - Full applications due (5:00pm)

• Early March 2026 - Council meeting to review/award GTA applications

If you have questions, email gta@mt.gov.

Program Guidelines