Montana Trade Show Assistance Program (TSAP)

The Montana Trade Show Assistance Program helps Montana agricultural entrepreneurs expand their markets by exhibiting at wholesale trade shows, one way to increase their sales network. The program also provides extensive free training resources for first-time exhibitors, covering planning, pre-show preparation, booth setup, and post-show follow-up.

• Individuals and businesses or industry organizations, including agritourism operations, may apply.

• Public and private agencies and organizations, educational institutions, local governments, cooperatives, and non-profits may also apply.

• Start-up businesses must have been in operation for at least 6 months.

• The applicant's business must be registered with the Montana Secretary of State's office.

• Projects must primarily add value to Montana's agricultural products.

• Projects must have prospects to create or retain jobs in Montana.

• A 50% cost-share is required; grant funds reimburse half of approved project expenses.

• Trade show assistance is limited to out-of-state trade shows or trade missions; in-state trade shows are not eligible.

• An applicant that has received two GTA-funded grants (GTA or BAM) must wait through a one-year cooling-off period before being awarded again.

• Applicants currently in default on any prior Montana Department of Agriculture loan or grant contract are not eligible.

No reimbursement amounts are published for Trade Show Assistance itself any more. The Montana Department of Agriculture's Marketing Assistance page now says only: "The Trade Show Assistance Program will now be covered under the new GTA Market Development Program. Please visit https://agr.mt.gov/GTA for more information and to apply." What remains free-standing on the page is the trade-show training and planning material (the four-track first-time-exhibitor guide, budget and pricing worksheets, shipping templates) — no cash.

The terms you actually apply under now are Growth Through Agriculture's (agr.mt.gov/GTA, FY2026 guidelines):

• Award ceilings: "The maximum award amount is $150,000." Within that, "The maximum grant amount for any single application is $50,000" and "The maximum loan amount for any single application is $100,000." The Agriculture Development Council decides whether you get a grant, a loan, or both.

• Cost-share: "50% cost-share is required for all types of Growth Through Agriculture proposals including both grants and loans... 50% of an eligible expense will be paid by the applicant and 50% of the expense will be reimbursed with grant funds." In-kind does not count — "'In-kind' is NOT eligible for cost-share" — and expenses from normal day-to-day operation are excluded. Only expenses incurred on/after July 1 of the application year qualify.

• Payment: "All awards will be paid on a reimbursement basis unless otherwise specified by the Council."

• Loan pricing: "The low interest loan rate will be set at 0% interest, the high interest loan rate will be set at 4%" for FY2026; "Loans may be repaid over a period of up to eight years," and a low-interest loan requires unencumbered collateral securing the full amount.

• Other conditions: a named personal guarantee is required for grants and loans; security provisions are set case by case; no institutional overhead or indirect costs; state grant funds (other than commodity check-off) cannot be used as your match; and "An applicant that receives any two GTA grants within a two-year period will have a one-year cooling off period before applying again."

• Eligible costs include travel and "Advertising and Promotion" — the categories a trade-show exhibit would fall under.

Timing. FY2026 GTA pre-applications opened October 10 with a November 10 deadline; full applications were due February 2; awards at the March Council meeting.

Ongoing. Trade Show Assistance is now administered under the new GTA Market Development Program — see the Growth Through Agriculture program page (agr.mt.gov/GTA) for current application details and requirements.