Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance
ORIA is a Washington State government agency within the Governor's Office that provides free regulatory guidance and digital permitting tools to citizens, small businesses, and project developers across Washington State.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersOlympia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance does
The Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA) is a state government agency operating within the Governor's Office of Washington State, established in 2002 by the Washington State Legislature under RCW 43.42 as the Office of Permit Assistance. It was renamed to the Office of Regulatory Assistance in 2003 when its mandate expanded to include small business assistance and the full range of regulatory issues, and in 2013 Governor Inslee added "Innovation" to its name. The agency is staffed by approximately 10 personnel led by Director Dan McConnon and is headquartered in Olympia, Washington.
ORIA provides free regulatory guidance to Washington State citizens, small businesses, and project developers through a multi-channel information center (toll-free phone, SMS, live chat, email, and web form) and a portfolio of proprietary digital tools. Its core products are JARPA (Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application), a shared electronic permitting form accepted by multiple state and federal agencies; the Regulatory Handbook, a comprehensive database of environmental permits, approvals, and licenses; the Project Questionnaire (OPAS), which guides users to applicable permits; and EZview, a project coordination portal. Supporting services include the Small Business Guide, permit timeliness reporting, regulatory fairness support, and significant legislative rulemaking reporting.
The agency's business model is fully government-funded: it charges no fees for any service, generates no commercial revenue, and is sustained by state appropriations. Distribution is direct-to-user through its websites (oria.wa.gov, business.wa.gov) and the information center; strategic partnerships with the Department of Ecology, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers underpin the JARPA ecosystem, while the Small Business Liaisons Network and local government associations support outreach.
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance
- Legal name
- Governor's Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance
- Website
- https://oria.wa.gov
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ORIA is a Washington State government agency within the Governor's Office that provides free regulatory guidance and digital permitting tools to citizens, small businesses, and project developers across Washington State.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Regulatory Assistance Services
- NAICS
- Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Public Administration (92)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental Permitting & Impact Assessment (EIA/NEPA) (BPAIAMAK)
Keywords
Where Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Olympia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Government Funded Public Service: ORIA is a Washington State government agency funded by public funds. All services are provided free of charge to citizens and businesses. No commercial revenue generation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free regulatory assistance service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ORIA is a Washington State government agency that provides free regulatory assistance to citizens and businesses navigating environmental, business, and permitting requirements. It operates an Information Center accessible via phone, chat, SMS, email, and web forms, and maintains digital tools including JARPA (Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application), the Regulatory Handbook, OPAS Project Questionnaire, and EZview project portal to help users identify and complete required permits and regulatory approvals.
Product overview
The Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA) is a state government agency that provides a platform of regulatory assistance services rather than a single unified product. The core digital offerings include: JARPA (Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application) for aquatic permit applications; the Regulatory Handbook for permit information; the Project Questionnaire (OPAS) for permit identification; and EZview as a project portal. Supporting services include the Small Business Guide, permit timeliness reporting, regulatory fairness act support, and environmental permit schematics. These tools work together to help citizens and businesses navigate Washington's regulatory systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- JARPA (Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application)
- Regulatory Handbook
- Project Questionnaire (OPAS)
- EZview Project Portal
- Small Business Guide
- Permit Timeliness Reporting
- Regulatory Fairness Act Support
- Significant Legislative Rulemaking Reporting
- Environmental Permit Schematics
- Regulatory Services Consultation
- ORIA Information Center
Companies that use Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Department of EcologycorePartner agency for regulatory improvement initiatives. ORIA collaborates with Ecology on the Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application (JARPA), permit timeliness reporting, and significant legislative rulemaking implementation. Ecology provides Section 401 Water Quality Certification through the JARPA process.
- Department of Fish and WildlifecorePartner agency for hydraulic project approvals. WDFW accepts HPA applications through the JARPA form. ORIA collaborates on permit process improvements and the Aquatic Protection Permitting System (APPS).
- Department of Natural ResourcescorePartner for aquatic use authorizations and forest practices permits. DNR handles mooring buoy applications and aquatic land leases through the regulatory handbook and JARPA process.
- Army Corps of EngineerscoreFederal partner for Section 404 and Section 10 permits. ORIA's JARPA form integrates with Corps permit applications for work in waters of the United States.
- Small Business Liaisons NetworkcoreNetwork of small business liaison staff across state agencies helping connect small businesses with regulatory assistance services.
- Association of Washington CitiesminorPartner organization consulted for significant legislative rulemaking reporting and regulatory improvement initiatives.
- Washington State Association of CountiesminorPartner organization consulted for significant legislative rulemaking reporting and regulatory improvement initiatives.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Accela: Accela is a leading government technology vendor providing a civic platform for permitting, licensing, and regulatory workflows. ORIA's JARPA and OPAS tools address the same permitting-automation use case that Accela serves for hundreds of state and local agencies.
- OpenGov: OpenGov provides government-focused software for permitting, licensing, and procurement workflows, serving state and local agencies. Comparable to ORIA because it digitizes the regulatory assistance and reporting functions ORIA performs manually for Washington.
- California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz): GO-Biz is California's state-level office providing permitting assistance, small business guidance, and regulatory coordination. It is the closest functional peer to ORIA in another state, performing nearly identical duties for a different jurisdiction.
Broad incumbents
- Granicus: Granicus provides government experience cloud software spanning communications, permitting, and compliance workflows for public agencies. Adjacent incumbent serving the same regulatory management and citizen engagement niche as ORIA.
- Tyler Technologies: Tyler Technologies is a large public-sector software vendor offering permitting, regulatory, and ERP solutions to state and local governments. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing the underlying permitting and regulatory technology stack that ORIA's bespoke JARPA/EZview tools parallel.
- Federal Permitting Steering Council (Permitting Council): The federal Permitting Council coordinates federal environmental review and permitting for major infrastructure projects. It is a broader-scale government analogue performing cross-agency permitting coordination similar to ORIA's state-level mandate.
Others
- Avalara: Avalara provides automated tax and regulatory compliance solutions for businesses. Comparable as an adjacent regulatory-compliance technology provider addressing similar pain points (navigating complex regulations) that ORIA addresses for Washington businesses, though focused on tax rather than permitting.
Emerging players
- Clariti (Clariti Software): Clariti provides modern permitting and licensing software for local and state governments. As an emerging govtech vendor, it competes for the same workflow-automation mandate that ORIA's JARPA and OPAS systems address.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance social profiles
Digital presenceWashington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance
What does Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance do?
ORIA is a Washington State government agency that provides free regulatory assistance to citizens and businesses navigating environmental, business, and permitting requirements. It operates an Information Center accessible via phone, chat, SMS, email, and web forms, and maintains digital tools including JARPA (Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application), the Regulatory Handbook, OPAS Project Questionnaire, and EZview project portal to help users identify and complete required permits and regulatory approvals.
Is Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance a public or private company?
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance founded?
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance based?
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance is headquartered in Olympia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Funded Public Service.
Who are Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Accela, OpenGov and California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). Broad incumbents are Granicus, Tyler Technologies and Federal Permitting Steering Council (Permitting Council). Avalara is listed as an others. Clariti (Clariti Software) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance.
What industry is Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance in?
Washington State Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance's product category is Government Regulatory Assistance Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAMAK, Environmental Permitting & Impact Assessment (EIA/NEPA). Its NAICS code is 924 and its SIC code is 7370.