Seattle Office of Labor Standards Announces Request for Proposal for App-Based Worker Research

City of Seattle, Washington sent this bulletin at 05/20/2026 08:00 AM PDT
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Press Release

For Immediate Release

Contact Information
Cynthia Santana
Phone: 206-256-5219
Email: cynthia.santana@seattle.gov

Seattle Office of Labor Standards Announces Request for Proposal for App-Based Worker Research

Seattle, WA (May 20, 2026) - The Office of Labor Standards (OLS) announces the availability of $130,000 dollars in funding for a consultant to conduct mixed methods research  on app-based workers in Seattle to provide a comparison of working conditions in this industry before and after the implementation of the City’s App-Based Worker Minimum Payment ordinance, and to understand the impacts of the law.

Key research questions the consultant will explore include how:

  • “Transparency” rights to access offer information and receipts impact workers’ app-based work experience;
  • workers spend uncompensated online time and how such behaviors may be influenced by different apps and business models;
  • app-based work fits into other needs and obligations in workers’ lives;
  • pay structures and earnings have changed for workers on smaller network company platforms.

 The pre- and post-ordinance comparison will be conducted for diverse worker groups with different primary languages, working hours (e.g. full-time vs part-time), levels of consistency (e.g. consistent work across the year, seasonal, or sporadic), services provided (e.g. delivery, house services, moving, healthcare, shift work), etc.

Important dates for the RFP are noted below. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, July 20, 2026, at 12:00 pm using the OpenGov portal that can be found at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle/projects/259587

Application Process:

For more information on the Request for Proposals and application requirements, including optional presentation dates, visit the App-Based Worker Research Call for Proposal webpage or contact OLS Data Strategist Nena Beecham-Ali, ols_rfp@seattle.gov, (206) 684-8859.

Interested parties are encouraged to attend our voluntary information session on May 29, 2026, at 10:00 am. This session will provide an overview of the work and discuss the requirements for a successful proposal. 

2026-2027 App-Based Worker Research RFP Online Information Session

Date: Friday, May 29, 2026  Time: 10:00am - 11:00am  Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/0XhX-E0aTS6sicWQwIHr1w

A recording of the workshop will be posted on the RFP website after the session is completed.

Schedule:

  • RFP Release – Wednesday, May 20, 2026 
  • Optional Information Session and Q & A via Zoom – Friday, May 29, 2026, 10:00am
  • Deadline for Questions – Monday, July 6, 2026, 12:00 pm 
  • Response Deadline – Monday, July 20, 2026, 12:00 pm 

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