Amidst growing health challenges like the rise of vaping and obesity among Oklahoma’s youth, the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative aims to transform the way these issues are addressed. The multifaceted statewide educational media campaign fosters lasting, healthy habits for the next generation.

For specific questions regarding the Youth Educational Media Campaign Request for Proposal (RFP), please fill out this FORM. To ensure fairness in the Q&A process, we will collect all questions of this type and post them below according to the RFA answer posting dates.

To be eligible for TSET's Youth Educational Media Campaign RFP, organizations must meet the following criteria:

• Must not receive funds or benefit from the sale of tobacco products.
• Have a physical office located within the State of Oklahoma.
• Have the ability to provide services or programs to Oklahomans.
• Must have the capability in all respects to perform fully the contract requirements and the integrity and reliability that will assure good faith performance.
  • TSET may also consider a documented commitment from a satisfactory source that will provide the Bidder with a capability.
  • TSET may consider information from any source at any time prior to award.
• If involving multiple partners, the organization must act as the primary contractor and fiscal agent, handling all contract, management, and financial responsibilities.
• Provide proof of and/or access to the financial resources necessary to fulfill a reimbursable media contract with the State of Oklahoma.
• Be in good standing with the Oklahoma Secretary of State.
• Be willing to adopt a tobacco-free policy that applies to all properties owned and leased by the organization.
• Be willing to adopt a worksite wellness policy.

To be alerted when this RFP opens and to receive updates on other funding opportunities, sign up here.

In August 2019, the TSET Board of Directors requested staff develop a plan for youth engagement and education on tobacco prevention and control and on obesity prevention. In November 2019, a tiered approach to layer in youth programs was presented and approved by the Board.

The first program to launch was the Youth Educational Media Campaigns, with an RFP released in April 2020 and awarded in May of 2020 with Board approval for a 5-year contract with a start day of FY21.

The approved budget was $1.5 million per year for the RFP winner and $1 million to TSET's adult media vendor of record to ensure Oklahoma parents would see the educational information being served to the youth via digital and social media.

In August 2024, The TSET Board of Directors approved the basic framework for a new RFP.  TSET Program Architects and the Strategic Communication Division recommend issuing an RFP in FY 2025 for a 5-year contract spanning FY26 through FY30.

The contract would allocate up to $3.5 million annually for the selected youth media contractor, and up to $2.5 million annually for TSET’s ad agency of record to focus on adult awareness of youth-focused messaging.

Over the 5-year period, the totals would not exceed $17.5 million for the youth-focused contractor and $12.5 million for the adult ad agency.