Grants for Projects Aimed at Reducing Tobacco Dependence

The grant programme is part of The Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use and supports projects that develop and implement high-impact, evidence-based tobacco control interventions in low- and middle-income countries.

The programme is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies through Michael R. Bloomberg and is managed by Vital Strategies and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Launched in 2006, the initiative uses its competitive grants programme as a key mechanism for supporting tobacco control projects.

As of the first 39 funding rounds, 1,730 grants had been awarded across 76 countries, demonstrating the programme's global reach and long-term commitment to evidence-based tobacco control initiatives.

The grant programme is open to governmental and non-governmental organizations based in eligible countries. Applications are accepted from low- and middle-income countries, with priority given to Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Vietnam.

The programme includes two grant rounds:

• Open Grant Round – open to applicants from any eligible low- or middle-income country;
• Strategic Grant Round – available only to applicants from the nine priority countries.

Eligible applicants include:

• governmental organizations, including ministries and regional or local authorities;
• non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, and independent policy institutes with relevant advocacy experience.

Applicants must be legally registered entities capable of entering into contracts, receiving foreign funding, and assuming legal and financial responsibilities.

NGO applicants must not receive financial support from tobacco manufacturers, their parent, subsidiary, or affiliated organizations, including PMI IMPACT and Global Action to End Smoking (formerly the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World).

The grant programme does not provide funding to individuals.

Under the grant programme, applicants may request between US$50,000 and US$250,000 per year. Project proposals with an implementation period of 6 to 24 months are eligible for consideration.

The requested funding should be consistent with the scope of the proposed project and the capacity of the applicant organization. The reasonableness of the budget is also taken into account during the proposal assessment process.

The grant programme supports projects focused on policy change that can lead to substantial reductions in tobacco use. Priority is given to initiatives that promote sustainable improvements in tobacco control laws, regulations, and policies at the national or sub-national level.

Supported activities may include:

• tax and price measures, including policies addressing illicit trade related to taxation;
• direct and indirect advertising, promotion and sponsorship bans;
• establishment of smoke-free legislation for public places and workplaces;
• policies requiring graphic health warnings on tobacco products;
• implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in association with strengthening MPOWER policies.

Projects should address strategic gaps in national tobacco control and avoid duplicating existing work.

The programme does not support education programmes, agricultural or crop-substitution programmes, basic research, academic studies, prevalence surveys, or cessation services. However, research that directly supports policy implementation may be considered for funding.

o participate in the grant programme, applicants must first submit a short Project Idea through the programme's online application system.

The application process includes the following steps:

• submit a short Project Idea through the online platform;
• applicants may submit more than one Project Idea, but duplicate proposals will be considered ineligible;
• submit the Project Idea by 29 July 2026 at 12:00 p.m. US Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)  (to see what time is in your country, please check www.timeanddate.com);
• prepare and submit the application in English.

Full proposals will be reviewed by the grants programme staff of Vital Strategies and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. At the discretion of the grants programme staff, selected international tobacco control experts may also participate in the review process.

The assessment criteria include:

• the project's potential to reduce tobacco use and support the achievement of MPOWER policies — 15%;
• population impact (potential for lives saved) — 15%;
• political will to support the proposed policy goal — 15%;
• project design — 15%;
• demonstrated organizational capacity to influence the relevant policy area — 10%;
• multi-sectoral collaboration and partnerships — 10%;
• project budget — 10%;
• evaluation plan — 10%.

Additional consideration will be given to Project Ideas that address strategic gaps in tobacco control and demonstrate strong partnerships. Examples include tobacco taxation, implementation of FCTC Article 5.3 (in association with MPOWER policies), graphic health warnings, and smoke-free initiatives.