Montana Business Assistance Connection

Originally established in 1990, MBAC, formed in 1999, and its affiliated Gateway Economic Development District (GEDD), perform economic development and community development activities in Lewis and Clark, Broadwater, Meagher, and North Jefferson counties. MBAC supports businesses through access to capital, technical assistance, economic development initiatives, and connections to a broad network of public and private resources. MBAC’s revolving loan programs alone draw upon multiple federal, state, local, and private funding relationships, providing businesses with financing options that complement traditional lending and help move viable projects forward.

That collaborative model has produced measurable results. Since inception, MBAC has utilized private and public capital resources and professional business helping create or retain more than 2,500+ regional jobs and facilitating the investment of more than $100+ million in public and private funds into the regional economy. Today, MBAC operates within a regional economy representing approximately 90,000 residents, 49,000 workers, and more than 3,300 businesses, while stewarding an organization reporting approximately $15.5 million in total assets as of year-end 2024.

MBAC’s governance and partnerships reflect the same regional approach. Representatives from the public and private sector provide leadership and perspective to help ensure that MBAC’s priorities remain firmly grounded in the needs of the local people, businesses, communities, and regional economy today, and generations to come.