25-10747_Tobacco_Decoy_Recruitment_RFI.pdf

California Department of Public Health (CDPH)

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

RFI 25-10747

Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement (OYTE)

Decoy Recruitment for Tobacco Enforcement Request for Information (RFI)

Release Date:

November 17th, 2025

ISSUED BY: CDPH

California Department of Public Health Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement (OYTE) ______RFI # 25-10747

Table of Contents

A. PURPOSE 1

B. OBJECTIVE 1

C. RFI KEY ACTION DATES 1

D. CONTACT 2

E. BACKGROUND 2

F. RFI RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS 2

G. DISCLAIMER 6

H. SAMPLE SCOPE OF WORK 7

A. PURPOSE

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is releasing this Request for Information (RFI) to request feedback on vendor capabilities as it pertains to recruitment services This is RFI is for

Market Research purposes and will not be scored.

B. OBJECTIVE

The California Department of Public Health, Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement (OYTE) is conducting Market Research that will help foster future relationships with recruiters to assist with

CDPH business needs. To accomplish this objective, CDPH is issuing this RFI with a focus on the following:

• Identify potential bidders with at least two consecutive years of relevant experience within the past five years, as specified below.

• Recruit, train, and maintain a list of youth volunteers, aged 15-20, throughout California, ensuring they come from diverse backgrounds and are able and willing to volunteer with

CDPH to meet program goals.

• Demonstrate the capacity to conduct recruiting operations statewide, including urban, suburban, and rural areas.

• Possess the ability to conduct recruitment and outreach efforts in various settings, such as colleges, vocational programs, street outreach, and community-based organizations.

• Implement and maintain standardized screening, parental consent, and health/safety protocols.

• Demonstrate an understanding of processes and procedures for handling and protecting personal information in accordance with California law.

• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of CA tobacco laws and regulations, particularly as they relate to the Stop Tobacco Access to Kids (STAKE) Act.

C. RFI KEY ACTION DATES

Key Action Date

Release of the RFI 11/17/2025

Vendor Questions Due 11/25/2025

Responses to Vendor Questions Posted 12/03/2025

Last Day to Submit RFI Response 12/17/2026

D. CONTACT

The primary RFI contact is listed below:

Primary Contact

Attn: Rachel Otero

Email: Rachel.otero@cdph.ca.gov

RFI responses are to be submitted in email form to the above contact.

E. BACKGROUND

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.

OYTE is a law enforcement agency that is the primary agency in California responsible for enforcing the STAKE Act (CA BPC 22950-22964). The STAKE Act attempts to prevent tobacco products from being sold to anyone under 21 years of age through conducting underage-age tobacco buys at retailers selling tobacco products.

Contractor shall be responsible for initiating the development and maintenance of a decoy recruitment program covering the statewide contract recruiting area and recruit and maintain 400-

600 active and available decoys between the ages of 15-20 years old to support roughly 27,000 ongoing statewide tobacco compliance checks.

F. RFI RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

CDPH is requesting information on vendor capabilities and expertise, along with estimations on how vendors would approach a Sample Scope/Statement of Work expressed in Section H. Submit your responses by emailing the Primary Contact, identified in Section D, by the date listed in the

RFI Key Action Dates table. Ensure your response includes your company name, product/platform name, and responses to the following items:

mailto:Rachel.otero@cdph.ca.gov

General

• Provide an overview of your organization, mission, and experience recruiting, managing, and supporting underage decoys for other age-restricted product compliance checks.

Include annual operating budget and relevant government contracting experience.

• Describe your fiscal and accounting processes, invoicing practices, and budgetary controls, including capacity to comply with state payment terms

• Describe your staffing model and facilities for decoy recruitment and operations (project leads, decoy coordinators, trainers, background investigators, medical/mental-health support if available). Include staff-to-project ratios and geographic reach across California.

• Explain your capacity to coordinate and manage staff and subcontractors (e.g., local recruiters, training vendors, background check providers) to ensure timely, compliant deployment of decoys statewide.

Recruitment, Screening & Eligibility

• Describe your recruitment strategies to identify and enroll qualified underage decoys consistent with legal and ethical requirements. Specify outreach channels, partnerships

(schools, community organizations), and strategies to recruit candidates representing

California’s diverse communities.

• Explain your eligibility screening process, including age verification, parental/guardian consent procedures, identity documentation, and any jurisdictional requirements.

• Describe your background check process (criminal history, juvenile records where legally required/allowed), procedures for handling disqualifying findings, and documentation practices to satisfy audit and legal review.

• Describe measures to protect the privacy and safety of decoys and their families during recruitment, operations, and reporting.

Training, Supervision & Safety

• Describe your decoy training curriculum and methods (classroom, scenario-based, field-ride-alongs), including minimum training hours, competency assessments, and documentation of completion. Include how training addresses role expectations, legal compliance, non-confrontational behavior, evidence preservation, and reporting.

• Describe safety protocols, risk mitigation strategies, and support resources (e.g., incident response, counseling, medical care, emergency contacts) in the event there is an incident/accident involving a decoy.

Diversity, Equity & Cultural Competence

• Describe how your recruitment and training processes ensure equitable representation of race/ethnicity, language, gender identity, and geographic regions across California.

• Explain how you screen for and mitigate potential cultural or linguistic barriers that could affect decoy performance.

Legal Considerations

• Describe your knowledge of and procedures to ensure compliance with federal, state

(including the STAKE Act), and local laws governing use of underage decoys, consent requirements, and juvenile protections.

• Disclose any existing or potential conflicts of interest with tobacco, vaping, or related industries.

• Describe your insurance, liability coverage, and risk allocation approach (including how you handle incidents, claims, or legal challenges arising from decoy operations).

Documentation & Reporting

• Describe your processes for documenting recruitment, consent forms, training records, background checks, incident reports, and chain-of-custody for evidence. Indicate retention schedules and secure storage practices.

• Explain how you collect, manage, and share operational data (e.g., number of decoys recruited, demographic data, vendor/retailer encounters, violations detected) while protecting personally identifiable information.

• Confirm ability to provide quarterly progress reports summarizing activities, outcomes, expenditures, and key performance indicators, and to deliver ad-hoc reports or data extracts for audits or research.

Evaluation & Quality Assurance

• Describe your approach to monitoring and evaluating decoy recruitment quality, field performance, and program integrity.

• Explain metrics you use to measure effectiveness (e.g., recruitment yield, retention, compliance check success rate, error rates, safety incidents) and how those metrics inform program improvement.

• Describe procedures for corrective actions, re-training, or removal of decoys or staff that fail to meet standards.

• Describe your ability to rapidly scale recruitment and deployment across multiple counties or regions and to tailor operations to local contexts (urban, rural, tribal, remote).

Conflicts & Payment Terms

• Detail any conflicts of interest or contractual relationships that could affect your ability to serve OYTE (e.g., relationships with tobacco or vaping industry vendors).

• Describe any language, cultural, logistical, or legal barriers your organization may face in serving all California communities equitably and how you would mitigate those barriers.

• CDPH OYTE reimburses invoices monthly in arrears. Describe any challenges your organization would have with this payment schedule and proposed accommodations.

Timeline & Budget

• Based on the Sample Scope of Work, submit a narrative with a multi-year timeline for recruitment, training, deployment, and evaluation, and provide proposed costs within an allocation of $2.4 million over a 3-year term. Include cost breakdowns for recruitment, background checks, training, supervision, travel, decoy compensation, subcontractors, overhead, and evaluation.

G. DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation.

A response to this RFI is not an offer and cannot be accepted by the State to form a binding contract.

This RFI is solely designed to provide CDPH with meaningful information to enable CDPH to determine how to proceed with future agreements.

RFI Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. The

State is not responsible for any expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

The submission of a response does not constitute any commitment on the part of the interested party. However, the RFI Respondent agrees that the submitted information is correct to the best of the RFI Respondent’s knowledge. CDPH is also interested in learning the reasons for not submitting a response.

RFI Respondents are advised that all documents submitted in response to this RFI will become the property of the State of California and will be regarded as public records under the California

Public Records Act (PRA) pursuant to Government Code section 7920 et seq. The intent of this RFI is for Market Research purposes. Respondents should be aware that marking the response or questions “confidential” or “proprietary” will not exclude that content if the Department receives a PRA request. Please do not include any confidential or proprietary information in responses to this RFI as it will be subject to the PRA and may be disclosed to the public under the PRA.

Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement (OYTE) ______ RFI # 25-10747

SAMPLE SCOPE/STATEMENT OF WORK

The Contractor shall initiate development and maintenance of a decoy recruitment program covering 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.

Objective 1 – Coordination/Collaboration Activities

Task No.

Descriptions Responsible Parties

Deliverables Timelines

1.1 The contractor shall participate in monthly

interagency meetings or teleconferences with California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement (OYTE) to discuss interagency coordination and collaboration, decoy recruitment strategies and activities, decoy recruitment progress, and relevant youth and young adult (15 to 20 years) access issues. OYTE shall facilitate meetings/calls.

Recruitment Coordinator

Collect copies of attendance logs/meetings.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.2 The contractor shall contact all decoys prior to

their participation in compliance checks to ensure the decoys take and pass any required online training courses.

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain a list of decoys who are required to take additional training courses and follow up appropriately.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.3 Contractor shall develop and mail out decoy

application packets to recruits on a weekly basis.

Packets shall include materials necessary to register with the decoy program including: an application form, medical consent form, release of liability form, on-disclosure forms, “Refer-a- Friend” form, instructions for requesting a birth certificate, and information about the recruiting

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain decoy application packets.

April 2026 – June 2029 agency and other tobacco control-related programs and opportunities. Parental/Guardian consent forms must also be included in the packet if the decoy is underage. Packets shall be tailored as needed to the specific requirements of the decoy operations.

1.4 Process incoming decoy applications on a daily

basis using a “decoy program application in-process check-off tool” to verify for completeness.

Ensure applications include a copy of the applicant’s birth certificate, CA DMV-issued photo ID card, school address (including cross streets), contact information, decoy residence, and applicable tax forms requiring signatures. For underage decoys, include the residential addresses for both parents if they are divorced and/or living at separate addresses. All incoming decoy applications shall be kept in a confidential and secure manner. Contractor shall confirm receipt of decoy applications by U.S. mail or email.

Recruitment Coordinator

Collect list of incoming decoy applicants annually.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.5 Conduct follow up telephone calls to

prescreen/perform initial background check on all recruits for minimum program qualifications or to obtain any missing decoy application information. During the interview process, provide information about other opportunities in tobacco control, such as Local Lead Agency (LLA) youth coalitions, California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN), Campuses Organized and United for Good Health (COUGH), and both youth and young adult related events and groups. Phone calls shall also be used to inform decoy of application acceptance. Video calls shall be conducted if interviews can’t be performed in person.

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain phone log of attendees.

1.6 Mail welcome/confirmation packets to decoy

applicants congratulating them on their acceptance into the decoy program.

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain list of packages distributed.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.7 E-mail decoy recruitment data packets to OYTE

investigators on an as- needed basis. Packets are to include parental permission (for underage decoys), release of liability forms, copy of CA DMV-issued photo ID, copy of birth certificate (when available), completed screening form, medical consent form, decoy’s residence, telephone contact information, non-disclosure forms, and school address with cross streets. For underage decoys, include the residential addresses for both parents if they are divorced and/or living at separate addresses.

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain records of number of packets mailed.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.8 Maintain a decoy recruitment contractor

database by entering new recruits and updating applicable tracking data (number of decoys who worked, work dates, contract check type worked, stipends, recruitment, and retention material per retail facility, coupons, letter of recommendation, mailings, appreciation letter, referrals, etc.) on a weekly basis.

Recruitment Coordinator

Review decoy recruitment database annually.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.9 Upon existing minor decoys turning 18 years old, receive and process an updated application, consent forms and non-disclosure forms.

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain and file decoy recruit data and documentation monthly.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.10 Send decoy recruit data and documentation to

the OYTE monthly; discuss any relevant issues with OYTE as needed.

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain and file decoy recruit data and documentation monthly.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.11 The contractor shall maintain and file applications

in a manner that will protect the confidentiality of decoy

Recruitment Coordinator

Check files/records annually.

recruits.

1.12 Recruit and maintain a minimum of 400-600

youth and young adults 15-20 years of age statewide for scheduled tobacco enforcement activities conducted by OYTE. Decoys that are within three months of aging out of the program shall be replaced by viable youths or under 21-year-old young adults.

Recruitment Coordinator

Audit and verify decoy recruitment list quarterly.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.13 The contractor shall maintain a system to track

the type and number of compliance checks each decoy participates in to ensure that expenses are assigned to the correct funding source. Additionally, documents identifying expenditures and funding sources are subject to an audit, which include, but is not limited to, any documentation past or present.

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain and update tracking system weekly.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.14 The contractor shall obtain, verify, and document

the decoy’s willingness to be available for up to five years from the date of the decoy’s last compliance check to provide a narrative report, declaration, and/or give oral testimony in a hearing should one of their compliance checks go to court or administrative hearing.

Recruitment Coordinator

Obtain and maintain documentation.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.15 The contractor shall maintain the contact

information for each decoy that participated in a compliance check for up to five years after the decoy has left the program. The decoy’s contact information shall be reviewed and updated annually, if needed. The updated contact information shall be shared with OYTE as soon as it’s known.

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain and update information annually.

April 2026 – June 2029

1.16 The contractor shall conduct outreach efforts for

decoys that are reported by OYTE investigators as unresponsive. OYTE shall be updated with decoy status within two weeks. If decoy is unresponsive after outreach efforts, decoy may

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain updated contact information for decoys.

Contact as needed.

be removed from program at the discretion of the contractor or OYTE.

1.17 When recruiting new decoys, the contract shall

ensure decoys are available a minimum of 25% of the time during business hours.

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain and update information annually.

April 2026 – June 2029

Objective 2 – Community Education Activities

Task No. Descriptions Responsible Parties

Deliverables Timelines

2.1 The contractor shall annually conduct a

minimum of 24 decoy recruitment presentations, 10-30 minutes in length, regarding the OYTE illegal tobacco sales to young adult inspection program and decoy operations to community-based youth and young adult organizations such as YMCA, CYAN, COUGH, , Friday Night Live (FNL), church groups, youth coalitions, Police Explorer Programs, Criminal Justice majors at colleges and universities, and other groups that work with youth and young adults in the Statewide Contract Recruiting Area. The contractor shall notify the OYTE prior to scheduled presentations so that agency can decide if it wants to send representatives to participate in the presentations.

Recruitment Coordinator

Collect logs, receive copies of presentation materials.

April 2026 – June 2029

2.2 Conduct decoy recruitment at a minimum of

four organized youth and young adult related tobacco control events annually such as CYAN Youth Quest. The contractor shall notify the OYTE of scheduled events three months ahead of event, if possible, so that agency can decide if it wants to send representatives to participate in the recruitment events.

Recruitment Coordinator

Review decoy recruitment binder annually. Notify OYTE of scheduled events with three-month advance notice, if possible.

2.3 Maintain a decoy recruitment binder which

includes but is not limited to, letters of support, commendation, and experiences with the program to be used as a marketing tool for prospective decoy recruits, parents/guardians of the youth decoys, and youth and young adult related groups. The binder shall be kept in a confidential and secure manner and facility.

Recruitment Coordinator

Review decoy recruitment binder annually.

April 2026 – June 2029

Objective 3 – Education Materials and Development Activities

Task No. Descriptions Responsible Parties

Deliverables Timelines

3.1 Distribute a minimum of 2,500 recruitment

materials per year to youth at high school, to young adults at colleges and community events, and to youth and young adult organizations throughout the Statewide Contract Recruiting Area. The contractor shall notify and update OYTE of when these activities occur.

Recruitment Coordinator

Collect copies of materials.

Notify OYTE Project Representative when recruitment materials are shared at community events.

April 2026 – June 2029

3.2 Develop one to two new decoy recruitment

program materials per year targeting 15–20 year-old youths and young adults, such as brochures, fact sheets, door hangers, and posters. The contractor shall meet and discuss with the OYTE Project Representative once new recruitment materials are developed.

Recruitment Coordinator

Notify OYTE Project Representative of new recruitment materials.

Provide materials to OYTE.

April 2026 – June 2029

3.3 Develop, review and update decoy

recruitment application materials as needed, including Application form, parental consent form, if required, decoy consent form, release of liability, medical release form, recruiting agency background, decoy participation instructions, and other related decoy

Recruitment Coordinator

Verify decoy recruitment updates annually.

recruitment program information. Ensure application materials request a copy of the decoy’s birth certificate, school address (including cross streets), contact information, and decoy residence. For underage decoys, include the residential addresses for both parents they are if divorced and/or living at separate addresses. Maintain decoy recruitment application materials in a confidential and secure manner and facility.

Objective 4 – Recruitment and Retention Materials

Task No. Descriptions Responsible Parties

Deliverables Timelines

4.1 Provide compensation, such as a letter of

recommendation, certificate and/or suitable alternative to decoys who complete and return all required application paperwork and participant forms (to include application packet, parental notification, and consent (if required), and "Refer-a-Friend" materials) throughout the Statewide Contract Recruiting Area during the contract period as an incentive for decoys to complete and return applications. The recruitment and retention material shall be consistent with CDPH guidelines on lead and promotional items.

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain recruitment list/verify compliance with CDPH Behavioral Modification Material (BMM) guidelines if application.

April 2026 – June 2029

4.2 Provide compensation, such as stipends of

$10.00 per store with a $100 minimum per day to decoys performing compliance checks and undercover buys.

Compensation must be issued to the decoys within two weeks of recruiters receiving a stipend request

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain and check records semi-annually.

from OYTE staff. Provide OYTE investigators with meal coupons for distribution to decoys in the amount of $20.00 per day the decoys are utilized on compliance checks. The contractor shall maintain a log of all gift cards and coupons and shall require individual’s receiving compensation to attest to the receipt of compensation.

Participant log shall be kept in a secure location and the log shall be produced as an exhibit to each report.

4.3 Provide endorsements, such as a letter of

appreciation or commendation and certificate of achievement to decoys that participated in compliance checks and undercover buys upon their completion of OYTE inspections

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain log. April 2026 – June 2029

Objective 5 – Media Activities

Task No. Descriptions Responsible Parties

Deliverables Timelines

5.1 Conduct semi-annual mailings of decoy

recruitment program newsletters to 24 to 36 youth and young adult groups and agencies that serve and work with youth and young adults ages 15 to 20 years (such as schools, colleges, 4H clubs, FNL, Explorers, LLA youth coalitions, criminal justice college clubs/groups, etc.) to introduce and promote decoy volunteer opportunities. The newsletter shall mention the availability of decoy recruitment program staff as speakers, request recruiting assistance/access to youth and young adults and contain information regarding events and activities of interest to youth and young adults.

Recruitment Coordinator

Maintain list of agencies receiving mailings. Provide copies of program newsletters to OYTE.

Objective 6 – School-based Education Awareness

Task No. Descriptions Responsible Parties

Deliverables Timelines

6.1 Annually conduct a minimum of 24 decoy

recruitment presentations, 10 to 30 minutes in length, regarding the OYTE illegal tobacco sales to under 21-years young adult compliance program and decoy operations to high schools and colleges and school-based events and organizations such as TUPE Programs, Career Centers, Key Clubs, California Scholarships Federations, National Honors Societies, Peer Assistance Leadership Clubs, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), Regional Occupation Programs (ROP), and other on–site school organizations throughout the Statewide Contract Recruiting Area. Priority shall be given to conducting presentations geared toward organizations and college clubs that consist of students majoring in criminal justice or similar.

studies.

Recruitment Coordinator

Collect presentation materials annually. Provide schedule and presentation materials to OYTE Project Representative.

April 2026 – June 2029

6.2 Annually conduct decoy recruitment activities at

two to four high school and college related events. Newsletters, applications, and information about the application process shall be presented and/or distributed.

Recruitment Coordinator

Collect logs and newsletters.

Objective 7 – Training/Technical Assistance Activities

Task No. Descriptions Responsible Parties

Deliverables Timelines

7.1 Annually provide one to five trainings upon

request from OYTE, 30 to 60 minutes in length, to partnering agencies, law enforcement agencies, and local public health organizations. Trainings shall include decoy recruitment techniques, an overview of the decoy recruitment program, benefits of participation, OYTE field inspection practices, form requirements, information on obtaining a DMV-issued photo ID, child labor laws, other youth, and young adult programs and activities, and other relevant information.

Training curriculum from previous OYTE trainings Shall be updated annually.

Recruitment Coordinator

Collect attendance logs and training materials annually.

April 2026 – June 2029

7.2 Annually provide 10 to 20 hours of technical

assistance upon request from OYTE to staff and/or partnering agencies and groups, such as LLAs, law enforcement agencies, youth and young adult groups regarding the decoy recruitment program.

Recruitment Coordinator

Receive technical assistance materials from OYTE. Collect attendance logs from trainings conducted at the request of OYTE.

April 2026 – June 2029

7.3 Annually provide decoy recruitment program

staff with one to two training sessions, 30 to 60 minutes in length, to include recruitment techniques, an overview of the decoy recruiting program, OYTE field inspection practices, form requirements, obtaining DMV-issued photo IDs, child labor laws, and other relevant information. Training may be incorporated into monthly contractor staff meetings. Training curriculum from previous

Recruitment Coordinator

Collect attendance logs and training.

employee trainings shall be updated annually

Objective 8 – Reporting and Evaluation Activities

Task No. Descriptions Responsible Parties

Deliverables Timelines

8.1 Collection of Process Data -

Education/Participant Survey.

Recruitment Coordinator

Written summary of survey finding to be completed annually.

April 2026 – June 2029

8.2 Provide quarterly progress reports on decoy

recruitment program. Meetings shall be conducted via video conference and shall be scheduled by the contractor.

Recruitment Coordinator

Quarterly meetings shall be scheduled by the contractor to update OYTE on program progress/issues.