Retail Tobacco Compliance Checks

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is requesting proposals for retail tobacco compliance check inspections statewide, with proposals due October 1, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. local time and written questions due September 10, 2026. The Department anticipates one award for a two-year initial term (January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028) with two optional renewal periods extending through December 31, 2031.

Bidders and subcontractors are ineligible if they hold contractual relationships with tobacco companies or maintain significant financial interests in tobacco retailers where inspections will occur. This disqualification is the primary eligibility filter.

The scope is unannounced undercover buy inspections at licensed tobacco retail establishments to verify compliance with state and federal tobacco sales laws and meet Federal Synar requirements under the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. Inspection teams must include an active or retired law enforcement officer as an Agent, a Supervisor, and up to two Youth Interns (ages 16–17) or Young Adult Interns (ages 18–20), with designated Buyer and Observer roles. The vendor is responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, and conducting background checks on all personnel; maintaining a gender ratio of no more than sixty to forty percent among Youth and Young Adult Interns; establishing and maintaining safety plans reviewed annually; holding general liability and workers' compensation insurance; and submitting weekly inspection summaries and three monthly reports (PDF invoice, Excel data spreadsheet, comprehensive PDF report) by the 10th of each month to the Maine CDC Synar Coordinator and Office of the Attorney General Tobacco Enforcement Coordinator using an approved web-based data entry system.

The Department conducted approximately 1,229 inspections statewide in 2024 and 1,172 in 2025, indicating expected annual volume. Pricing must be an all-inclusive fixed rate per inspection. Evaluation criteria are Organization Qualifications and Experience (35 points), Proposed Services (35 points), and Cost Proposal (30 points), with cost scored using a mathematical formula awarding 10 points to the lowest bid and proportional deductions for higher bids across all three contract periods. Payment is net 30 upon receipt of accurate invoices. The Department reserves the right to negotiate with the awarded bidder, conduct interviews or site visits, and reject any or all proposals.