The application deadline was April 6, 2023, at 5 p.m.
STEPP FY24 Local Health Agency (LHA) mini-application
On September 26, 2022, the State Tobacco Education, Prevention, and Cessation Grants Program (STEPP) at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Prevention Services Division released its mini-application for Local Health Agencies.
The intent of this non-competitive mini-application process is for STEPP to identify Local Public Health Agencies (LHA) interested in employing best and promising practices in commercial tobacco control to eliminate disparities in tobacco use, tobacco dependence, and secondhand smoke exposure that are present across priority populations in Colorado. Agencies should focus on policy, health systems, and environmental changes in order to address the social determinants of health as they relate to tobacco prevention, use, and cessation. Some examples of expected activities are listed below:
Build positive rapport and engage with formal and informal community leaders and residents to inform/educate on tobacco-related disparities, program goals, and potential strategies within the county.
Utilize population health data to develop and monitor program goals, improve health outcomes, and advance community health indicators.
Provide education that supports changes to and adoption of policies and program initiatives in a variety of organizations, schools/districts, city, or county settings.
Funding and duration of grants
STEPP anticipates awarding grants for a three-year grant period and reserves the option to shorten or extend awards. All annual renewals are contingent upon grantee performance, availability of funds, the landscape of tobacco control efforts within Colorado, and Tobacco Review Committee (TRC) and Board of Health recommendation and approvals. STEPP reserves the right to modify funding as deemed appropriate. Additional funds may be made available over time and may result in increased or additional awards. All funded agencies will be required to implement a predetermined number of evidence-based commercial tobacco control strategies based on funding level.
Proposed FY24 LHA funding amounts can be found here. Funding is subject to annual appropriations by the Colorado General Assembly and approval by the Colorado Board of Health (BOH). Absent a significant change in state economic circumstances, applicants can expect level funding for each year of the funding period. More detailed information about budget allocations is expected closer to the funding conference and when funding recommendations are made in January 2023.