By Kevin McCauley
The North Dakota Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy has issued a “health communications marketing services” RFP to reduce smoking in the “Peace Garden State.”
The Center, which has a $1M budget, says a major element of the program is to counter tobacco company PR and marketing.
The RFP says the communications effort will educate people about “how the tobacco industry perpetuates the epidemic by causing death and disease in North Dakota.”
North Dakota estimates tobacco-related costs are an annual economic drain of more than $110M. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the state, accounting for the end of more than 900 lives annually.
Another communication goal is to “de-normalize tobacco use” to prevent youth from starting and encouraging users to quit. The Center also wants to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.
North Dakota is eager to partner with a firm with at least two years of public health experience and skilled in the PR, advertising, marketing, social media and research arts. It will not consider firms that have tobacco clients.
Donna Thronson (701/328-5131 and [email protected]) is the procurement officer. She will field questions until Oct. 5. Responses to the RFP are due Oct. 26. Finalists are notified on Nov. 9 and presentations are slated in Bismarck Nov. 18/19.
The contract will be issued Dec. 10 and expire Dec. 31, 2012. The pact will have two renewal options of 24 months each.
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