The draft Growth Policy for the City of Great Falls has been released for public comment. The Growth Policy will shape the future of Great Falls. The draft is open for public comment until February 28th. Three workshops are being held this week. Learn more at the Future of Great Falls.
1) Pssst did you hear – we’re getting Touro School of Law! What an amazing Ignite 2026! Thank you to the 364 people who attended in person and online and our 29 presenters for investing in the Great Falls Region of North Central Montana. A thank you to The Newberry for hosting and a very special thank you to Heroes Rise Coffee for donating the delicious brew to the event. Watch for an email recapping all the projects announced to hit your inbox next week. See KRTV.
2) Great Falls College is creating a Grid Operator Program; see KRTV. Heroes Rise Coffee has opened their second Great Falls location in The Station District; see KRTV. EduCare Preschool and Child Care is purchasing the Great Falls Recreation Center building from the City; see The Electric and KRTV. Read about lots more exciting local business news in The Electric’s Business Bites.
3) Kristen proactively engaged and shared GFDA’s energy market assessment with a national network advancing the clean energy economy, building the business case for clean energy and sustainability as drivers of economic growth. To discuss energy opportunities in North Central Montana, contact Kristen Blue at Kristen@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-4989.
4) Congratulations to Lewistown on being named in two national “Best of” lists! See Lewistown News. Discover a unique rural business in our region, Lone Feather Hats in Carter; see KRTV.
5) Jake connected three housing developers with City of Great Falls staff who are essential to moving their projects forward. With so many new projects intending to break ground in 2026, early and frequent communication is important. We are working to keep a big 2026 for housing developments on track. Reach out to Jake to make sure your project moves forward smoothly, Jake@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-403-4937.
6) The Montana Free Press published a wonderful story about the successful CORE School created by Great Falls Public Schools.
7) Eighteen entrepreneurs and small business owners attended the webinar co-hosted by our Small Business Development Center and the MSU Extension’s Economic Development Program. Our featured presenter was Phyllis Gardner, Stakeholder Liaison with the IRS. The session, Savvy Strategies for 2026 provided resources and tools for small businesses to run their businesses more safely, effectively and efficiently. You can view the presentation anytime. Our February webinar’s topic is B2B Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses presented by Leslie Venetz, author of Profit Generating Pipeline: A Proven Formula to Earn Trust and Drive Revenue. Additional information and registration can be found here.
8) Christian Nichols facilitated the Idea to Income entrepreneurship workshop, which drew 2 aspiring business owners. The comprehensive training covered essential aspects of business formation, including creating effective business plans, selecting and establishing appropriate legal entities, obtaining Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), and understanding basic accounting principles. If you’re interested in starting your own business please reach out to Christian Nichols at CNichols@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-9385 Deb McGregor at Deb@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-750-0314 or Rich Gannon at RGannon@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-836-2078.
9) Our Great Falls Regional APEX Accelerator met with fourteen businesses in our region to assist them with a variety of topics. One area of focus was helping businesses understand how to register as a vendor with the State of Montana, an important step in expanding opportunities beyond federal contracting. The State of Montana purchases millions of dollars in goods and services every year from businesses just like yours, creating valuable opportunities for companies of all sizes and industries. Registering as a state vendor ensures your business is visible to state agencies and eligible to compete for these opportunities. Great Falls Regional APEX can guide you through the registration process and help you take the next step toward doing business with the State of Montana. To learn more or get started, contact Mariah Liebing at Mariah@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-217-2174.
10) We approved two separate Phase I Environmental Site Assessments. The first will support a local entrepreneur in redeveloping an old church into a private school on the bottom floor and a restaurant on the second floor. The second assessment was approved for a local business owner planning to relocate their landscaping business into an old alignment shop. If you’re considering the purchase of a commercial property for your business, please contact Christian Nichols at CNichols@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-9385 to explore potential savings on environmental assessment and cleanup costs.
11) We held one of our 2 scheduled public outreach meetings for the catalyst redevelopment project. During the meeting we brainstormed about other potential catalyst redevelopment properties and what the Falls Construction site could be when redeveloped. Our next outreach meeting will be held on January 13th from 5:00–6:00 PM at NeighborWorks Great Falls. This meeting will focus on the potential redevelopment of the downtown Great Falls city half-block parking lot at 600 1st Ave N. We will explore possible future uses for the site and gather input on what community members would like to see added to the downtown area. Please mark your calendars and join the Great Falls Development Alliance as we discuss this exciting opportunity. If you have any questions, please contact Christian Nichols at CNichols@GrowGreatFalls.org or 1-406-788-9385.
12) The Montana Department of Commerce announced its Agritourism Grant awardees, a lineup that included two Ignite presenters. Awards to IND Hemp (Fort Benton) and River’s Edge Retreat, LLC (Lincoln) will generate $170,000 of regional investment after matching funds. GFDA’s business development officers for food/ag/bioprocessing and recreation/entertainment continue to be available for project implementation and grant support! Reach out to Sara Niccum at Sara@GrowGreatFalls.org, 1-406-590-1301 or Shauni Seccombe at Shauni@GrowGreatFalls.org, 1-406-788-6867.
13) GFDA’s Small Business Development Center helped several clients this week with their Google Business Listing. A Google Page is often the place customers go to find a business, read reviews and find out when the store or service is available. We are working in partnership with the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce in hosting an interactive workshop on Google Pages & SEO on Thursday, January 15th: 8:30-9:30 AM at the Great Falls Association of Realtors Building. This is a hands-on opportunity to work on your Google page and website throughout the session. We will have Business Advisors present and ready to assist you. Click here for additional information and registration.
14) Just announced—mark your calendars! The 2026 Montana Governor’s Conference on Tourism will take place September 16–18, 2026, in Great Falls. Hosted by the Montana Department of Commerce, this annual event brings together 350+ tourism and business professionals to learn, connect, and be inspired. Registration and additional details will be released later in 2026. Stay informed by signing up for updates through the Department of Commerce newsletter, here.
15) The Montana Emergency Tourism Assistance Program is open with an application deadline of Feb. 5. This is a state-funded opportunity to distribute grant awards for tourism-related emergency service projects in rural areas.
16) The Tribal Tourism Small Business Grant has reopened to receive applications now through Jan. 25. The Tribal Tourism Small Business Grant assists startup or expanding Native American-owned tourism businesses in Montana. A total of $240,000 is available for Fiscal Year 2026. Approximately 24 awards will be granted, an average of three per tribal nation. To learn more, visit the website here.
17) I networked with state business and political leaders at a fantastic Montana Chamber Business Days at the Capitol.
18) GFDA’s Board adopted our 2026 Marketing Plan. You can also download our updated GFDA Investor Honor Roll.
19) GFDA enters the year focused on keeping deals moving. Progress depends on capital, coordination, and follow through. We’re off to a great start with our investors and partners at the table. Learn more about them by viewing this video. Recent investments include: Pioneer Division—Culligan Water of Great Falls/Malsam Water; Advance Division—TD&H Engineering and TDS Telecom; Pacesetter Division—Aquasource Drilling; Community Division—Geranios Enterprises, Inc. and Harp Financial Group. Thank you for your support! To learn how you can support our work, reach out to Jenn at 1-406-781-9499 or Jenn@GrowGreatFalls.org.
Make it a great week and THANK YOU for your help and support!
