Decoy Recruitment for Tobacco Enforcement Request for Information (RFI)

The California Department of Public Health, Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement (OYTE), is conducting market research to identify qualified bidders that could provide decoy volunteers, between 15-20 years of age, to work with the Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement to perform underage tobacco buys throughout the State to enforce both State and Federal tobacco laws. The contractor shall initiate development and maintenance of a decoy recruitment program covering the statewide contract recruiting area and recruit and maintain a minimum of 400-600 active and available decoy operatives between the ages of 15-20 years old to support roughly 8,500 annual ongoing statewide tobacco compliance checks each fiscal year. Key responsibilities include: • Identifying potential bidders with at least two consecutive years of relevant experience within the past five years • Recruiting, training, and maintaining a list of youth volunteers, aged 15-20, throughout California • Demonstrating the capacity to conduct recruiting operations statewide, including urban, suburban, and rural areas • Possessing the ability to conduct recruitment and outreach efforts in various settings, such as colleges, vocational programs, street outreach, and community-based organizations • Implementing and maintaining standardized screening, parental consent, and health/safety protocols • Demonstrating an understanding of processes and procedures for handling and protecting personal information in accordance with California law • Demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of CA tobacco laws and regulations, particularly as they relate to the Stop Tobacco Access to Kids (STAKE) Act