Overview

The purpose of the Tobacco Control Funding Opportunities and Resources (TCFOR) website is to consolidate access to information and resources about funding opportunities from the California Tobacco Control Program (CTCP), California Department of Public Health (CDPH), into a single location.

This website provides access to all procurements released by the California Tobacco Control Program including: Requests for Applications (RFAs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Local Lead Agency Guidelines, and funding renewal instructions for currently funded agencies. These procurements may be open and competitive or limited to local health departments or currently funded agencies. Please read the eligibility requirements before submitting a Request to Apply.

To simplify language and terminology throughout this website, we use the following definitions:

  • Applicant - an agency seeking funding regardless whether through an RFA, an RFP, Local Lead Agency Guidelines, or a renewal procurement.
  • Procurement - a funding opportunity that may include an RFA, an RFP, Local Lead Agency Guidelines, or renewal instructions.
  • Local Lead Agency - one of the 61 local health departments in California.

This site provides:

  • General information about the purpose and time lines of current and archived procurements.
  • The ability to download RFAs, RFPs, Local Health Department funding guidelines, and renewal agency funding instructions.
  • Access to websites, directories, and downloadable resource documents that may assist applicants in the preparation of their funding request.
  • The ability to create a User Account to Request to Apply to a funding opportunity. An agency that has an active or inactive Online Tobacco Information System (OTIS) login and password should use its existing OTIS login and password. Only users who have never had an OTIS login and password need to create a new User Account.
  • The ability to Request to Apply to a funding opportunity. Submitting a Request to Apply requires the user to state the anticipated funding amount to be requested.
  • The ability to submit a Letter of Intent. Once the California Tobacco Control Program approves the Request to Apply, the requestor receives an email verification of the request, or is contacted for more information if there is a problem with the request. If the request is approved, an email is sent to the requestor providing a login name, password, and website link to OTIS. These provide access to an online application. From the My Agency section of OTIS, an agency can submit requests for multiple users within that agency to have access to the online application.
Request to Apply Instructions
  1. Fields in Red are required. You must complete them to save information and move through the system.
  2. Only one individual per project or agency for which an application will be submitted may submit a Request to Apply (e.g., only one person from the Stop Tobacco Use Now! project at Coffee Health Clinic may submit a Request to Apply). Once the California Tobacco Control Program approves the initial request, the original requestor can request that we create additional user accounts and link them to the application so that these additional users can assist in completing the application.
  3. To submit a Request to Apply, click on Funding Opportunities.
  4. From the list of Current Funding Opportunities, click on the title of the procurement for which your agency or project seeks to apply.
  5. Scroll down the screen to How to Apply.
  6. If you have either an active or an inactive OTIS login name or password, fill in the fields identified below and click the Sign In button. If you have never had an OTIS login name and password, click on the Register Here link. Skip to #12 for instructions on how to register for a new login name and password.
  7. Qualifying Questions: After you Sign In, you may be asked to respond to several questions before finalizing your request to ensure that your agency is eligible to apply. See below for a sample of qualification questions. After you respond to the questions, click on Submit.
  8. Agency Selection: After you Sign In, click on the button that lists your agency's name and its 10-digit Federal Identification (FEID) number. If the agency which is applying is not listed, click on the Create New Agency button and you will be prompted to provide official information about the agency. Click on Next to move to the next screen.
Additional Information

Anticipated Funding Request: Complete this field by stating the amount of money you anticipate requesting in your application. Please review the procurement instructions for information about the amount of awards to be made. Do not enter a dollar sign ($) or any commas. This is an estimate that the California Tobacco Control Program uses for planning purposes only. When you submit the final application, you may request more or fewer funds.

Letter of Intent: If the procurement for which you are applying for requests a Letter of Intent, review the RFA or RFP for instructions about the information to provide in the letter. The letter of intent is an important document to the California Tobacco Control Program because it helps us to calculate the number of peer reviewers to recruit and the necessary areas of peer reviewer expertise. The information in the Letter of Intent is not binding. The California Tobacco Control Program uses it to aid in planning the peer review.

Prepare the letter using word processing software and save the document to your computer as a Word document or PDF. To upload the letter of intent, click on Browse and search your computer files for the correct electronic file. Click on the name of the file and then click on Open. The name of the uploaded file will appear in the Letter of Intent field. If you have uploaded the correct file, click on Next. Otherwise, repeat the upload steps.

Request to Apply Submission: Verify that the Anticipated Funding Request and the Letter of Intent are correct. If they are correct, click on Submit Request. If there is an error, click on Cancel Request. If you cancel, you will start the Request to Apply process over.

Verification: Following the successful submission of your request, you will receive the following notice:

Create a New Agency:

Agency FEID: Enter your agency's official 10-digit Federal Identification Number.
Agency Full Name: Enter the full, official name of your agency.
Agency Short Name: Enter a shortened version of your agency's full name to use on reports and screens which have space limitations.
Agency Type: Select the one agency type that best describes your agency.

  • City Health Jurisdiction ( i.e., city health department)
  • County Health Jurisdiction ( i.e., county health department)
  • For-profit Agency
  • Non-profit Agency ( i.e., private or public non-profit agency such as a 501-3C, public school, or tribe)
  • State Agency (i.e., a state government agency other than a university, college, or community college)
  • University ( i.e., a public or private university, college, or community college)

Click on Next to move to the next screen and complete the additional contact Information:

County this Agency Resides in: From the drop down menu, select the county in which the agency's headquarters office resides. If the agency is outside California, select, Not Applicable.
Contact Information: Enter the phone, fax, and email address for the agency. If the agency has a website, please provide the website address.
Physical Address: Enter the physical address which identifies where the agency is located.
Mailing Address: Enter the address the agency uses to receive US mail.