RFP 26-10016 California Tobacco Prevention Clearinghouse

The California Department of Public Health’s Tobacco Prevention Program is seeking a single qualified nonprofit agency to operate and maintain a statewide clearinghouse for tobacco prevention educational materials, with the contract term running from October 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029. The selected entity must develop, manage, and distribute culturally relevant, multilingual resources aligned with the TEROC 2025-2026 Master Plan, providing technical assistance to local and state partners in creating and adapting outreach materials while ensuring consistent access to accurate prevention content across diverse communities. Core responsibilities include managing distribution and fulfillment services, offering leadership and training to funded projects, fulfilling citation requests, and implementing a system to increase material accessibility by June 30, 2026. The agency must also demonstrate proficiency in applying evidence-based strategies that account for community norms and behavioral influences related to tobacco use. Proposals must be submitted electronically by 3:00 PM on July 23, 2026, and are evaluated on a weighted scoring system totaling 695 points across seven categories, with agency capability weighted most heavily at 245 points, followed by project personnel at 120 points and cost at 210 points. To be considered responsible, proposals must achieve a minimum narrative score of 340 points. Required documentation includes a mandatory letter of intent, detailed budget proposals covering three fiscal years with fully loaded hourly rates including overhead, labor, benefits, and inflation, and compliance certifications such as non-acceptance of tobacco funds, conflict of interest, and California civil rights adherence. The agency must designate a full-time Project Director as the primary point of contact and provide proof of liability insurance, including $1 million in motor vehicle coverage. Invoicing is required monthly in arrears via electronic submission to a designated state address, with reimbursement limited to actual expenditures incurred within the contract period. Records must be retained for three years post-payment. All submissions must adhere to strict formatting rules—12-point font, one-inch margins, no compressed files—and must not be marked confidential. The solicitation is a nonprofit set-aside, and proposers must verify their legal status through IRS determination letters, state business licenses, or other required documentation.