Employee and Worker Ownership Initiative
Employee and Worker Ownership Initiative
The LA County Employee and Worker Ownership Initiative (EWOI) is a countywide effort to expand employee and worker ownership as a pathway to building wealth, preserving local businesses, and advancing economic mobility across Los Angeles County. Common employee or worker ownership models include:
- Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP): A qualified retirement plan where a trust holds company shares on behalf of employees. It is typically ideal for businesses with 20+ employees and offers tax benefits for owners.
- Worker Cooperative (Co-op): A business that is fully owned and democratically governed by its employees, with decisions typically made on a “one-member-one-vote” basis. Co-ops have low startup costs and are well-suited for small-to-medium businesses in sectors like retail and services.
- Employee Ownership Trust (EOT): A trust that perpetually owns the business for the benefit of employees. This model has a simple legal structure and is ideal for founders who want to preserve their legacy.
EWOI Contracting Opportunities
The EWOI is a key strategy for inclusive, community-rooted economic development in LA County and was created in response to a September 2023 motion introduced by the Los Angeles County Board Supervisors Holly J. Mitchell and Lindsey P. Horvath. This motion builds upon DEO’s Economic Mobility Initiative to support the startup and growth of local entrepreneurs, businesses, and nonprofits to start, grow, and stay in the County, including Employee Ownership LA County, an education and technical assistance pilot program.
The EWOI was established with the support of an Employee and Worker Ownership Advisory Group and Dalberg Advisors and will be catalyzed through contracts with three service providers that will focus on key components of the initiative:
Marketing and Outreach Service Provider
RFP Available Now! Provider will lead public awareness, community engagement, and recruitment.
Technical Assistance (TA) and Education Provider
Educate and support businesses through the process of launching, transitioning to, or scaling employee or worker owned businesses.
Financial Services Provider
Help design, implement, and manage financing program(s) to support businesses transitioning to employee or worker ownership models.
Financial Services Provider
*Open now!
DEO has opened a RFP to select a EWOI Financial Services Provider to administer and manage a County-owned loan program that supports businesses transitioning to employee ownership and helps existing employee-owned businesses grow within or into Los Angeles County.
- Applications Open: March 25, 2026
- Solicitation Requirements Review (SRR) Request Due: April 8, 2026
- Questions Due: April 8, 2026
- Proposals Due: May 1, 2026
- Questions and Answers Released via Addendum: April 17, 2026
- Anticipated Contract Term: June 2026 – June 2031 with an option to renew contingent upon funding.
RFA Overview
The EWOI Financial Services Provider will lead the financial component of EWOI by operating a loan program on behalf of the County. Services will include coordinating intake with EWOI partners, underwriting and structuring loans, preparing materials and facilitating a Loan Committee, coordinating County approval and funding transfer, disbursing and servicing loans, monitoring repayment and portfolio performance, providing financial counseling to borrowers, maintaining compliant data systems and submitting required reports, and provide financial counseling and borrower support post disbursement to loan recipient.
The program is designed to support businesses that are:
- Expanding an existing employee-owned business within or into Los Angeles County
- Transitioning to an ESOP
- Converting to a Worker Cooperative
- Establishing an EOT
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants should be a registered financial institution licensed to issue loans in the State of California and have a minimum of five (5) consecutive years of experience issuing and servicing loans within the past seven (7) years. Additional minimum mandatory requirements are outlined in Section 4.0 of the RFP. Proposals will be evaluated on qualifications, approach, and experience, among other factors listed on the RFP. For all details of the RFP, including detailed eligibility and proposal requirements, please download the Financing RFP here.
Technical Assistance and Education
*RFP closed, selection underway
DEO has opened RFP for Technical Assistance and Education Provider to educate and support businesses through the process of launching, transitioning to, or scaling employee or worker owned businesses as a part of the County’s Employee and Worker Ownership Initiative.
- Applications open: Friday, February 6th, 2026
- Proposer Briefing: Tuesday, February 17th, 2026 at 10:00AM (PST)
- Conference Link: https://bit.ly/BidConfFeb17
- Questions due: Wednesday, February 18th, 2026, by 12:00 PM (PST) Questions and answers will be released via an Addendum by Wednesday, February 25th, 2026, by 12:00 PM (PST)
- Proposals due: Friday, March 6th, 2026, by 12:00 PM (PST)
- Anticipated contract term: June 2026–May 2028
RFA Overview
The selected Technical Assistance and Education Provider will lead the EWOI’s advisory and business support activities, and coordinate with the Marketing and Financing services providers. Services will include providing direct education to participating businesses in EWOI programs; assessing businesses’ viability for transitioning to an employee or worker ownership model; and providing qualifying entrepreneurs, workers, and businesses access to general business technical assistance as well as in-depth legal, accounting, and technical support necessary to launch, transition, or scale. The term of the contract is anticipated to be a period of 2 years with the option to extend for an additional 1 year.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants should demonstrate experience in delivering technical assistance, business advisory services, or comparable consulting support to small and medium-sized businesses. Applicants also should have an existing physical (brick-and-mortar) presence in Los Angeles County (proposer or at least one member of the consortium) that is accessible and available for operational use, including for the provision of in-person workshops and services to clients. Proposals will be evaluated on qualifications, approach, and experience, among other factors listed on the RFP. For all details of the RFP, including detailed eligibility and proposal requirements, please download the Technical Assistance and Education Services RFP HERE.
Marketing and Outreach Services
*RFP closed, selection underway
DEO has opened a Request for Proposals (RFP) to select a Marketing Service Provider to lead outreach and communications for the County’s Employee and Worker Ownership Initiative.
- Applications opened: Wednesday, December 31st, 2025
- Questions due: Wednesday, January 914th, 2026, by 12:00 PM (PST)
- Questions and answers will be released via an Addendum by Tuesday, January 20th, 2026, by 12:00 PM (PST)
- Proposals due: Friday, January 30th, 2026, by 12:00 PM (PST)
- Anticipated contract term: March 2026 – June 2027
RFA Overview
The selected Marketing and Outreach Service Provider will design and implement a culturally responsive, multilingual campaign to reach entrepreneurs, business owners, and workers across Los Angeles County. The campaign will raise awareness of employee and worker ownership models, such as ESOPs, Worker Cooperatives, and EOTs, and help generate interest and participation in the Initiative’s programs. The engagement will last approximately one year and a half, beginning in March 2026.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants should demonstrate experience in marketing strategy, content development, and outreach campaigns targeting diverse business, entrepreneur, and worker audiences. Proposals will be evaluated on qualifications, approach, and past performance, among other factors listed on the RFP. Experience and familiarity with employee and worker ownership models is preferred, but not required. For all details of the RFP, including detailed eligibility and proposal requirements, please download the Marketing and Outreach Services RFP HERE.
