Business First Bancshares : Joins Project REACh to Help Minority-owned Banks

Baton Rouge, La. - b1BANK is pleased to announce its partnership with Project REACh, an interagency initiative led by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). REACh, or Roundtable for Economic Access and Change, brings together community leaders to reduce specific barriers to full, equal and fair participation in the nation's economy.This collaboration is part of the bank's ongoing Community Development and Economic and Sustainability Initiative (ESI) which seeks collaborative opportunities that can result in meeting the needs of the underserved in the bank's communities.

'b1BANK embraces the need for greater financial inclusion, which is why we are striving to develop deeper relationships with community banks that serve low-and-moderate income census tracts,' said Jesse Jackson, executive vice president and president of the b1BANK Financial Institutions Group. 'When it comes to financial inclusion, b1BANK understands the material business benefits and social impact of pledging support to Project Reach.'

b1BANK's intention is to help minority depository institutions (MDIs) remain a vibrant part of the economic landscape and better promote fair, equal, and full access to financial products and services in their communities. As a Project REACh partner, b1BANK will work with individual MDIs to identify investment opportunities that will benefit the MDI. The bank will also assist the MDI in implementing new and relevant products and services, innovative technology initiatives, seek out opportunities to expand the MDI's reach, and connect the MDI to community leaders and organizations for business and growth opportunities.

About Business First Bancshares, Inc.

Business First Bancshares, Inc., through its banking subsidiary b1BANK, formerly known as Business First Bank, operates 42 banking centers and two Loan Production Offices in markets across Louisiana and in the Dallas, Texas area. b1BANK provides commercial and personal banking, treasury management and wealth solutions services to small to midsize businesses and their owners and employees. Visit www.b1BANK.com for more information. Business First's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol 'BFST.'

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release may not be based on historical facts and may be 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by reference to future period(s) or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as 'anticipate,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'foresee,' 'may,' 'might,' 'will,' 'would,' 'could' or 'intend,' future or conditional verb tenses, and variations or negatives of such terms. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and Business First does not undertake any obligation, and specifically declines any obligation, to revise or update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

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