Office of Indian Country Economic Development (OICED)

OICED Programs — Biennial Seed

Supports Montana tribal nations and individual members through community and business development initiatives in tourism and livelihoods.

The Office of Indian Country Economic Development (OICED), administered by the Montana Department of Commerce, is a family of six state-funded grant programs for Montana's tribal nations and enrolled tribal members. OICED was created by the 59th Montana State Legislature and has operated since October 2005. The six sub-programs are: the Indian Equity Fund Small Business Grant (IEF), supporting small business startup for enrolled tribal members; the Native American Business Advisor Grant (NABA), funding business advisors who serve Native American entrepreneurs; the Native American Collateral Support Program (NACP), providing collateral support for tribal business loans; the Tribal Business Development Grant (TBDG), supporting tribal government business planning; the Tribal Tourism Grant (TTG), funding tourism infrastructure for tribal nations; and the Tribal Tourism Small Business Grant (TTSBG), supporting tribal tourism small businesses.

Funding is appropriated by the Montana legislature as a biennial One-Time-Only (OTO) allocation. The FY2026-27 biennium was funded through House Bill 2 passed by the 67th Montana State Legislature. Award amounts and per-sub-program eligibility criteria vary across the six programs and are not fully published on the OICED landing page; applicants should contact the Montana DOC OICED office directly to identify the appropriate sub-program and current cycle status. Eligibility across all sub-programs is restricted to enrolled members of Montana's tribal nations, tribal governments, and tribally affiliated businesses.

Applicants should contact Montana Department of Commerce OICED at 406-841-2700 or visit 301 S Park Ave, Helena, MT 59620 to request current cycle intake information and sub-program eligibility details. Because appropriations are biennial, funding availability depends on each legislative cycle's allocation. The six sub-programs address distinct needs — startup capital, advisory services, collateral gaps, planning, and tourism development — so organizations should confirm which sub-program best matches their specific project scope before applying.