MEDA Membership Update: It is amazing. Our current count of MEDA Members is 215. Invoices for 2008 dues were mailed the middle of December. Thank you for your devotion to the profession of economic development and for working to improve the quality of life in Montana. Print the MEDA Membership Directory.
Grant and Funding Opportunities:
MT Board of Research and Commercialization:
The Montana Board of Research and Commercialization Technology is accepting proposals for funding. Proposals are due March 3, 2008. The RFP may also be found on the web at http://businessresources.mt.gov/Includes/RCT/2009_Guidelines.pdf.
If you have any questions about the RFP, please call Dave Desch, Executive Director at (406) 841-2760.
If you are fortunate enough to live in the area served by Triangle Telephone Cooperative and Central Montana Communications, MEDA member Kev Campbell has a host of grant and loan opportunities to share with you. Read all about it at http://www.mtintouch.com/images/econdevinfo.pdf
The HOME Application Guidelines are now published on their website. The deadline for HOME Applications is February 15, 2008. Please read all application instructions very carefully as there have been some changes in the application guidelines. Also, you should note the Ranking Criteria point structure reallocations. Questions? Contact Linda Schofield, Program Assistant, HOME Program - Housing Division, Phone: 406-841-2820 or
lschofield@mt.gov
The DEQ FY2007 Mini-Grants season here! The second cycle begins January 1, 2008 and applications will be accepted through February 1, 2008. DEQ is seeking applicants for mini-grants of EXACTLY $1,500 to fund local education and outreach efforts that address water quality and nonpoint source pollution issues. The Call for Mini-Grant is found here: http://deq.mt.gov/wqinfo/nonpoint/Grants/CallForMiniGrant07.pdf and contact Andrew Jakes if you need more information.
Working Groups...Are Working!:
Take advantage of the research these groups are doing - learn from what they are learning as chances are you are dealing with the same issues.
Housing
Upon invitation from the Governor, MEDA attended a housing meeting in Helena that brought together key players in the housing arena. The MEDA Housing Working Group was credited for being the spark behind new housing coordination efforts. No conference calls are planned for the MEDA Housing Working Group until a new chairperson is named. Interested? Please give MEDA a call at 406.563.5259. Excellent information from the December 10th meeting in Helena has been posted to this webpage: http://www.medamembers.org/housing.html
Energy
August Uhl has agreed to serve as the new Chair for the MEDA Energy Working Group. The committee sent out a request for feedback to other Energy Working Group individuals and discussed building action items on to the existing energy document for Montana. Review the minutes at http://www.medamembers.org/energy.html.
BEAR Please see the paragraph below.
Opportunities For You: Interested in sharpening your professional skills as an economic and community development practitioner? Looking for new tools to place in your economic development tool box? Check these out.
Fundraising for your EDO: The MEDA office participated in an IEDC webinar to learn about creative funding resources for Economic Development Organizations. The course was excellent and contained practical, detailed steps on how to launch a strategic initiative and gain funds to implement it. The presentation is available at http://www.medamembers.org/IEDC_Webinar_Fundraising.ppt
MMB Refresher Course: Remember the Montana Means Business web portal? Many of you participated in the unveiling of this project during the Havre MEDA Conference and several took advantage of the hands on training to learn to use this wealth of information.
Now that the data has been transferred to the state system http://mmb.mt.gov/mmb and now that some changes have been made to the program, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development is once again offering six training opportunities for you – at no charge. The course will be repeated six times – five will be on location in Missoula, the sixth will be a webinar format, right at your desk. Location: GCS Research, Montana Technology Enterprise Center, 1121 East Broadway, Suite 144, Missoula. For more information call 406-532-3254 and ask for Mike. Register: As only ten to 12 people can participate in the on-site courses, please register at http://www.medamembers.org/MMBTraining.html and mark your preference (indicate with 1 or 2) for your training date. You will be notified via email with your confirmation training date
Made in Montana now has an easily searchable, online database located at:
http://www.madeinmontanausa.com/
Also, on the left-hand LINKS column, you can go to sign-up sheets, as will as obtain information about upcoming tradeshows, etc. Questions? Contact Sarah Raz, 406.841.2757. (Thanks, Al Jones, for sharing this info.)
Ever heard of Development Counsellors International? This is a terrific resource for economic developers. (Thanks to Even Barrett for passing it along.) "At DCI, our passion is places. And if you've landed here - in search of the road to innovation, growth and becoming a hot spot - chances are, you're passionate about your part of the world, too. Whatever your community’s challenge, DCI's expertise in economic development marketing, travel marketing and investment attraction will help put you on the map." http://www.aboutdci.com/
“Building Effective Government and Business Relations with American Indian Tribes January 23 - 34, 2008, MSU Billings
Student Union Building - Lewis and Clark Room.
MSU Extension and the Montana Horizons program are hosting a Rural Community Conference, January 15-16 at the Holiday Inn Grand, Billings. WHO: The Rural Community Conference is for service providers, educators, researchers, private citizens, policy-makers, business and civic leaders, faith leaders and more – anyone looking for proven or emerging community-focused strategies to build thriving communities in rural Montana. WHAT: The Rural Community Conference is designed to give community members and service providers the tools they need to move from waiting to leading — from talk to action. It will touch on a wide range of solutions in a variety of venues, highlighting best practices for community success, emphasizing proven strategies and introducing emerging ideas. Break out sessions • Panel Discussions • National Keynote Speakers. Visit www.ruralcommunityconference.org to register for the conference, review the agenda and learn about the presenters and keynote speakers.
Gateway to Opportunity: Thursday January 10, 2008 is the sixth annual “Gateway to Opportunity”-a regional entrepreneur and small business development forum to be held at Dawson Community College.
MONTANA 
Report: Learn what is new in your region with the statewide Montana BEAR Program. Please review the progress of the statewide Montana BEAR program by reading the monthly report. The MEDA BEAR Working Group is scheduled for a conference call on January 14, 2008 at 10:00am and gearing up for the 2008 BEAR Roundup, on February 7th. The Roundup will include BEAR Best Practices, Building Capacity with Montana Ambassadors and more...check out the website! Another bonus - Montana Ambassadors are hosting the event, so your cost is travel and lodging.
According to data entered into the ExecutivePulse software, 23 business visits were conducted around the state. Yellowstone County conducted 10, Cascade County 6, Ravalli County 4, with Park, Flathead and Fergus Counties, one. Kathy Moody, of Big Sky EDA, led the way for the Outreach Specialists with five interviews this month. Kathleen Cannon, Barbara Hardy and Melissa Kramer were close behind with three. Great job!
