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  5. TNC Driver Support Services Grant - CLOSED

TNC Driver Support Services Grant - CLOSED

RTT_color_orange_burst-thumbKing County is launching a one-time grant program to deliver $275,000 in support of Transportation Network Company (TNC) rideshare drivers.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions to the TNC rideshare industry. At the onset of the pandemic in 2020 Uber and Lyft reported 75% year over year decreases in ridership. Public policy responses including travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders directly impacted demand for rideshare services and greatly reduced the household incomes of TNC drivers. Only 35% of rideshare drivers nationwide report having alternative sources of income. TNC drivers have had to navigate a market with ever-changing recovery and reopening regulations including sanitation, capacity restrictions, masking, physical barriers, as well as the risk of exposure to COVID-19 as frontline public facing workers.

TNC drivers in King County are much more likely to be male, black, or foreign-born than the average worker. American Community Survey (ACS) data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau demonstrates that 50% of drivers in King County are black, compared to only five percent of all workers. Drivers are nearly three times more likely to be immigrants than all King County workers. Language access barriers caused significant delays for drivers applying for various pandemic related assistance programs. Seventy percent of drivers have less than a four-year college degree compared to 49% of all King County wage and salary workers. One fourth of all drivers have household incomes below the federal poverty line, and nearly another quarter are between 100% and 200% of federal poverty. Thirty percent of drivers receive federal supplemental nutritional assistance (also known as food stamps), while only 7% of all King County wage and salary workers are on food stamps. TNC drivers are particularly unlikely to have health insurance, with nearly two of every three drivers either qualifying for Medicaid or have no health insurance.

County is requesting applications for two bodies of work under this grant program. Applicants may choose to respond to one or both components. 

Component #1: A survey of rideshare drivers in King County on disruptions to the transportation industry caused by COVID-19. 
The total amount of funds available under Component #1 is $75,000. There are over 30,000 registered TNC drivers in King County. King County will award a grant to an organization to conduct a statistically significant survey of drivers that will inform delivery of, and better focus planned outreach and driver support services.

Component #2: Culturally and linguistically appropriate support services to TNC drivers.
The total amount of funds available under Component #2 is $200,000. This program aims to expand access to timely, accurate, culturally, and linguistically appropriate information about local, state, and federal COVID-19 recovery resources available to TNC drivers permitted and operating in King County and assistance with accessing those resources. Objectives include:

  • Help to stabilize household incomes for TNC drivers
  • Facilitate compliance with ongoing public health measures

Allowable Use of Funds:

Eligible costs include:

  • Program administration
  • Staff costs for service coordination
  • Outreach and marketing costs for in-language driver outreach and resource referrals
  • Provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate services to rideshare drivers and their families:
  • Public health and social service outreach
  • Case management
  • Interpretation services
  • Social assistance program navigation and application assistance
  • Survey design
  • Translation services
  • Data collection and analysis
  • Report development

Need help filling out this application?








IMPORTANT! This document or application contains important information about your rights, responsibilities and/or benefits. It is crucial that you understand the information in this document and/or application. We will provide the information in your preferred language at no cost to you. If you need them, please contact us at alarson@kingcounty.gov.

Reference Materials:

These documents are provided for illustrative purposes only and the County reserves the right to make changes prior to execution, depending on how the funds will be used and any changes in Treasury guidance.

  1. Sample General Fund Grant Agreement
  2. Budget Worksheet Template
  3. Sample Grant Pre-Award Forms
  4. Sample Grant Reporting Forms

Application Instructions:

  1. The application window opens on January 28, 2022 and will remain open until February 15, 2022 at 11:59 PM PT.
  2. Complete the application here.
  3. A preview of the application questions and other grant information is available in the
    TNC Driver Support Services RFA package here.
  4. Email questions to alarson@kingcounty.gov.
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