Montana Tourism Development Grant Program

In 2025, the passage of  Senate Bill 409  revised laws related to the Montana Department of Commerce and the lodging facility use tax, commonly known as the bed tax. The bill updates SB 540, which passed in 2023, restructuring the allocation of bed tax revenue by specifying how Commerce can use these funds for purposes like tourism promotion and grants. The Montana Tourism Development Grant Program, formerly known as the Pilot Community Tourism Grant Program, will have revised resources for applicants available soon. MTDGP webinars: Watch MTDG WEBINAR Resources for Applicants: The 2027 Montana Tourism Development Grant cycle will open Jan. 6, 2027. Refer to the Montana Tourism Development Grant Program Guidelines to learn about the Program. Refer to the MTDGP Application to review application questions. Please note, this is for reference only. The application must be completed and submitted in the Montana Grants and Loans Portal . The MTDGP Scope of Work Form is required to be uploaded in the application for consideration of funding. The MTDGP Budget is required to be uploaded in the application for consideration of funding. The MTDGP Advisory Committee Members Form is required to be uploaded in the application for consideration of funding. The Signatory Certification Form is required to be uploaded in the application for consideration of funding. Application Scoring Criteria Refer to the MTDGP FAQs for quick answers to questions regarding the Program. Visit Montana’s Urban and Over-visited Locations Map to determine ineligible program locations as outlined in Section 6. Ineligible Program Locations in the MTDGP Guidelines. Additional Resources for Applicants: The  Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Rural Economic Development Toolkit  is an online toolkit to provide strategies for success to achieve intersecting goals of healthy communities, high quality of life, robust businesses, resilient economies and vibrant outdoor places. The  Tourism Assessment Process  PDF is a workbook designed to link communities, tourism and conservation with tools that are research-based which reflect principles of sustainable and ecotourism development. The Way Forward  PDF is a provincial tourism product development plan to reach a people- and program-based collective tourism vision to increase tourism visitation and spending. The UN World Tourism Organization  PDF is a handbook on tourism product development including model approaches for various and unique destinations. The  Destination Development Channel  provides how-to videos on destination marketing and development topics including case studies and new ideas to supercharge tourism efforts. Using the Main Street America approach to downtown revitalization, the  Montana Main Street Program  offers technical assistance to communities striving for economic vitality while maintaining local historic integrity, quality of life and a sense of place.