Assistance program to help Montana businesses sell products overseas is in jeopardy.

Unless Congress acts soon, most small Montana businesses will be on their own if they want to sell their products overseas.

The Montana International Marketing Assistance Program http://www.exportmontana.com/montanainternationalmarketingassistancegrant/default.mcpxis a reimbursement grant created with funds from the Small Business Administration and designed to make entering a foreign market easier and more affordable for small companies. However, the three-year pilot program is set to end Sept. 30 unless Congress renews the funding as part of the federal budget.

"It’s been wildly successful," says Lonie Stimac of the Montana Department of Commerce. "In the first year we saw a return on investment of 4,100 percent."

by Dameon Pesanti

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