Small Business Workforce Accelerator Grant: RFP #24-01

Request for ProposalsIndustry Strategies
Written By Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King

Washington State Department of Commerce • Community Reinvestment Project

Application submissions will open for this opportunity on January 27, 2025 at 12:00 PM PST and will close after 40 applications are received (the anticipated number that can be awarded with currently available funding). Information about the opportunity, requirements, how to apply and available supports are outlined in the RFP information below to support interested business owners in being prepared to submit for consideration when applications open. 

The application and scorecard have been added to this page as of January 2, 2025 and are available for viewing to assist in your preparation for the January 27 application submission opening. View the full RFP timeline below.

Summary

The Small Business Workforce Accelerator Grant, funded by the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Community Reinvestment Project, aims to promote equity for businesses in Seattle-King County, with a focus on those 51% or more owned and operated by individuals from Black, urban Indian/Tribal, and Latine communities. Funds from the grants can be used for one of the following projects: Paid Internship, Employee Development/Training, or New Hire Wages. The overarching goal is to ensure that historically marginalized communities gain equitable access to resources to support them and their workforce development efforts.

Objective

The focus of this opportunity aims to repair wealth disparities in communities disproportionally harmed by the war on drugs by helping reduce economic barriers to hiring and training. Applicants can request up to $6,500 for one of the following eligible projects: 

  • Paid Internship—Supporting businesses in talent pipeline development, while providing meaningful work experience and skills development for interns. With a duration of 3 months or less, an intern can work up to 40 hours per week and are paid minimum wage or more. 

  • Employee Development/Training—Funding can be used to provide worker training such as short-term certifications and other employee development that reduces the cost of training employees, supports worker retention, and provides upskill or advancement opportunities for employees. 

  • New Hire Wages—Full wage subsidy of 100% of wages for a new hire during their initial three months of employment (up to $6,500). New hire can be part-time or full-time, and businesses must agree to retain the employee after the wage subsidy period.  

You may apply for one project. Once that project is complete, you are welcome to apply again for another project if applications are being accepted or other WDC funding opportunities if they are available.

Please see Frequently Asked Questions below for detailed information about project supports and requirements. 

 

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Small Business (fewer than 50 employees) 

  • Active business license, and licensed in King County 

  • Be registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and have an account with the Washington State Employment Security Department for Unemployment Insurance and carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance 

Reporting Requirements:

  • New Hire Wages and Paid Internship projects will require timesheets/payroll documentation 

  • Employee Development/Training will require receipts for training/certification costs and documentation of training completion and/or copies of certification 

  • All projects require a report of successes/impact story and creation of a WorkSource WA account by the Intern/Employee/New Hire funded by this grant opportunity 

Timeline

  • Opportunity Announced: December 20, 2024

  • Application Assistance Calls: January 8, 2025 & January 20, 2025

  • Last Day to Submit Questions: January 22, 2025

  • Application Submission Opens: January 27, 2025 at 12:00 PM PST

  • Application Submission Closes: After 40 applications have been received

  • Anticipated Award Notification: March 3, 2025

  • All Applicants Notified of Status: March 7, 2025

  • Anticipated Disbursement of Grant Funds: End of March 2025

Awarded funds to be spent by mid-June with all final grant reporting due on or before June 30, 2025.

Documents

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Last updated: January 24, 2025

Click through the questions below. If your question is not listed here, please send it to athornton-west@seakingwdc.org. We update our FAQ section regularly with all questions and answers received.

  • This fund, resulting from the Community Reinvestment Project, is designed to address racial, economic, and social disparities created by the historic design and enforcement of state and federal criminal laws and penalties for drug possession (otherwise known as “The War on Drugs”). 

  • This opportunity is open to small businesses and non-profits, defined as an entity with 50 or fewer employees, located in King County and who carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance. Priority is given to organizations that are at least 51% owned or operated by individuals from Black, urban Indian/Tribal, and Latine communities.

    By-and-For organizations who are already contracted with WDC to provide other CRP/CRF related work and awardees who received the Small Business Investment Grant are not eligible to apply. 

  • No, there is no minimum or maximum revenue required for businesses who apply.

  • No, the business does not need to be a nonprofit to apply. Please review the eligibility criteria to ensure your nonprofit or business is eligible for this opportunity.

  • Yes, businesses (or nonprofits) that are separates entities with their own licenses may apply—even if they are owned (full or in-part) by applicants for another business/nonprofit.

  • One of the listed eligible projects may be applied for.

  • The minimum amount required to be requested is $1. The maximum amount you can request is $6,500.

  • Approximately 40 grants will be awarded based on available funding if all applicants request the full amount of $6,500.

  • The number of applications to accept was determined based on available funding. Alternative to stating applications will be accepted until the available funding amount has been reached or creating a more complex and competitive application process, we want to provide a high level of clarity and transparency in the amount of grants that can be awarded at this time and honor the valuable time of our community’s business owners.

    If there are incomplete or ineligible applications submitted that do not pass compliance review or additional funding becomes available, the number of applications accepted may be raised. Dependent on funding, the opportunity may also reopen at a future time and accept additional applications.

  • If 40 applications have already been submitted, the application link will become inactive and display a message that the current application limit has been reached. Included in the display message will be a link to a wait list application. The application is the same, and these entries will be stored and reviewed, in the order that they were received, in the event that some of the first 40 applications are ineligible, incomplete, do not pass compliance review, or do not use all of the available funding.  

    • Applications will request contact information, information about your business and information about the project you are applying for, such as: 

    • Paid Internship: Position description, wage, training plan 

    • Employee Development/Training: Training type, cost  

    • New Hire Wages: Position description, wage  

    The application will be posted January 2, 2025 so that all information that will be requested can be reviewed in advance of the January 27, 2025 application opening.  

  • Application Assistance Calls are being offered on Wednesday, January 8 at 1-2pm and Monday, January 20 at 3-4pm. Read more about these calls in the ‘Virtual Bidders’ Conference & Application Assistance Calls’ section below.

    Other supports include outside resource organizations such as the Small Business Resiliency Network (SBRN) and the Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC), among others. If you need assistance with your application from our team or in getting connected to a resource organization who can support you, please contact athornton-west@seakingwdc.org.

  • Hourly rates should be set at minimum wage or higher in relationship to industry standard, skills, experience and job quality considerations.  

  • You do not need to have a ready candidate to apply for this opportunity. Our business team is able to support with guidance and access to qualified candidates for you to interview.

    • Have safe and healthy working conditions 

    • Not displace any currently employed worker, or alter current employees’ promotional opportunities, and not terminate any regular employee, or otherwise reduce the workforce for the purpose of hiring an employee for wage reimbursement purposes 

    • Provide training, supervision, oversight and support 

    • Maintain adequate time and attendance, payroll, and pay wages by check or direct deposit 

    • Follow all Federal and State employment laws regarding employment including those of minors, if applicable. 

    A detailed list of responsibilities will be outlined in the contract and supporting agreements if an application is awarded.

  • Business owners are not considered employees for the purposes of this grant opportunity and cannot use awarded funds for themselves, their wages, or training. The exception is if an awarded business of an Employee Development/Training project is using the funds for a team, group or organizational training/certification that the business owner(s) will also be participating in. 

  • No, candidates do not need to be approved or screened by the WDC before they can start, or to receive funding. If you are awarded, you are responsible for following all Federal and State employment laws regarding employment including those of minors, if applicable. Interns or New Hires should not start until you have been notified of award and signed a contract with WDC to receive grants funds. If you need assistance with finding a candidate, our business team can support with that, and those applicants will be prescreened prior to them interviewing with you.  

  • No, the intention of these funds/projects is to support employee development, retention, and long-term workforce growth. New Hire positions can be full-time or part-time, but not a temporary contractor or 1099 position. Contractors or 1099 employees can be included in Employee Development/Training projects if the training/development is

    1. Relevant and beneficial to the work they are doing for the business and

    2. The Employee Development/Training project also includes regular (part-time or full-time) employees.

  • Information about Unemployment Insurance can be found at Hiring employees | Washington Department of Revenue or by calling 1-855-829-9243, and information about Worker’s Compensation Insurance can be found at How to Get a Workers' Compensation Account or by calling 360-902-4817.

  • Yes, but if an applicant business is recommended for award, proof will need to be provided in order to accept the award. It can take more than a week to apply for and set up your policy. If a business recommended for award cannot provide proof in a reasonable amount of time (within two weeks of notification of award), the business risks losing the opportunity for funding.

  • Yes, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) provides worker’s compensation insurance.

  • No. All projects applied for under this grant, if awarded, should not begin until there is a contract signed by both parties (WDC and Awardee) to be eligible for grant funding.

  • Applications will be evaluated for completeness, all required documentation and verification of eligibility. If all these criteria are met, applications will then be prioritized based on majority (51% or more) ownership/leadership of the business by a CRF priority population.

  • After submitting, a message will be displayed stating that your application was received, and you will receive confirmation via email as well along with a copy of your application.  

    • W-9 

    • Voided Check or Bank letter for Direct Deposit 

    • ACH Form (matching the account on the voided check or bank letter) 

    • Proof of Worker’s Compensation Insurance 

    • Signed contract with WDC that outlines the awarded amount, approved use of the funds, and responsibilities for the project, employer, spending and grant reporting 

  • If an application does not receive full points for sections B and C of the scorecard, answers will be evaluated to either

    1. Request additional information from the applicant with a response deadline of 48 hours or

    2. The application will not be recommended for award and an application from the wait list will be pulled, in the order received, for evaluation and scoring.

  • A W-9 form is a document used in the United States to provide your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) to someone who needs to report certain information to the IRS, like income paid to you. You can find the W-9 form on the IRS website here. You can fill the W-9 out online or print it and fill it out by hand.  

  • Both the funds for training/certification must be spent and training/classes/certificate completed by the June 2025 deadline. If classes aren’t offered until fall, we would recommend finding another provider or training equivalent that occurs before the deadline. Our business team members may be able to support in identifying another provider or equivalent.

  • This opportunity is open to all King County small businesses. Those that are majority owned (51% or more) by a priority population will be prioritized, but, if the eligibility requirements are met, you are welcome and qualified to apply.

  • The application system does not provide this in the submittal notification, but you can contact athornton-west@seakingwdc.org for this information after you have submitted your application.

  • The waitlist will begin once the first 40 applications are successfully submitted. If you apply after the first 40 are received, you will be directed to complete the waitlist application (which is the same application). If additional applications are needed from the waitlist, they will be reviewed in the order that they were received.

  • Yes, as long as:

    1. It is an employee training software to provide the training needed or a software the employees are receiving training for, and

    2. The training supports worker retention, and provides upskill or advancement opportunities for the employee(s).  

  • Once applications open for submittal, a ‘Submit’ button will appear at the bottom of the form. There are no additional questions or prompts that will populate. If your application is not submitted when the limit is reached, you will see a message populate in the application directing you to save your application and complete the waitlist application. If you have not started your application when the limit is reached, you will be redirected to the waitlist application.

  • If an application in the top 40 does not pass the eligibility and compliance check, it will not be scored and an application from the waitlist will be reviewed in its place. If there is an issue with an eligible application, or it does not receive full points for sections B and C of the scorecard, answers will be evaluated to either 1) request additional information from the applicant with a response deadline of 48 hours or 2) the application will not be recommended for award and an application from the wait list will be pulled, in the order received, for evaluation and scoring. Once notification of award status has been received, there is an opportunity to appeal the decision in writing (WDC Policy: A402).

  • Non-profits should respond to this question based on their leadership.

  • Yes, as long as the employee is:

    1. Not currently employed or rehired before the grant is awarded/accepted, and

    2. They will remain employed after the grant funds are used.

  • Yes, as long as trainings can be completed by the June 2025 deadline and all combined trainings support worker retention, and provides upskill or advancement opportunities for the employee(s).

Virtual Bidders’ Conference & Application Assistance Calls

 

Small Business Workforce Accelerator Grant - Bidder's Conference - January 8, 2025

You can watch the recording of the first virtual Bidder's Conference and Application Assistance presentation held on January 8, 2025 on YouTube.

Small Business Workforce Accelerator Grant - Bidder's Conference - January 20, 2025

You can watch the recording of the second virtual Bidder's Conference and Application Assistance held on January 20, 2025 on YouTube.

 

The Virtual Bidders’ Conference gives prospective applicants an opportunity to learn about the grant qualifications and how to apply for this funding stream, and encourages partnerships as we look towards procuring funds through this open, public process. Our goal for this workshop include: 

  • Background on funding requirements for the Washington State Department of Commerce Community Reinvestment Project 

  • An overview of the requirements, scope, logistics of the grant application process 

  • An understanding of how your organization can participate in the Seattle-King County workforce system and potentially apply for these specific funds 

  • Opportunity to ask application specific questions 

The calls were hosted on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 and Monday, January 20, 2025. You can find recordings of these calls below or on YouTube.

 

This program is funded by the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (WDC) using the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Community Reinvestment Project funds. For more information about WDC program investments, visit www.seakingwdc.org/funding-and-investment. Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Washington Relay Service: 711.

Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King
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