Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Application Format

Award Criteria | About the Award | How to Apply | Award Cycle Overview | Is Your Organization Eligible | Award Process Fees 

Getting Started

For the 2024 award cycle, applications will be submitted through the online application system*. See the How to Apply page for application deadlines.  You can preview the new award criteria for 2024 before completing your award application. Contact the helpline if you have questions.

*ATTENTION: The system does not support multiple users from the same organization to submit the award application. Only one person per organization is permitted to create an account.

Format Requirements

  • All questions require a response. If you cannot respond, please provide an explanation.
  • Acceptable file formats for images you can upload into the award application are limited to JPEG, JPG, PNG, and GIF.
  • The maximum file size of each image you can upload is 4 megabytes (MB). 
  • The maximum dimensions of each image you can upload are 2,550 pixels by 3,300 pixels, with a minimum resolution of 300 dots per inch (DPI).
  • Only one graph/chart/table is permitted per image file.

Organizational Profile

For this section of the award application, your responses to each question are limited to 2,000 characters for text, plus three (3) charts, graphs, and/or tables.

Award Criteria Questions

  • Your responses to the first question in each section are limited to 2,000 characters for text, plus a maximum of three (3) graphs/charts/tables.
  • Your responses to question #2 and beyond in each section are limited to 1,000 characters for text, plus a maximum of three (3) graphs/charts/tables per question.

Glossary of Terms and Acronyms

Provide brief definitions of terms and acronyms used throughout your responses to the criteria questions. The glossary is limited to 20000 characters. Glossaries larger than 20000 characters will need to be submitted as an image file.

Award Process Helpline
301-975-8789 | baldrigeaward [at] nist.gov (baldrigeaward[at]nist[dot]gov)

Related Links

Transformation of the Baldrige Award
2024 Baldrige Award FAQs
Technical Support for Online Application
Baldrige Process Integrity
Baldrige Process Calendar
Baldrige Key Terms
Baldrige Award Recipient Listing
Testimonials
Baldrige Products and Services 

Contacts

  • Baldrige Customer Service
    (301) 975-2036
    NIST/BPEP
    100 Bureau Drive, M/S 1020
    Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020
Created October 24, 2012, Updated March 21, 2024