FY22 Growth Through Agriculture Pre-Application

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 assistance in planning your project and working on your application, please contact your local Food and Agriculture Development Center Network (www.foodandag.mt.gov) or Small Business Development Center (sbdc.mt.gov.) Award Amounts: Grants up to $50,000 Loans up to $100,000 Submission Deadline: October 4, 2021 at 5:00 PM Priority Areas: * Businesses expanding or investing in commodity processing infrastructure and distribution for local, regional, national and international supply chains. * Projects utilizing new or innovative solutions to diversify, add value, or provide substantial growth opportunities and resiliency for Montana’s agricultural economy or food security.

Pre-Applications are required. After review, the Council will invite selected applicants to complete the full GTA application.

Carefully review the 2021 Program Guidance prior to starting your application to ensure eligibility and completeness.

Proposals for funding are accepted from: • Individuals • Businesses and Industry Organizations • Public and Private Agencies and Organizations • Educational Institutions • Local Governments 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 information including FAQs, Program Guidance, and Important Dates, may be found on the GTA website.