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Grant Information

Senator Tester and his staff are pleased to offer these resources for Montanans working to secure grant funding for their project. For more information about federal grants or to request a letter of support, please contact Senator Tester's Missoula field office.

Information about grants for communities appears on this page. For individual or organizational federal grant resouces visit http://www.grants.gov/ or the Congressional Research Service Grants Guide.

Utilities, Water and Wastewater

Rural Utility Service (Department of Agriculture—Rural Development):

  • Loans are made to public bodies, organizations operated on a not-for-profit basis, and Indian tribes for development of storage, treatment, purification, or distribution of water or for collection, treatment, and disposal of waste in rural areas. Loans are repayable in not more than 40 years, or the useful life of the facility, whichever is less.
  • Eligible grant recipients are the same as above. Grant amounts provide higher funding levels for projects in communities that have lower income levels, but they may not exceed 75% of the eligible development costs of the project. Grants are directed to projects serving the most financially needy communities, and are made only if needed to reduce user charges to a reasonable level.

Rural Development (Department of Agriculture):

For more information about these Department of Agriculture programs contact:

USDA Rural Development Office—Montana
406-585-2580

Section 595 Water Infrastructure (Army Corps of Engineers): Congress appropriates funds to the Army Corps of Engineers to implement Section 595 of the Water Resources Development Act. This section authorizes funding of community water projects in Montana.

For more information about the Section 595 program please contact Sen. Tester's office directly:

Office of Senator Jon Tester
866-554-4403

Housing

Rural Housing Service (Department of Agriculture—Rural Development): Housing and Community Facilities provides loans and grants for housing and community facilities, like single family homes, apartments for low-income people or the elderly, and housing for farm laborers. Non-profits, tribes and state agencies are eligible for loans and grants.

For more information about the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service contact:

USDA Rural Development Office—Montana
406-585-2580

Community Planning and Development (CPD) (Department of Housing and Urban Development): CPD seeks to develop viable communities by promoting integrated approaches that provide decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities for low and moderate income people. Grants are available for the development of partnerships among all levels of government and the private sector, including for-profit and non-profit organizations.

For more information about grants through the Department of Housing and Urban Development visit:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Public Safety

Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) (Department of Justice): The COPS Office will provide funding to hire an estimated 500 police officers, with a focus on recruiting and employing military veterans. Applicants may request funds to hire new officers who are military veterans, rehire recently laid-off officers, or maintain officers scheduled to be laid-off. The aim of this program is to create and preserve jobs and increase community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.

Other Justice Grants: The Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs funds numerous aspects of law enforcement, from equipment for police and sheriff’s offices to drug courts.

For more information about grants through the Department of Justice contact:

U.S. Department of Justice
(202) 616-2888

Assistance to Firefighters Grants (FEMA): These grants help communities meet the staffing, equipment, vehicles, and training response needs in their area.

For more information about FEMA's Firefighter grants contact:

FEMA Region VIII
(303) 235-4900

Operation Stonegarden (Department of Homeland Security—FEMA): Operation Stonegarden (OPSG) funds are intended to facilitate cooperation and coordination among local, tribal, territorial, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to secure our borders. Border counties and federally-recognized tribal governments can apply for these grants through the State of Montana. Despite some previous reports, Northern Border counties and tribes ARE eligible for Operation Stonegarden funds.

For more information about Operation Stonegarden contact:

Montana Department of Emergency Services
(406) 841-3911

Transportation

National Infrastructure Investments or "TIGER" Grants (Department of Transportation): Discretionary grants for infrastructure projects including road and bridge improvements, transit upgrades, freight, port and rail expansions, and new options for bicyclists and pedestrians. Local governments may apply to the Department of Transportation directly for these funds.

For more information about TIGER grants visit:

U.S. Department of Transportation

Other Infrastructure

Section 242 Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program, "Helping Hospitals Get Capital Financing" (Department of Housing and Urban Development): The Section 242 program is administered by the Office of Hospital Facilities (OHF) within the Office of Healthcare Programs. Section 242 of the National Housing Act provides mortgage insurance for acute care hospital facilities ranging from large teaching institutions to small rural critical access hospitals.

For more information visit:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Community Facilities Grants (Department of Agriculture—Rural Development): These grants provide assistance in the development of essential community facilities (including health care and public safety) in rural areas and towns. These grants are available to public entities such as municipalities, counties, special-purpose districts and tribal governments in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 people. Loan funds can be used to construct, expand, or improve community facilities for health care, public safety, and public services. Applicants must have the legal authority to borrow and repay loans, to pledge security for loans, and to construct, operate, and maintain the facilities. They must also be financially sound and able to organize and manage the facility effectively.

For more information about the Department of Agriculture's Community Facilities grants contact:

USDA Rural Development Office—Montana
406-585-2580

Economic Development Administration (Department of Commerce): This agency provides grants to economically distressed communities to generate new employment, help retain existing jobs and stimulate industrial and commercial growth.

For more information about EDA grants contact:

U.S. Department of Commerce EDA
(202) 482-2900

Other Needs

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance is a government-wide compendium of federal programs, projects, services, and activities that provide assistance or benefits to the American public. It contains financial and nonfinancial assistance programs administered by departments of the Federal government. The Catalog is available online at https://www.cfda.gov/.

Office Contact Information

Senator Tester's Montana staff serves the state from offices in Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Glendive, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula. Please bring your concerns with federal agencies, academy nominations, and other situations to one of these Montana offices.

Call Senator Tester's offices toll-free from Montana at (866) 554-4403.

Billings

Granite Tower
222 N 32nd Street, Suite 102
Billings, MT 59101
Phone: (406) 252-0550
Fax: (406) 252-7768

Bozeman

Avant Courier Building
1 E Main Street, Suite 202
Bozeman, MT 59715
Phone: (406) 586-4450
Fax: (406) 586-7647

Butte

Silver Bow Center
125 W Granite, Suite 200
Butte, MT 59701
Phone: (406) 723-3277
Fax: (406) 782-4717

Glendive

122 W Towne
Glendive, MT 59330
Phone: (406) 365-2391
Fax: (406) 365-8836

Great Falls

119 1st Avenue N, Suite 102
Great Falls, MT 59401
Phone: (406) 452-9585
Fax: (406) 452-9586

Helena

Capital One Center
208 N Montana Avenue, Suite 202
Helena, MT 59601
Phone: (406) 449-5401
Fax: (406) 449-5462

Kalispell

14 Third Street E, Suite 230
Kalispell, MT 59901
Phone: (406) 257-3360
Fax: (406) 257-3974

Missoula

130 W Front Street
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: (406) 728-3003
Fax: (406) 728-2193

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