The purpose of this Solicitation is to request competitive proposals from eligible, experienced agencies to conduct high-quality studies to evaluate California’s tobacco retail environment including: 

• • two waves of a biennial survey of randomly sampled tobacco retail stores to assess tobacco retail marketing;
• • one wave of retail observation surveys or tobacco product purchase surveys in matched and/or contiguous communities to evaluate state and local policies that restrict tobacco flavors or ban tobacco product sales; and
• • one wave of retail scanner sales data analyzed to assess changes in tobacco product availability and sales in California.
   

Services for these studies include developing a sampling frame and data collection instruments; conducting data collection, data management, data cleaning, data weighting, and data analysis; writing final reports and manuscripts; and disseminating major findings. 
 

The contractor will also maintain and continue developing the California Tobacco Health Assessment Tool (CTHAT), a mapping tool to monitor tobacco retailers and local tobacco policies in California. Services for this activity include managing and updating the tool, testing user experience, and providing technical support and trainings on mapping tool use.
 

• 25-10023_Funding Opportunity Alert (PDF - 239.59 Kb)

The following entities and organizations are invited to apply for this Solicitation:

1. Organizational Type and Conditions

Any public or private entities with a permanent place of business in California that are qualified through the Secretary of State to do business in California are eligible to apply for these funds. Agencies claiming private non-profit status must submit proof of their non-profit status with their proposal. Either certification from the State of California, Office of Secretary of State, or a letter from the Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) classifying the agency as a non-profit agency is acceptable proof. For an example, see Appendix 1: Sample Non-Profit Status Letter.

Agencies must be able to certify that no conflict of interest with commercial tobacco, e-cigarette, cannabis, or related industries exist. See Appendix 2: Certification of Non-Acceptance of Tobacco Funds for more details.

Agencies must also be able to provide a State of California Franchise Tax Board Entity Status Letter to certify that they are in good standing, fiscally stable, and qualified to conduct business with the State of California. See Part II., Section A.6., “Tax Debtor List” in this Solicitation for more details.

By submitting a proposal, agencies acknowledge and agree to comply with all terms and conditions in the Solicitation. Any costs incurred by those participating at any stages of this Solicitation are the sole responsibility of the Proposer and will not be reimbursed by CDPH/CTPP.
 

2. Recommended Experience

The most competitive proposals will include Key Personnel, Subcontractors, and/or Consultants which collectively demonstrate the following:

• • At least five (5) years working in California assessing tobacco product availability and marketing in the retail environment statewide in a sample of at least 500 stores or more per survey.
• • At least five (5) years designing survey instruments to assess tobacco product availability and marketing in the retail environment.
• • At least five (5) years of developing and executing complex study design, data cleaning, and data analysis within the retail environment using a variety of statistical software programs and applications.
• • At least five (5) years of experience developing interactive public health mapping tools.
• • At least five (5) years working with local and statewide tobacco prevention audiences, groups, and organizations in California related to tobacco prevention-specific surveillance and evaluation activities such as training and technical assistance, translation and dissemination of research, or policy development.
• • At least three (3) years of experience purchasing and analyzing retail scanner data. 
• • At least five (5) years of experience managing statewide projects with a budget of $600,000 per year or greater.

For technical assistance regarding the use of the TCFOR or Online Tobacco Information System (OTIS) websites, please email CTPP-KMU@cdph.ca.gov.

For all questions regarding this solicitation, including clarification on materials, instructions, or requirements, please email CTPPEvaluation@cdph.ca.gov. Please include “CDPH/CTPP Solicitation EVAL 25-10023” in the subject line. All questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted by Tuesday, June 23, 2025, 5:00 PM*. Responses will be posted to TCFOR by Tuesday, July 1, 2025*.

*Dates and times are tentative.