Montana Office of Tourism And Business Development Partners
Partner Programs
Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA)
MEDA is an association of economic development professionals and consists of business specialists, government employees, and staff members of affiliated non-profit organizations which promote and foster economic development activities in Montana.
Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC)
MMEC is an outreach center at the Montana State University College of Engineering. MMEC provides technical, business management, growth services and engineering assistance to manufacturers. Field consultants provide assistance with expertise in solving problems and continuous improvement for quality management systems, Lean Manufacturing, costing/financial models, and other tools for operations and future strategies.
Mechanical Engineering Capstone Course at Montana State University
Each year, MSU seniors partner with businesses, faculty, organization and individuals to tackle real-life engineering and computer science challenges. The two-semester Capstone project requires student teams to work on sponsored projects representative of career tasks, and to utilize a variety of skills to plan, design, analyze, fabricate and then test their product while thoroughly documenting the process.
Sponsor a project, attend the design fair, or learn more about the Capstone project for students.
Senior Capstone Project Information | Capstone Course Organization Notes
Montana Innovation Partnership (MTIP)
The Montana Innovation Partnership (MTIP) provides no-cost outreach, training, and technical assistance to help Montana innovators and entrepreneurs learn about and compete for over $3.7 billion in federal research and development funding under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Based at Montana State University’s TechLink Center, MTIP is a statewide program and collaborates with Montana universities and colleges as well as regional economic development organizations to support individuals and small businesses engaged in research and development of novel early-stage technologies. Program staff and consultants bring combined expertise in high-tech commercialization, technology licensing, intellectual property, and SBIR/STTR.
Montana Women's Business Center
The Montana WBC is focused on providing confidential business counseling and training services to women entrepreneurs and is a critical resource to those who are economically or socially disadvantaged.
The Montana WBC gives women the opportunity to excel in business and contributes to the growth of economies throughout the state.
State Tribal Economic Development Commission
The State Tribal Economic Development Commission (STEDC) works in a government-to-government relationship to expand and improve economic prosperity opportunities for each of the eight tribal nations through business expansion, capital access, manufacturing, tourism, agriculture and community development. The Governor appoints 11 members, including one from each of the eight tribal governments in Montana.
Advisory Councils
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Advisory Council
The State SBDC Advisory Council furnishes advice, gathers information, makes recommendations and performs activities necessary to comply with federal funding requirements. The Council leverages support for the SBDC Network, and provides advice to the SBDC State Director of matters relating to strategic planning, best practices, and solving marketing and funding challenges in the statewide SBDC Network.
Tourism Advisory Council
The Governor-appointed Tourism Advisory Council oversees the distribution of the Lodging Facility Use Tax ("bed tax") to Montana's tourism regions and convention and visitor bureaus, advises the Department of Commerce relative to tourism promotion, and fulfills other functions as defined by MCA 2-15-1816.
