Washington Self-Employment Assistance Program · SEAP
✓  Approved by Washington State ESD through June 30, 2027

Keep Your Benefits.
Build Your Business.

An ESD approved SEAP training provider. Twelve-week training tracks that take you from a concept to a launched company, taught with the discipline of a PMI Authorized Training Partner. All eight tracks are now approved by ESD and enrolling, covering business launch, AI, government contracting, aviation, aerial data services, and 3D printing. Built for Washington residents moving from unemployment into self-employment.

Register for a Cohort See the Tracks

Are you eligible?

You may qualify if ESD mailed you a SEAP eligibility letter, or if you are likely to run out of benefits before finding work.

Not sure? Confirm with the ESD Training Benefit Unit at 877-600-7701, or ask us and we will help you check before you enroll.

✓  Approved by Washington State ESD as a SEAP training provider through June 30, 2027. All eight tracks approved.
Apply to ESD by August 28 to start with the September 1 cohort. ESD approval usually takes one to three weeks.
The Program

Train Full-Time While You Draw Benefits

SEAP lets eligible claimants receive their regular unemployment benefits while building a business instead of searching for a traditional job. You choose an approved training provider, and we take it from there.

  • Your benefits keep coming

    Collect your regular weekly unemployment payment while you train.

  • No weekly job search

    Once ESD approves you for SEAP, the work-search requirement is waived.

  • You leave with a real business

    A formed entity, a business plan, financial systems, and a path to first revenue.

  • Tuition is discounted and payable in installments

    ESD does not pay tuition or fees, so our SEAP rates are reduced and can be split so no one is turned away by an up-front cost.

Who it is for

The Division serves Washington residents moving from unemployment into self-employment, with priority outreach to BIPOC, women, and underserved communities across Seattle, King County, and, in hybrid format, statewide.

Eight Paths to Self-Employment

Pick the Track That Fits Your Business

Each track runs twelve weeks in three phases. Every one applies project management discipline to the launch, so you move through a real schedule with milestones, not a loose set of lectures. All eight tracks are approved by the Washington State Employment Security Department and enrolling now.

Taught by a credentialed AI practitioner, not an enthusiast. The AI-Powered Entrepreneur Academy is led by an instructor holding the PMI-CPMAI credential in artificial intelligence project management alongside green project management certification, who speaks nationally on AI governance and accountability. It is taught through a sustainability and equity lens, so participants learn what these tools cost as well as what they can do, and the program is built for people the technology economy routinely leaves out.
All eight tracks are ESD approved. The Employment Security Department approved the full Entrepreneurship Training Division on August 12, 2026. Seven tracks are approved statewide and delivered live online. The 3D Print Entrepreneur Academy is approved as an in-person track in King County because of its required printer laboratory. Every track below qualifies for SEAP enrollment today.

Core launch tracks

Track A · Service & general business

Business Launch Accelerator

Turn an idea into a company. Your launch is run like a managed project, with a charter, schedule, budget, and a defined launch milestone.

WK 01 to 04Foundation
Validate the concept

Market research, customer discovery, the business model canvas, and your launch project charter and work plan.

WK 05 to 08Formation
Stand up the business

Washington LLC or sole proprietorship formation, EIN and licensing, business banking, pricing and cost analysis, brand identity, and insurance basics.

WK 09 to 12Launch
Reach first revenue

Sales channels and e-commerce, marketing execution, bookkeeping, first client acquisition, and a ninety-day post-launch operating plan.

You finish withA formed entity, a written business plan, working financial systems, your first customers, and a ninety-day plan.
Track B · Product & maker business

3D Print Entrepreneur Academy

Learn 3D printing as a production technology and leave with a launched product business. Hands-on technical training paired with full business formation.

WK 01 to 04Foundations
Design and print

3D design software (Tinkercad, Fusion 360), printer operation, materials and safety, product ideation and market research, and business structures.

WK 05 to 08Formation
Build the business

Washington LLC formation, business banking, pricing, profit margin and cost analysis, and brand identity and product naming.

WK 09 to 12Launch & sales
Sell your product

E-commerce setup (Etsy, Shopify, Amazon Handmade), social media marketing, customer acquisition and fulfillment, and revenue tracking.

You finish withA launched product business, production-ready printing skills, an online storefront, and your first sales.
Required in person: this track includes a mandatory hands-on printer laboratory of about six hours, held during the printer-operation weeks at 7334 15th Avenue NE, Seattle. Attendance is required to complete the track. Ask us about accommodations before you enroll.
Track C · AI-powered business

AI-Powered Entrepreneur Academy

Launch and run a business with today's AI tools. Learn to use leading AI assistants, including Claude, Gemini, Grok, and Aisha, for research, operations, marketing, and delivery, paired with full business formation. Taught through a sustainability and equity lens by an instructor credentialed in both AI project management and green project management.

WK 01 to 04Foundations
Validate with AI

AI assisted concept validation, market research and customer discovery, business model design, and a working toolkit across leading AI assistants including Claude, Gemini, Grok, and Aisha.

WK 05 to 08Formation
Build the business

Washington LLC formation, licensing and banking, AI assisted financial modeling and pricing, brand identity, and an AI enabled operations stack.

WK 09 to 12Launch & growth
Run it with AI

AI driven marketing and content, e-commerce and sales setup, customer service automation, first revenue, and a ninety-day AI-augmented operating plan.

You finish withA launched, AI-run business, a working AI operations stack, your first customers, and a ninety-day plan.

Industry specialization tracks

Track D · Government contracting

Government Contracting Accelerator

Build a business that sells to federal, state, county, and city buyers. You leave formed, registered in SAM.gov and Washington WEBS, priced for public work, and actively bidding.

WK 01 to 04Concept & market
Find your buyer

How agencies buy, NAICS and PSC code selection, market research in SAM.gov and WEBS, certification pathways including OMWBE MWBE and federal small-business programs, and positioning without past performance.

WK 05 to 08Formation & systems
Become a registered vendor

Washington entity formation, UBI and licensing, business banking, SAM.gov registration end to end with UEI and CAGE, WEBS vendor registration, government cost and pricing, and audit-ready bookkeeping.

WK 09 to 12Launch & first revenue
Bid and win work

Capability statement, reading a solicitation, compliance matrix and proposal outline, teaming and subcontracting with primes, bid submission, debriefs, and a ninety-day pipeline plan.

You finish withActive SAM.gov and WEBS registrations, a capability statement, a rate sheet, and your first bid or teaming agreement submitted.
Track E · Aviation services

Aviation Services Entrepreneur Academy

Launch a service business serving airports, fixed-base operators, and aviation operators, with the regulatory, insurance, and airport-access requirements handled as part of formation.

WK 01 to 04Concept & market
Choose your segment

The aviation services market across airports, FBOs, airlines, MRO, and ground handling, customer discovery with airport and operator stakeholders, the FAA and TSA regulatory landscape, badging, and your pricing model.

WK 05 to 08Formation & systems
Stand up a compliant business

Washington entity formation, UBI and licensing, business banking, aviation liability and insurance, leases, permits and operating agreements, the airport approval process, and financial systems.

WK 09 to 12Launch & first revenue
Win your first contract

Brand and capability materials, business development with airport administration, tenant operators and prime service providers, proposal and bid response, and a ninety-day operating plan.

You finish withA formed and insured aviation services business, a documented airport access pathway, and a first opportunity in the pipeline.
Track F · Consulting practice

Aviation Consulting Practice Accelerator

Turn professional aviation or program management expertise into an independent consulting practice with defined service lines, real contracts, and a working pipeline.

WK 01 to 04Concept & market
Define the practice

Service lines and niche selection, customer discovery with aviation and public-sector clients, packaging expertise into a sellable offer including productized services, and rate strategy with utilization math.

WK 05 to 08Formation & systems
Contracts and cash flow

Washington entity formation, licensing and banking, professional liability, contract and statement-of-work templates, scope control, invoicing and receivables, and pricing models from hourly to value based.

WK 09 to 12Launch & first revenue
Fill the pipeline

Brand and practice website, authority building through speaking and writing, referral strategy, public-sector procurement entry, proposal writing, the consultative sales conversation, and your first engagement.

You finish withAn operating consulting practice, a service catalog, contract templates, and your first proposal issued.
Track G · Aerial data services

Aerial Data Services Academy

Launch a business delivering aerial imagery, mapping, and inspection data for survey, construction, real estate, and agriculture clients. Taught by an instructor holding a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering.

WK 01 to 04Concept & market
Pick your service

The aerial data market across survey, inspection, mapping, real estate, construction progression and agriculture, customer discovery, deliverable definition, the FAA regulatory framework and airspace, and pricing per deliverable.

WK 05 to 08Formation & systems
Fly and produce

Washington entity formation, licensing, banking and drone registration, then three live technical sessions covering flight planning and preflight, data capture, and post-processing into a client-ready deliverable.

WK 09 to 12Launch & first revenue
Sell the work

Insurance, liability, privacy and client contracting, a portfolio built from your Phase 2 deliverable, quoting and scoping a first job, first revenue, and your FAA Part 107 exam plan.

You finish withA formed aerial services business, a real client-ready deliverable in your portfolio, and a plan to sit for the Part 107 exam.
Live remote, statewide, and we supply the drone. Phase 2 technical sessions are required and are taught live online, so there is no in-person attendance. Loaner drones are provided at no cost: courier drop off in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties, and UPS with a prepaid return label everywhere else in Washington. FAA Part 107 certification is not required to enroll or to finish; we prepare you for the exam and you sit for it after the program.
Track H · Facility & support services

Airport Facility and Support Services

Launch a facility and support services business positioned to win airport and public agency service contracts, with workforce compliance and bonding built into formation.

WK 01 to 04Concept & market
Map the market

Airport support services from janitorial and grounds to maintenance, security support, shuttle and supply, how airports and public agencies buy, contract vehicles, certification and set-aside pathways, and your labor and pricing model.

WK 05 to 08Formation & systems
Get contract ready

Washington entity formation, licensing and banking, prevailing wage, L&I and workers' compensation, payroll setup, insurance, bonding and airport badging, and cost estimating for service contracts.

WK 09 to 12Launch & first revenue
Register and bid

Vendor registration in SAM.gov, Washington WEBS and agency portals, capability statement and past-performance strategy, bid response, subcontracting with incumbent primes, and a ninety-day operating plan.

You finish withA formed and compliant service business, active vendor registrations, and a first contract pursuit underway.
Why This Program

What Makes Our Program Different

Entrepreneurship programs are not built the same way, and the differences matter more than usual when your unemployment benefits are on the line. Here is exactly how ours is structured and why each choice was made.

A cohort, not a video library

You start on a set date with a group of founders who finish alongside you, meeting three hours a week in scheduled live sessions across twelve weeks. Self-paced video asks you to supply the structure yourself at the exact moment your income is uncertain and your calendar has lost its shape. A fixed weekly schedule supplies it for you. Every session is recorded, so missing a week never means falling behind.

Real hours, documented

Each track carries 36 instructional clock hours plus fifteen to eighteen hours a week of applied work on your own business, roughly 246 hours across twelve weeks. That is what full-time training participation actually looks like, and it is what we certify to the Employment Security Department on your behalf. Your progress is tracked against your approved training plan in writing.

Twelve weeks, twelve deliverables

Every week produces something you keep. A business concept statement. A business model with real unit economics. Formation documents filed. Financial and bookkeeping systems that work. A ninety-day launch plan. A first customer. You finish holding a formed, operating business rather than a certificate of completion.

AI taught by a credentialed practitioner

AI instruction is only as good as the person delivering it. Our principal and lead instructor holds the PMI-CPMAI credential in artificial intelligence project management, the AWS Certified AI Practitioner credential, and Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification, and speaks nationally on AI governance. You will learn where these tools fail and what they cannot be trusted with, which is the half of AI training that usually gets skipped.

Project management discipline behind the launch

Diamond PMO Consultants is a PMI Authorized Training Partner. Your launch runs on a real schedule with milestones, phase gate reviews, and accountability, the same discipline used to deliver programs worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Most businesses fail on execution rather than on the idea, and execution is precisely what we teach.

Washington based, everything included

We are in Seattle, serving participants statewide online and hybrid, with priority outreach to BIPOC, women, and underserved founders. Diamond PMO Consultants is an MWBE-certified Washington firm. Tuition covers the full program with no required textbook purchase and no add-on fees, and it is due only after ESD approves you, never before.

Counseling that runs continuously

One-on-one business counseling is ongoing rather than occasional, with a milestone review at the close of each four-week phase. Your questions get answered in the week you have them, not three weeks later. Seats in each cohort are limited so that this stays true.

Pricing

Discounted SEAP Rates, Paid in Installments

Tuition is set for accessibility and benchmarked against other approved SEAP providers. SEAP participants pay the reduced rate directly, with an installment option on every tier.

ProgramLengthStandardSEAP rate
Foundation courseAny approved track4 weeks$497$297
Full AcademyAny approved track12 weeks$1,497$597
VIP cohortAdds 1:1 mentorship12 weeks$2,497$997

Upcoming Cohorts, Registration Open Now

  • Cohort 1 begins Tuesday, September 1, 2026 and runs twelve weeks through November 24, 2026. All eight tracks offered.
  • Cohort 2 begins Thursday, October 1, 2026 and runs twelve weeks through December 22, 2026. All eight tracks offered.

Apply by August 28 for Cohort 1 and by September 25 for Cohort 2. Seats are limited.

ESD approval now takes roughly one to three weeks, so the application deadline for the September cohort is Friday, August 28. Start your SEAP application before then and we will help you complete it.

Corporate, agency, and school-district cohorts are available by contract. ESD does not pay tuition, books, or fees; SEAP simply continues your weekly benefit while you train.

Delivery & Support

Learn in the Room or From Anywhere in Washington

In person & hybrid

Every academy runs online statewide. The one exception is the 3D Print Entrepreneur Academy, which includes a mandatory hands-on printer laboratory of about six hours, held at 7334 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, during the printer-operation weeks. Attendance is required to complete that track. Every other session in every track is online, and accommodations are available on request.

Tracked online learning

Courses run on the Thinkific learning platform, which:

  • records classes for on-demand access
  • shows the instructor who accessed what and when
  • accepts homework submitted online for review
  • tracks progress against your training plan

One-on-one counseling

Every participant gets scheduled one-on-one business counseling, by video for online learners, with follow-up by email and phone between sessions.

Tuition refund policy

Cancel within five business days of signing for a full refund. After that, a registration fee applies (10% of tuition, up to $100), and tuition is refunded on a prorated basis by percentage completed through the program midpoint, after which it is earned in full. Installment participants owe only the portion completed. Refunds are made in writing and paid within thirty days. These terms follow the Washington Private Career School Act minimum refund standard (WAC 490-105-130).

Let's Get Started

Ready to Enroll?

Registration is open for the September 1 and October 1, 2026 cohorts, across all eight approved tracks. Tell us which track you want, which start date you prefer, and whether you already have a SEAP eligibility letter. We will confirm your eligibility, help you complete the SEAP application, and hold your seat. ESD approval takes roughly one to three weeks, so the deadline to apply for the September 1 cohort is Friday, August 28.

Diamond PMO Consultants is an OMWBE-certified Minority and Women's Business Enterprise and a PMI Authorized Training Partner, serving Seattle, King County, and statewide since 2009.

OMWBE MWBE No. M3F0031003

Email

director@diamondpmoconsultants.com

Call

206-601-9533

Web

diamondpmoconsultants.com/seap