VDH Tobacco Control and Chronic Disease Marketing, Communications, and Media

Location:	Vermont
Posted:	Feb 20, 2026
Due:	Mar 9, 2026
Agency:	State of Vermont
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Agency of Human Services/Department of Health

133 State Street, 5th Floor | Montpelier VT 05633-8000

802-828-2211 phone |802-828-2222 fax

http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing

SEALED BID

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Tobacco Control and Chronic Disease

Marketing, Communications, and Media

ISSUE DATE

QUESTIONS DUE

RFP RESPONSES DUE BY

February 2, 2026

February 16, 2026 – 4:30 PM (EST)

March, 09, 2026 – 4:30 PM (EST)

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES, AND ADDENDUMS ASSOCIATED

WITH THIS RFP WILL BE POSTED AT:

http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php

THE STATE WILL MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT INTERESTED PARTIES WITH UPDATED

INFORMATION. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH BIDDER TO PERIODICALLY CHECK THE

ABOVE WEBPAGEFOR ANY AND ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES AND ADDENDUMS

ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RFP.

STATE CONTACT:

E-MAIL:

USE SUBJECT :

Kyle Emerson

sov.thepathforward@vermont.gov

TOBACCO AND DISEASE MARKETING

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1. OVERVIEW:

1.1. SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Through this Request for Proposal (RFP) the Vermont Agency of Human

Services, Department of Health (hereinafter the “State”) is seeking to establish contracts with one or more

companies that can provide Tobacco Control and Chronic Disease Marketing, Communication, and

Media services to promote behavior change, provide mass-reach and digital media, communications, and

public health marketing to reduce the prevalence of tobacco and tobacco alternatives initiation and use,

promote cessation, and to prevent and reduce chronic disease in Vermont.

1.2. CONTRACT PERIOD: Contracts arising from this RFP will be for a period of four (4) years with an option

to renew for up to one (1) additional twelve-month period. The State anticipates the start date for such

contract(s) will be 7/1/2026.

1.3. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT: All communications concerning this RFP are to be addressed in writing

to the State Contact listed on the front page of this RFP. Actual or attempted contact with any other

individual from the State concerning this RFP is strictly prohibited and may result in disqualification.

1.4. BIDDERS’ CONFERENCE: A bidders’ conference will not be held

1.5. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD: Any bidder requiring clarification of any section of this RFP or

wishing to comment on any requirement of the RFP must submit specific questions in writing no later than

the deadline for question indicated on the first page of this RFP. Questions may be e-mailed to the point

of contact on the front page of this RFP. Questions or comments not raised in writing on or before the last

day of the question period are thereafter waived. At the close of the question period a copy of all

questions or comments and the State's responses will be posted on the State’s web site

http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php . Every effort will be made to post this information as soon as

possible after the question period ends, contingent on the number and complexity of the questions. All

information provided by vendors during this process will be public and bidders shall not provide

confidential information, except as described in 4.1 below.

1.6. CHANGES TO THIS RFP: Any modifications to this RFP will be made in writing by the State through the

issuance of an Addendum to this RFP and posted online at http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php .

Modifications from any other source are not to be considered.

1.7. SOURCE OF FUNDS: The project is funded by the following sources:

• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• State of Vermont Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement

• Vermont Global Commitment to Health 1115 Waiver

• Health Resources and Services Administration

• Other State/Federal funds as they become available

This project is being funded in whole or in part using federal monies. If a bidder requires assistance in

preparing their proposal or needs guidance on socioeconomic certifications, the bidder may contact the

VT APEX Accelerator. The APEX Accelerator specializes in helping small businesses navigate the

documentation associated with State and Federal procurement. Their website is: http://apex.vermont.gov

2. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS/DESIRED OUTCOMES:

Media and communication play a pivotal role in promoting public health awareness, providing access to public

health education, facilitating behavior change, and promoting access to services. The contractor will be

expected to primarily support the tobacco control program and be able to provide capacity to support

chronic disease programs. Bidder should focus their responses on tobacco control and highlight their capacity

to provide services for chronic diseases.

Tobacco Control – Prevention and Cessation

Tobacco and nicotine harm everyone, especially Vermont’s underserved residents. Tobacco is the number

one preventable cause of death and directly contributes to four of the top five causes of death in Vermont.

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The State is committed to reducing tobacco and nicotine adult cigarette use, e-cigarettes or smokeless

tobacco use..

It is important to note that a priority for the State is increasing health equity, including reducing nicotine

dependence use among Vermonters of low socio-economic status, those with co-occurring mental health

and substance use disorders, Vermonters who identify as LGBTQ+ and Vermonters who are disabled or

pregnant.

The three core goals of the Tobacco Control Program:

1. Reduce youth smoking prevalence

2. Reduce adult smoking prevalence

3. Reduce the exposure of all Vermonters to secondhand smoke

The tobacco industry spends an estimated $16 million on advertising and promotion every year in

Vermont, presenting a considerable challenge to those interested in promoting the health of

Vermonters. In order to successfully promote the health of Vermonters, the State needs to counteract

the tobacco industry’s marketing of their products with aggressive “counter-marketing” campaigns.

Strategies include, but are not limited to, using the tools and techniques of social marketing to decrease

the demand for tobacco and nicotine products, continues progress to change the social norm around

smoking and vaping to promote a tobacco-free lifestyle, link people who smoke to cessation resources, and

foster behavioral and policy changes to reduce the adverse impact of secondhand smoke and vape

emissions.

The State aims to promote cessation of tobacco and nicotine use, reduce the social acceptability of tobacco

and nicotine use, prevent initiation of tobacco and nicotine use, address disproportionately high rates of

tobacco and nicotine use by specific population groups, and eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke and

vape emissions. The State uses a multi-pronged strategic approach to reduce tobacco and nicotine use in

the population and seeks to impact the population through:

• Statewide and community action to change the community environment that supports the tobacco-

free norm, change community attitudes about tobacco and nicotine, and de-normalize tobacco and

nicotine use. A key outcome of the State’s tobacco control community mobilization strategy is the

adoption and effective implementation of local and statewide policies that permanently change society’s

acceptance of tobacco and nicotine use.

• Prevention to protect youth and young adults from a lifetime of tobacco and nicotine addiction. Support

youth engagement for peer-to-peer education and school administrators, nurses, and SAPs with

resources to reduce school substance use and initiation.

• Cessation interventions to establish and maintain community, governmental and health care delivery

systems that promote cessation, increase access to and delivery of evidence-based cessation services,

and motivate individual tobacco and nicotine users to quit successfully. Key outcomes of the State’s

cessation interventions are provision of guideline concordant tobacco dependence treatment by the

health care sector and adoption of policies that motivate people who smoke and other tobacco/nicotine

users to quit.

• Public health communication to increase awareness of the dangers of tobacco use, including E-

cigarettes, or vapes, and emerging products and secondhand smoke, and motivate tobacco users to

stop. A key outcome of the State’s health communication strategy is better educated community

members and decision makers who will support effective tobacco control policies and take personal

action toward a tobacco-free Vermont.

• Changing social norms at retail point-of-sale to reduce exposure to the tobacco industry’s aggressive

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product placement. The State’s counter-marketing initiative works to educate the public and decision

makers on the tobacco industry’s aggressive point-of-sale marketing strategies employed in Vermont

and counter the messaging, which is appealing and misleading to youth. A critical part of this initiative is

measuring and reporting the extent of industry point-of-sale marketing through statewide store

assessments.

The State is supported by surveillance and evaluation activities to monitor program progress and impact

and by program administration to build and maintain an effective tobacco control infrastructure, provide

technical assistance and guidance, and manage the effective and efficient investment of state tobacco

control funding. The State strives to contribute to the science of tobacco control through surveillance

and evaluation of program initiatives and dissemination of program findings. Successful vendor(s) will

be participants in surveillance and evaluation activities.

The Department is open to two models to complete the scope of work:

• A sole agency to cover the entire scope of work

• A lead agency working with partners/subcontractors to cover the entire scope of work

Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, are the major causes of death and

disability in the U.S. and leading drivers of health care costs. Sixty percent of U.S. adults have at least one

chronic disease and 40% have two or more (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Many chronic

conditions are linked to lifestyle, environment, access to equitable care, and genetic factors. Lifestyle

choices and social determinants of health, such as poor diet/access to healthy food, physical inactivity, and

tobacco use, place people at higher risk of developing these diseases or one of their precursor conditions

(e.g., prediabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol) and experiencing poor health outcomes.

The following topics/activities are currently part of the Health Department’s portfolio of chronic and

infectious disease:

• Arthritis

• Asthma

• Brain Health

• Cardiovascular Disease

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

• Colorectal Cancer

• Comprehensive Cancer

• Diabetes

• Oral Health

• Physical Activity and Nutrition

• Primary Care

• Rural Health

• You First (breast cancer, cervical cancer & heart health)

The estimated contract maximum for the four (4) year contract period is currently $2,400,000.

2.1 The State of Vermont is interested in obtaining bids to meet the following business need(s):

The State is seeking a contractor(s) to provide prevention marketing, communication, media, public

education, and support to the Division of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the

Vermont Department of Health. The goal of this project is to bring together the disciplines of

public health, the science of behavior change, and marketing. The Contractor will utilize the most

appropriate strategies from each discipline to reduce unhealthy behaviors. This will be achieved by

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tailoring approaches based on best practices to engage Vermonters in a process of cultural

transformation to move away from unhealthy behaviors related to tobacco use and to prevent and reduce

the burden of chronic diseases in Vermont.

Tobacco and Nicotine Use - Prevention and Cessation and Chronic Disease

• Develop, design, and produce communications and market content.

• Use or license existing communications and media content.

• Place media buys.

• Increase the public understanding of tobacco and nicotine initiation, use, perception of harm,

and the prevalence of chronic disease in Vermont and its impact on the health of Vermonters.

• Develop and implement tailored messaging to reach identified/priority populations.

• Employ comprehensive approaches to reduce tobacco and nicotine use to improve health

outcomes.

• Employ comprehensive approaches to reduce chronic diseases to improve health outcomes.

• Build awareness, promote prevention and harm reduction strategies, and address health equity

issues/impacts in collaboration with statewide networks of partners and providers, including

schools, community organizations, grantees, and health care systems.

• Contractor will make use of new and/or existing formative research and best-practice counter-

marketing strategies, to bring about behavior change. Methods used for counter-marketing may

include, but are not limited to:

o Mass media (radio, television, and print)

o Social media

o Online advertising

o Online and mobile video

o Public events

o Health Department community partners

In an effort to reduce the burden of tobacco, especially upon populations of low socio-economic status,

and attain the Health Department’s goals related to Healthy Vermonters 2030, the Contractor will:

• build upon existing research with populations at risk

• build upon existing marketing strategies/tactics, and

• develop and implement new strategies/tactics

2.1. The State of Vermont seeks to achieve the following Business Value(s):

2.1.1. Cost Savings:

• By reducing tobacco/nicotine use and chronic disease prevalence, the State can achieve

health cost savings since Vermont Medicaid clients are frequently the highest utilizers of

health services related to care for tobacco-related and chronic disease conditions.

• Using a full-service marketing vendor will increase financial efficiencies through streamlined

coordination of the campaign development and implementation process within one agency

including: formative research, concept and development testing, creative development, and

media buying, implementation, monitoring and response, evaluation, and reporting.

• This procurement will allow the State to reduce message development costs by adapting

existing messaging developed by a vendor at a lower cost, or licensing available creative

message packages, rather than creating new messaging from scratch for each project.

2.1.2. Customer Service Improvement:

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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

TITLE	QUESTIONS DUE	ANSWERS POSTED	DUE DATE	NO POSTING AFTER
VDH Tobacco Control and Chronic Disease Marketing, Communications, and Media	02/16/2026 04:30PM	Q&A - VDH Tobacco and Chronic Disease Marketing. (02/20/2026)	03/09/2026 04:30PM