Closed
California state funding opportunity
Tobacco-Use Prevention and Youth Engagement Grant (Cohort 2026–29)
CA Department of Education
- Portal ID154677
- StatusClosed
Competitive proposals usually start 6+ weeks out.
Program summary
Synopsis
The purpose of this RFA is to help LEAs develop and implement effective tobacco prevention and education programs for students in grades six through twelve. This deviation is a result of declining tobacco tax revenues and a reduction in prevalence of youth tobacco use and vaping, which dropped from 10.5 percent in 2018 to 5.0 percent in 2024, per the California Youth Tobacco Survey results.
TPYE Cohort 2026–29 grants will be funded using tobacco tax revenues allocated to the CDE from Propositions 56 and 99, as enacted in the state budget. The grant award period is from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2029. Grant Award Notifications (AO-400s) will be allocated for the three-year grant cycle. The number of grants awarded will depend on the number and quality of applications received, the number of students enrolled in districts and schools applying for funding, and the total amount of funding available This funding will be provided at a rate of $18 per student for the three-year grant cycle from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029. Funding will be based on the number the students the applicant proposes to serve in grades 6 through 12 as reported in their enrollment from the 2024–25 school year. Total funding requested cannot exceed $750,000 for each applicant. However, no award will be less than $75,000 for the three-year grant cycle; therefore, any applicant who would receive less than $75,000 based on the funding formula must submit a budget for $75,000. Prospective applicants must submit an Intent to Submit (ITS) form in TUPE GEMS by the specified deadline. School districts, direct-funded charter schools, and county offices of education (COEs) serving grades six through twelve in California are eligible to apply if they meet the eligibility requirements. Applications must be submitted online via TUPE GEMS. Applicants may submit no more than one application per lead agency. Applicants in urban and rural locales compete for funding against others in their respective locales. Applicants will no longer be divided into geographic categories (i.e., Northern, Central, and Southern). Twenty-five (25) percent of available funding will be awarded to rural grantees; the remaining funding will be awarded to urban grantees. This RFA requires applicants to propose services for their general population of students and strategies for engaging health disparity (HD) populations. At least 80 percent of the budget should be dedicated to student services, including services for both the general population of students and HD students, with no less than 20 percent dedicated to strategies that engage HD populations. The TUPE Office will host and record one live TA webinar after the release of the RFA. The webinar will provide guidance on program requirements for the TPYE Cohort 2026–29 Grant Application and on. The webinar recording, as well as a list of questions and answers compiled during the webinars, will be posted on the Resources page of TUPE GEMS approximately five days after the webinar. All application materials and the webinars will be available on the CDE TPYE Cohort 2026–29 RFA web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r29/tpyerfa2629.asp and on TUPE GEMS at https://tupegems.ucsd.edu.
Timeline
Key dates
-
December 17, 2025
Opportunity posted to California Grants Portal -
January 23, 2026
Applications close -
4/15/2026
Expected award date
Who may apply
Eligibility
Eligible applicant types as published by the awarding agency:
- Public Agency
- Additional info on eligibility
- Local educational agencies must be certified tobacco-free by July 1, 2026. Funding is available to districts, direct-funded charter schools, consortium leads, and county offices of education that serve students in grades six through twelve.
- Geography
- Statewide Local Education Agencies may apply for this grant.
Awarding agency
Additional information
- Agency name
- CA Department of Education
- Full announcement
- View the full announcement ↗
- Grantor contact
-
Tobacco-Use Prevention Education Office
1-916-323-1540
tupe@cde.ca.gov
Funding
Funding source
- Source
- State
- Funding method
- Advances & Reimbursement(s)
- Notes
- The California Health and Safety Code requires that funds allocated under this RFA be used to develop school-based anti-tobacco education programs and tobacco use intervention and cessation activities in order to reduce the numbers of students in California who begin or continue to use tobacco (HSC 104420[k][1]). Health & Safety Code 104420; Proposition 99 Budget Item: 6100-102-0231 Proposition 56: Budget Item: 6100-102-3321
Government Grants Consulting
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What is government grant consulting, and how does GTC 360° Advisors help?
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GTC 360° Advisors pursues grant funding at the local, state, federal, and international levels. The firm’s advisor network is positioned in every state to help clients identify and compete for regional and state-level funding in addition to federal opportunities.What is GrantSignal AI, and how does it help find grant opportunities?
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How much does it cost to work with GTC 360° Advisors?
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Engagements typically start with a conversation about your organization’s goals, funding needs, or growth targets, followed by a scoped proposal outlining services, team, and pricing. From there, GTC 360° Advisors assigns team members matched to the work and begins with research, strategy, or capture planning, depending on the engagement.How long does it take to see results from a grant or contract engagement?
Timelines vary by opportunity: some grant or contract cycles run a few months from research to submission, while others (large infrastructure or multi-year programs) take longer and continue through post-award management. GTC 360° Advisors sets clear project timelines and milestones at the start of every engagement so clients know what to expect.Does GTC 360° Advisors work with organizations outside the United States?
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You can reach GTC 360° Advisors at info@gtc360.com or through the contact form at gtc360.com/join-our-network. The firm typically responds to discuss goals, funding needs, or growth targets and outline next steps for an engagement.
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