Washington Self-Employment Assistance Program · SEAP

Keep Your Benefits.
Build Your Business.

Three twelve-week training tracks that take you from a concept to a launched company, taught with the discipline of a PMI Authorized Training Partner. Built for Washington residents moving from unemployment into self-employment.

See the Two Tracks How SEAP Works

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.

SEAP approved-provider application in progress with Washington ESD.
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.

Three Paths to Self-Employment

Pick the Track That Fits Your Business

Each track runs twelve weeks in three phases. Both apply project-management discipline to the launch, so you move through a real schedule with milestones, not a loose set of lectures.

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 01–04Foundation
Validate the concept

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

WK 05–08Formation
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 09–12Launch
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 01–04Foundations
Design and print

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

WK 05–08Formation
Build the business

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

WK 09–12Launch & 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.
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.

WK 01–04Foundations
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 05–08Formation
Build the business

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

WK 09–12Launch & 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.
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 courseEither track4 weeks$497$297
Full AcademyEither track12 weeks$1,497$597
VIP cohortAdds 1:1 mentorship12 weeks$2,497$997

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

All three academies run online statewide. The only in-person part is one week of the 3D Print Entrepreneur Academy, the hands-on 3D-printer training, held at 7334 15th Ave NE, Seattle. Every other week is online.

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?

Tell us the track you want and whether you have a SEAP eligibility letter. We will confirm your eligibility, help you complete the SEAP application, and get you into the next cohort.

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