Indian Country Economic Development Program (ICED)
GRANTS FOR TRIBAL GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Guidelines | Application | Budget Form | Project Implementation Schedule Form | Quarterly Reporting Form | Project Closeout & Certification Form
The Indian Country Economic Development (ICED) program, created by the 59th Montana State Legislature, is a state-funded program administered by the Montana Department of Commerce (the Department). The Department works closely with the State Tribal Economic Development Commission (STEDC) in coordinating economic development efforts in Montana’s Indian Country.
Beginning October 1, 2005, the State Legislature made grant funds available to Montana’s tribal nations. During the 62nd Legislature, funding for the ICED program was approved as part of House Bill 2, and signed into law by Governor Schweitzer on May 12, 2011. These grants funds, which must be applied for, support tribal business development projects, workforce training projects, entrepreneurial training, feasibility studies and other types of economic development projects.
Who Is Eligible
The governing bodies of each of Montana’s eight Tribal governments are the only eligible applicants for this program.
Funding Availability
The maximum of $70,000 per governing body will be available in fiscal year 2012. The Department retains sole and broad discretion over the use of any funds not applied for by an eligible governing body by March 31, 2012.
What Qualifies
Eligible entities may grant or loan ICED funds to a business enterprise if it will produce a positive economic benefit for the Tribe(s). In this context, a positive economic benefit is defined as the near-term creation or retention of job opportunities for Tribal members in Montana. Examples include:
Business Development Projects - Business expansion, retention, start-up, or relocation projects. Equal matching funds are required for funding in any of these activities in this category.
Workforce Training Projects - Projects that will train Tribal members in job skills currently needed by a specific company on or off of the reservation in Montana. The company must commit to hiring the permanent workers and must document that equal matching funds are being provided by the company for the training. A maximum of $5,000 in training funds may be requested for each person to be hired and trained.
Entrepreneurial Training - The creation or maintenance of activities designed to provide entrepreneurial training for reservation members (e.g., continue to provide small business technical assistance through an existing community based organization that emphasizes business development). Equal matching funds are required for funding in this category of activity.
Feasibility Study - A feasibility study of a potential business activity that has a significant economic impact on the future economic development of the reservation. Any application to fund a feasibility study must prove that equal matching funds are available to fund the study from the Tribe(s) or another source.
Other Business Development Projects - Other types of economic development projects (e.g., the administration of a small revolving loan fund for individual Indian businesses administered by the Tribal government). Equal matching funds are required for funding in this category of activity.
Ineligible Activities
Funds may not be used to pay for any of the following activities or costs:
- Operation and maintenance costs or expenses;
- Financial expenses, including but not limited to interest expense, bond issuance costs, or any other debt-related costs or expenses;
- Any project related-cost incurred prior to date of Notice of Award letter;
- Projects receiving funding for the same services, equipment, or improvements through any other local, state, or federal grant or other funding program, except as necessary to fully fund the project; or
- Projects involving a casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool.
Match Requirement
Minimum matching funds required to receive funding are $1 to $1. Match can be cash or in-kind, and may be modified by the Department, in its sole discretion. Cash match consists of new, unexpended cash funds available at the time of application that will be invested in the final deliverable by the tribal government, assisted enterprise, and/or other involved organizations(s) within the contract period. In-kind contributions consist of donated time and effort, real and personal property, and goods and services. In-kind contributions of real and/or personal property must not have been previously utilized in prior ICED grants.
Tribal Resolution
Submitted applications must include appropriate authorization for application to the program by the tribal government according to established tribal governmental procedures (i.e. tribal council resolution or authorization of the chief elected official of the executive branch, whichever is applicable.) A Tribal governmental resolution indicating support for the application and authorizing the application to the Program is required. The resolution should include the name of the project being applied for, the name of the Tribal organization or entity that will be responsible for managing the application process and contract, and the governing body’s approval to apply for the ICED program funds.
Application Deadline
Applications may be submitted anytime after July 1, 2011 and are due on or before March 31, 2012. The ICED program will reimburse Tribe(s) for expenditures incurred on or after the date of the Notice of Award letter.
How to Apply
To apply for any ICED Program funding, the eligible applicant must complete the application found on the ICED website at http://iced.mt.gov on or before March 31, 2012. The application consists of the following materials:
- Application(Appendix A) - completed and signed
- Project Budget Form (Appendix B) - completed and signed
- Project Implementation Schedule (Appendix C) - completed
- Tribal Resolution
The applicant must print and fill out the application form using typewritten font, or fill out the application online and print the completed application form. The completed application for and supplementary materials must then be submitted by email or mail to:
ICED Program Manager
Montana Department of Commerce
301 S. Park Avenue
PO Box 200505
Helena MT 59620-0505
Phone: (406) 841-2775
Fax: (406) 841-2731
Email: hsobrepena@mt.gov
Each application submitted must include all of the information required in the grant application. If any application material is submitted by email, it must be in a format showing all necessary signatures (for example, PDF format). The Department reserves the right to reject ineligible, incomplete, or otherwise improper applications.
The submission of an application for Program funding confers no right upon any applicant. The Department is not obligated to award a Program grant to any specific project, to pay any costs incurred by the applicant in the preparation and submission of any application, or pay any project-related costs incurred prior to the date of Notice of Award letter.
Review Process
Applications will be evaluated on the extent to which the project proposal meets the goals and objectives of the ICED Program, using the following criteria:
• Potential for the project to achieve business expansion, retention, start-up, or relocation;
• Potential for the project to train tribal members in job skills currently needed by a specific company on or off of the reservation in Montana;
• Potential for the project to enhance job retention, job creation, and stimulate the state and tribal economy;
• Potential for the project to provide entrepreneurial training for reservation members;
• Likelihood that a specified feasibility study is of sufficient magnitude to have a significant economic impact on the future economic development of the reservation;
• Overall quality of the application, including measureable project goals, tasks, and activities, a well developed work plan and budget, and easily identifiable deliverables.
• Capability of the applicant to undertake and satisfactorily complete the project and ensure proper management and reporting of Program funds (i.e. use of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles- GAAP).
The ICED Program Manager will present the evaluation of each application to the ICED Executive Review Committee. The Committee will review the applications and make a preliminary funding recommendation to the Director of the Department, who makes the final decision whether to fund a project.
Applicants are encouraged to contact the ICED Program Manager with any questions they have concerning these guidelines or the application process. The ICED Program is committed to assisting all Tribal governments apply for Program funding.
