EXHIBIT 10.12
                                 AWARD AGREEMENT
                                    Under The
                         Barrett Business Services, Inc.
                            2003 Stock Incentive Plan

                            NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION


Corporation:                  BARRETT BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
                              4724 S.W. Macadam Avenue
                              Portland, Oregon 97239

Participant:                  -------------------------------
                              -------------------------------
                              -------------------------------

Date:                         -------------------------------

            Corporation  maintains the Barrett  Business  Services,  Inc.,  2003
Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan").

            This Award  Agreement  evidences the grant of a  Nonqualified  Stock
Option (the "Option") to Participant.

            The parties agree as follows:

1. Defined Terms

            When used in this  Agreement,  the following  terms have the meaning
specified below:

            (a) "Acquiring Person" means any person or related person or related
      persons which  constitute a "group" for purposes of Section 13(d) and Rule
      13d-5 under the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange  Act"), as
      such  Section  and Rule are in  effect  as of the  Grant  Date;  provided,
      however,  that the term Acquiring Person shall not include (i) Corporation
      or any of its Subsidiaries,  (ii) any employee benefit plan of Corporation
      or any of its Subsidiaries,  (iii) any entity holding voting capital stock
      of Corporation  for or pursuant to the terms of any such employee  benefit
      plan, or (iv) any person or group solely  because such person or group has
      voting power with respect to capital stock of  Corporation  arising from a
      revocable  proxy or consent given in response to a public proxy or consent
      solicitation made pursuant to the Exchange Act.

            (b) "Change in Control" means:

                (i) A change in control of Corporation of a nature that would be
            required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule  14A of
            Regulation  14A as in  effect  on the  Grant  Date  pursuant  to the
            Exchange Act; provided that,  without  limitation,  such a change in
            control  shall  be  deemed  to have  occurred  at

                                      -1-



            such time as any Acquiring Person hereafter  becomes the "beneficial
            owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange  Act),  directly
            or indirectly, of 30 percent or more of the combined voting power of
            Voting Securities; or

                (ii)  During  any  period  of 12  consecutive  calendar  months,
            individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board
            cease  for any  reason to  constitute  at least a  majority  thereof
            unless the election,  or the nomination for election, by Corporation
            shareholders of each new director was approved by a vote of at least
            a majority of the directors then in office who were directors at the
            beginning of the period; or

                (iii) There shall be consummated (i) any consolidation or merger
            of  Corporation  in  which  Corporation  is not  the  continuing  or
            surviving  corporation or pursuant to which Voting  Securities would
            be converted into cash, securities,  or other property, other than a
            merger of  Corporation  in which the  holders  of Voting  Securities
            immediately  prior  to  the  merger  have  the  same   proportionate
            ownership of common stock of the surviving  corporation  immediately
            after  the  merger,  or (ii) any  sale,  lease,  exchange,  or other
            transfer (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) of
            all, or substantially all, of the assets of Corporation; or

                (iv) Approval by the  shareholders of Corporation of any plan or
            proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of Corporation.

            (c) "Change in Control  Date"  means  the first date  following  the
      Grant Date on which a Change in Control has occurred.

            (d) "Employer" means Corporation or a Subsidiary of Corporation.

            (e) "Grant  Date"  means the  date the Option is  granted,  which is
      reflected as the date of this Agreement.

            (f) "Voting Securities" means  Corporation's  issued and outstanding
      securities ordinarily having the right to vote at elections for director.

            (g) Capitalized  terms not otherwise  defined in this Agreement have
      the meanings given them in the Plan.

2. Grant of Option

            Subject to the terms and  conditions of this Agreement and the Plan,
Corporation  grants to Participant  the Option to purchase  _________  shares of
Corporation's common stock at $ _____ per share [not less than 75 percent of the
Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant].

                                      -2-



3. Terms of Option

            The Option is subject to all the  provisions  of the Plan and to the
following terms and conditions:

            3.1 Term.  The term of the  Option is ten years  from the Grant Date
and will automatically terminate on ________, ____, to the extent not exercised,
unless terminated earlier in accordance with this Agreement.

            3.2 Time of Exercise.  Unless the Option is otherwise  terminated or
the time of its exercisability is accelerated in accordance with this Agreement,
the  Option  may be  exercised  from time to time to  purchase  Shares up to the
following  limits  (based on years after the Grant Date and including any Shares
previously purchased pursuant to the Option):

            (a) During the first year - none;

            (b) During the second year - up to 25 percent of the total Shares;

            (c) During the third year - up to 50 percent of the total Shares;

            (d) During the fourth  year - up to 75 percent of the total  Shares;
      and

            (e) After the fourth year - 100 percent.

            3.3 Employment   Requirement.   Except  as   otherwise  provided  in
subsection  3.4 of  this  Agreement,  the  Option  may not be  exercised  unless
Participant  is  employed  by an  Employer  continuously  for at least  one year
following the Grant Date, unless employment is terminated by death,  Disability,
or Retirement. For purposes of this Agreement,  "employment" includes periods of
illness or other leaves of absence  authorized by the Employer.  If  Participant
ceases to be an active  employee,  the Option  will remain  exercisable,  to the
extent the Option had become  exercisable on or before the termination date, and
the  right to  exercise  the  Option  will  expire  at the end of the  following
periods:

                  After Termination
                    On Account Of                     Period
                  -----------------                   ------
                       Death                          1 year
                       Retirement                     3 months
                       Disability                     1 year
                       Any other reason               3 months

            3.4 Acceleration  of  Exercisability.  Notwithstanding  the schedule
provided in  subsection  3.2, the Option will become fully  exercisable  (unless
Participant  chooses to decline accelerated Vesting of all or any portion of the
Option) upon the occurrence of either:

            (a)  Participant's  death or  termination of employment by reason of
      Disability or Retirement; or

                                      -3-



            (b) A Change in Control Date.

            3.5 Method of Exercise.  The Option, or any portion thereof,  may be
exercised,  to the extent it has become exercisable  pursuant to this Agreement,
by delivery of written notice to Corporation  stating the number of Shares, form
of payment, and proposed date of closing.

            3.6 Other  Documents.  Participant  will be  required  to furnish to
Corporation   before  closing  such  other  documents  or   representations   as
Corporation   may  require  to  assure   compliance  with  applicable  laws  and
regulations.

            3.7 Payment.  The  exercise  price for  the  Shares  purchased  upon
exercise  of the  Option  must be paid in full at or before  closing by one or a
combination of the following:

            (a) Payment in cash;

            (b) Delivery  of  previously  acquired  Shares  having a Fair Market
      Value equal to the exercise price; or

            (c) With the prior approval of the Committee, by delivery (in a form
      approved by the  Committee)  of an  irrevocable  direction to a securities
      broker acceptable to the Committee:

                (i) To sell Shares subject to the Option and to deliver all or a
            part of the sales  proceeds  to  Corporation  in payment of all or a
            part of the option price and withholding taxes due; or

                (ii) To pledge  Shares  subject  to the  Option to the broker as
            security  for a loan  and to  deliver  all  or a  part  of the  loan
            proceeds to  Corporation in payment of all or a part of the exercise
            price and withholding taxes due.

            3.8 Previously  Acquired  Shares.  Delivery of  previously  acquired
Shares in full or partial payment for the exercise of the Option will be subject
to the following conditions:

            (a) The Shares tendered must be in good delivery form;

            (b) The Fair Market Value of the Shares tendered,  together with the
      amount of cash, if any,  tendered must equal or exceed the exercise  price
      of the Option;

            (c) Any Shares remaining after satisfying the payment for the Option
      will be reissued in the same manner as the Shares tendered; and

            (d) No fractional Shares will be issued and cash will not be paid to
      Participant for any fractional  Share value not used to satisfy the Option
      exercise price.

            3.9 Reload  Option.  In  the event all or a portion of the Option is
exercised by Participant by delivering  previously acquired Shares,  Participant
will be granted  automatically a replacement Option for a number of Shares equal
to the number of Shares delivered to

                                      -4-



Corporation by Participant upon exercise of the Option.  The grant date for such
replacement  Option will be the date of exercise and the exercise price for such
replacement  Option will be the Fair Market Value of a Share on such grant date.
The replacement  Option  initially will not be exercisable and will become fully
exercisable  six  months  after  the grant  date.  In all  other  respects,  the
replacement Option will be subject to all the terms and conditions of this Award
Agreement.

4. Tax Withholding and Reimbursement

            Corporation  is  authorized  to withhold  from  Participant's  other
compensation  any  withholding  and  payroll  taxes  imposed on  Corporation  in
connection  with or with  respect to the  exercise  or other  settlement  of the
Option (the "Payroll Taxes").  In the event Participant is no longer an employee
of an Employer at the time of exercise  or there is  insufficient  other  income
from  which  to  withhold  the  Payroll  Taxes,  Participant  agrees  to  pay to
Corporation an amount sufficient to provide for payment of all Payroll Taxes.

5. Conditions Precedent

            Corporation will use its best efforts to obtain approval of the Plan
and this Option by any state or federal  agency or  authority  that  Corporation
determines  has  jurisdiction.  If  Corporation  determines  that  any  required
approval cannot be obtained, this Option will terminate on notice to Participant
to that effect. Without limiting the foregoing, Corporation will not be required
to issue any Shares upon exercise of the Option,  or any portion thereof,  until
Corporation has taken any action required to comply with all applicable  federal
and state securities laws.

6. Termination for Cause; Competition

            6.1 Annulment of Awards.  The grant of  the Option  governed by this
Agreement is revocable until  Participant  becomes entitled to a certificate for
Shares in settlement  thereof.  In the event the  employment of  Participant  is
terminated  for cause (as defined  below),  any  portion of the Option  which is
revocable will be annulled as of the date of such termination for cause. For the
purpose of this  Section  6.1,  the term "for  cause"  will have the meaning set
forth in  Participant's  employment  agreement,  if any, or otherwise  means any
discharge  (or removal)  for material or flagrant  violation of the policies and
procedures  of the  Employer  or for  other  performance  or  conduct  which  is
materially  detrimental to the best interests of  Corporation,  as determined by
the Committee.

            6.2 Engaging  in   Competition  With  Corporation.   If  Participant
terminates employment with an Employer for any reason whatsoever,  and within 18
months after the date thereof  accepts  employment  with any  competitor  of (or
otherwise engages in competition with) Corporation,  the Committee,  in its sole
discretion,  may require Participant to return to Corporation the economic value
of this Option that is realized or obtained  (measured  at the date of exercise)
by Participant  at any time during the period  beginning on the date that is six
months prior to the date of  Participant's  termination  of  employment  with an
Employer.

                                      -5-



7. Successorship

            Subject to  restrictions on  transferability  set forth in the Plan,
this  Agreement will be binding upon and benefit the parties,  their  successors
and assigns.

8. Notices

            Any  notices  under  this  Option  must be in  writing  and  will be
effective when actually  delivered  personally or, if mailed,  when deposited as
registered or certified mail directed to the address of Corporation's records or
to such other address as a party may certify by notice to the other party.

9. Arbitration

            Any  dispute  or claim that  arises  out of or that  relates to this
Agreement or to the  interpretation,  breach,  or enforcement of this Agreement,
must be resolved by mandatory  arbitration in accordance with the then effective
arbitration  rules of  Arbitration  Service of Portland,  Inc., and any judgment
upon the award rendered pursuant to such arbitration may be entered in any court
having jurisdiction thereof.

10. Attorney Fees

            In the  event of any suit or  action or  arbitration  proceeding  to
enforce or interpret any provision of this  Agreement (or which is based on this
Agreement),  the  prevailing  party will be entitled to recover,  in addition to
other costs,  reasonable  attorney  fees in connection  with such suit,  action,
arbitration, and in any appeal. The determination of who is the prevailing party
and the amount of reasonable  attorney fees to be paid to the  prevailing  party
will be decided by the arbitrator or arbitrators  (with respect to attorney fees
incurred prior to and during the  arbitration  proceedings)  and by the court or
courts,  including any appellate courts, in which the matter is tried, heard, or
decided,  including the court which hears any exceptions  made to an arbitration
award  submitted to it for  confirmation as a judgment (with respect to attorney
fees incurred in such confirmation proceedings).


                                          BARRETT BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.

                                          By  ----------------------------------
                                          Its ----------------------------------



                                          --------------------------------------
                                          Participant


                                      -6-