Employee and Worker Ownership Initiative

Employee and Worker Ownership Initiative

DEO has opened a Request for Applications (RFA) to select a Marketing Service Provider to lead outreach and communications for the County’s Employee and Worker Ownership Initiative (EWOI). Applications open Thursday, October [23], 2025, and will close on Thursday, November [20], 2025, at 11:59 PM PT.

The EWOI is a County-wide effort to expand employee and worker ownership as a pathway to building wealth, preserving local businesses, and advancing economic mobility across Los Angeles County. The County will partner with three service providers to deliver this Initiative:

• Marketing Service Provider – to lead public awareness, community engagement, and recruitment. 
• Technical Assistance Provider – to educate and support businesses through the process of launching, transitioning to, or scaling employee or worker owned businesses. 
• Financing Service Provider – to help design and implement financing to support businesses transitioning to employee or worker ownership models.

RFA Overview

This RFA is the first of three competitive solicitations for the Initiative. RFAs for the Technical Assistance and Financing Service Providers will be published later this fall. 

The selected Marketing Service Provider will design and implement a culturally responsive, multilingual campaign to reach entrepreneurs, small business owners, and workers across Los Angeles County. The campaign will raise awareness of employee and worker ownership models, such as Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Worker Cooperatives, and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs), and help generate interest and participation in the Initiative’s programs. The engagement will last approximately six months, beginning in early 2026. 

Key Dates:

• Request for Applications Opens: October 22, 2025  
• Informational Webinar: Thursday, October 31, 2025, at 10:00 AM PT  
• Applications Due: Friday, November 22, 2025, by 5:00 PM PT  
• Anticipated Contract Start Date: Early 2026  

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants should demonstrate experience in marketing strategy, content development, and outreach campaigns for diverse business, entrepreneur, and worker audiences. Proposals will be evaluated on qualifications, approach, and past performance. 

General Questions 

For general questions on small business resources, contact DEO’s Office of Small Business for support. 

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