Closed
California state funding opportunity
Tobacco-Use Prevention Education Program Initiation Grant Tier 1, Cohort U
CA Department of Education
- Portal ID98106
- StatusClosed
Competitive proposals usually start 6+ weeks out.
Program summary
Synopsis
The purpose of the TUPE Initiation Grant Program Tier 1 Cohort U is for grantees to adopt tobacco-free campus policies that prohibit the use of products containing tobacco and nicotine, including, but not limited to, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chew, clove cigarettes, and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), and conduct the district-level CHKS Core Module with the subgroup population of students in grades five or six, and seven, nine, and eleven.
Early tobacco prevention and education is important because tobacco use generally starts in youth. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development. Implementing tobacco-free school policies are an important first step in addressing youth tobacco and vaping use. Evidence shows that comprehensive school-based programs that include tobacco free policies, combined with community and mass-media efforts, can effectively prevent or postpone the onset of smoking by 20 to 40 percent among U.S. teens. (Surgeon General’s Report “Reducing Tobacco Use,” 2001). Tobacco-free school policies: 1) protect the health of youth and staff by reducing exposure to secondhand smoke; 2) help to establish and support tobacco-free norms; and 3) prevent and postpone smoking by youth. In 2023, according to the California Youth Tobacco Survey (CYTS), 21.6% of California high school respondents had ever used any tobacco product, and 7.3% currently used tobacco. Vapes were the most commonly used tobacco product among high school respondents (18.3% ever use, 5.9% current use), regardless of gender identity, race/ethnicity, and grade. This represents an unacceptably high number of approximately 112,925 students who reported either having ever used e-cigarettes or having used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. Unfortunately, this also reflects a troubling upward trend in vaping use from the 2022 CYTS in which 17.6% ever used e-cigarettes versus 18.3% in 2023 and 5.6% that used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days in 2022 versus 5.9% in 2023. More significantly, co-use of tobacco and marijuana among youth has become common with vaping devices. 4.9% of high school students currently use both tobacco and marijuana. The survey also found that youth who rated their mental health as poor or fair had a higher prevalence of current tobacco use (14.8% and 7.2%, respectively) than those who reported their mental health as good to excellent (5.9%). Local prevalence rates may vary greatly from statewide prevalence rates. For example, rates in rural areas tend to be significantly higher than those in urban areas. Rates may also vary among different populations of students in the same district. For example, tobacco-use rates tend to be significantly higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) students than they are among straight/cisgender students. This highlights the need for grantees to participate in regular surveys such as the CHKS to track local prevalence rates over time and to ensure that special needs among priority populations are identified and addressed in programming. For more information about how CHKS data can be used in TUPE program development, please see the California School Climate, Health, and Learning Survey (CalSCHLS) Annual Training 2024–25 web page at https://calschls.org/videos/1012474131/.
Timeline
Key dates
-
March 12, 2025
Opportunity posted to California Grants Portal -
April 18, 2025
Applications close -
March 12, 2025
Expected award date
Who may apply
Eligibility
Eligible applicant types as published by the awarding agency:
- Public Agency
- Additional info on eligibility
- Applicants must meet all the eligibility requirements set forth below. The programs offered by applicants must meet the requirements set forth in this Tier 1, Cohort U RFA. Thus, applicants must read and understand this entire RFA, as well as view the Guidance PowerPoint and consider all eligibility and program requirements prior to submitting a full application. Questions regarding this Tier 1, Cohort U RFA should be submitted by email through the TUPE RFA Help Desk at tupe@cde.ca.gov.
- Geography
- Eligible. COEs, public school districts, direct-funded charter schools, or consortia that serve students in grades 6–12 within the state of California are eligible to apply. The governing district must apply on behalf of a school or school sites within its jurisdiction. Any currently funded Tier 1 district or direct-funded charter school that is a member of a Tier 1 consortium with a grant expiring on June 30, 2025, is eligible to re-apply separately or as part of a consortium. Not Eligible. Individual schools, community agencies, private schools, and locally-funded charter schools are not eligible to apply for these funds. In addition, projects targeting out-of-school students cannot be funded under this application. Currently-funded TUPE Tier 1 grantees with grants not expiring on June 30, 2025, and Tier 2 grantees are ineligible for Tier 1, Cohort U funds.
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 maximum allowable funding for a single COE or LEA applicant is $6,000 for all three years of the grant. Consortium applicants may request up to $6,000 for each LEA represented in the application for all three years of the grant. The level of available funding appropriated, and the number of qualified applications will determine the number of grants awarded.
Government Grants Consulting
Federal, state, and local grant funding is highly competitive, and the gap between a complete application and a winning one usually comes down to strategy, compliance, and execution. GTC 360° Advisors supports organizations across the entire grant lifecycle — from identifying the right opportunities to managing the award long after it is won. The questions below cover how our grant consulting practice works and the organizations we serve.
What is government grant consulting, and how does GTC 360° Advisors help?
Government grant consulting means guiding an organization through the full grant lifecycle — research, eligibility review, strategy, writing, submission, and post-award compliance. GTC 360° Advisors manages this end to end, pairing grant writers, project managers, financial analysts, and compliance analysts to maximize the odds of an award and keep it in good standing afterward.What types of organizations can GTC 360° Advisors help win grants?
GTC 360° Advisors supports municipalities, state agencies, nonprofits, school districts, tribal governments, higher education institutions, and private companies pursuing grant funding. Clients have included the City of Los Angeles, Texas A&M University, the Montana State University System, Virginia Commonwealth University, and nonprofit partners such as the Walton Family Foundation and Blue Meridian Partners.What federal agencies has GTC 360° Advisors secured funding from?
GTC 360° Advisors has secured funding from agencies including the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Commerce (EDA and NIST), Education, and State, as well as FEMA, EPA, NSF, NIH, HRSA, SAMHSA, and the CDC. The firm has won over $860 million and counting in federal and state contracts and grants for its clients.Does GTC 360° Advisors handle state and local grants, or only federal?
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?
GrantSignal AI is GTC 360° Advisors’ AI-powered funding intelligence platform. It aggregates federal, foundation, and other public funding sources into a single dashboard, then uses AI to match opportunities to an organization’s mission, eligibility, and capacity — rather than relying on simple keyword search — and sends alerts as new, winnable opportunities appear.Does GTC 360° Advisors provide grant compliance and post-award management?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors manages grants through close-out, including compliance with 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance), Davis-Bacon labor standards, Section 3, environmental review requirements, and funder reporting obligations. The firm builds compliance systems and reporting frameworks so clients stay in good standing with federal and state grantors.What is GTC 360° Advisors’ track record on grant applications?
GTC 360° Advisors has historically maintained an 88%-plus win rate on the grant applications it has submitted, including a 100% win rate in 2024 across several highly competitive programs. Recent wins include $180 million in EDA Tech Hubs funding for three consortia and $20 million in EDA Recompete funding for the City of Birmingham, Alabama.Can nonprofits and higher education institutions work with GTC 360° Advisors on grants?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors regularly supports nonprofits and universities with grant strategy, writing, and administration, including current work with the Walton Family Foundation, Blue Meridian Partners, Texas A&M University, the Montana State University System, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Working With GTC 360° Advisors
Every engagement is scoped around the organization in front of us — its goals, its deadline, and the internal capacity it already has. Pricing, team assignments, and project milestones are agreed before any work begins, so there are no surprises mid-project. Below are the questions prospective clients and partners ask us most often.
How much does it cost to work with GTC 360° Advisors?
Pricing is customized to the scope, timeline, and budget of each engagement, with both hourly and fixed-fee options available depending on the deliverable. GTC 360° Advisors prices transparently, with no hidden fees for administrative or incidental work, and structures fees so clients gain a full team of senior professionals for less than the cost of a single in-house hire.What is the process for getting started with GTC 360° Advisors?
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?
GTC 360° Advisors primarily supports U.S.-based government contracts, grants, and business development, but its public affairs and business development services extend internationally through its global partner network for clients running cross-border campaigns.Can I join the GTC 360° Advisors Network as a consultant or subject matter expert?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors welcomes applications from experienced firms and freelancers who align with its mission and values to join the GTC 360° Advisors Network, giving members access to mutual marketing, referrals, and new client opportunities.How do I contact GTC 360° Advisors to discuss a project?
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.
Planning for the next cycle?
Tell us the opportunity and we will come back with an honest read on fit, the partners you would need, and what a compliant submission takes.