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Baldrige Excellence Framework
New Framework Available: Fall 2025
Proven Leadership and Management Practices for High Performance
For more than 32 years, the Baldrige Excellence Framework® has empowered organizations to accomplish their missions, improve results, and become more competitive. The Baldrige Excellence Framework® includes the Criteria for Performance Excellence®, core values and concepts, and guidelines for evaluating your processes and results.
The Baldrige Excellence Framework® is all about helping you innovate and improve. Available for Business/Nonprofit (including Manufacturing, Service, Small Business, Nonprofit, and Government), Education, and Health Care sectors. Learn about the Impacts of Baldrige.
The 2023–2024 Baldrige Excellence Framework® features a focus on
- organizational agility, innovation, and transformation
- risk management and supply-chain resilience
- societal contributions and environmental sustainability
- the changing nature of work and workforce needs
Purchase your copy today.
Now Available
Baldrige Excellence Framework®
Manufacturing, Service, Small Business, Nonprofit/Government organizations
Now Available
Baldrige Excellence Framework® (Health Care)
Health Care organizations
The Criteria for Performance Excellence® found within the Baldrige framework are not identical to the Baldrige Award Criteria. (However, the Baldrige Award Criteria are derived from the concepts in and content of the framework.)
An organization seeking to improve and become more resilient should use the Baldrige Excellence Framework® and the Criteria for Performance Excellence® for guidance, for self-assessment, and eventually as an application to a Baldrige-based Alliance for Performance Excellence program.
When a high-performing organization feels it is ready to be recognized on the national stage, it should use the separate award criteria to apply for the Baldrige Award.
Get Started with Self-Assessing Your Organization
A Baldrige-based self-assessment can help your organization improve and succeed. The Baldrige Excellence Framework® can help you improve communication, productivity, and effectiveness and achieve your strategic goals. Use Baldrige Improvement Tools to help you get started.
2023–2024 edition
The Baldrige Excellence Builder® is another way to get started. It is based on the Baldrige Excellence Framework® and its Criteria for Performance Excellence®. Use the Excellence Builder to assess your organization against the most important features of organizational performance excellence and learn about the Baldrige Excellence Framework.
Learn about other Baldrige Products and Services to help your organization succeed.
What People Are Saying
most influential document in business
Gordon Black, Former Chairman and CEO, Harris/Black International Ltd.
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powerful set of mechanisms
Jim Collins, author of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don’t
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Resources
Purchase Baldrige Excellence Framework Business/Nonprofit, Education, Health Care
Purchase Previous Framework Versions: 2021-2022, 2019-2020
2023-2024 Self-Analysis Worksheet Word
Changes from the 2021–2022 Baldrige Excellence Framework PDF
Baldrige Excellence Builder
Baldrige Key Terms
Baldrige Improvement Tools
Foundations for a Successful Business
Related Links
How Baldrige Works
Baldrige Impacts
Baldrige Products and Services
Baldrige Award
Baldrige Award Recipient Listing
Baldrige FAQs
Contacts
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Baldrige Customer Service(301) 975-2036NIST/BPEP
100 Bureau Drive, M/S 1020
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020