Announcing 2026 Baldrige Award: Intent to Apply Now Open!
Apply now for the nation’s highest recognition for organizational and community performance excellence: the 2026 Baldrige Award Application cycle is now open!
Reflecting the changes announced last fall, the Alliance for Performance Excellence will administer the 2026 Baldrige Award on behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Building off the impactful changes of the Baldrige Reimagined process – and informed by extensive input from applicants, examiners, judges, consultants, and other stakeholders – the 2026 Award cycle introduces several meaningful enhancements designed to simplify participation, strengthen feedback, and increase value for applicants. These include:
Changes in Eligibility & Finalist Status: Potential applicants may qualify to apply through one of two standard eligibility pathways:
Receiving the Baldrige-based Top Tier Award of an Alliance Member Program within the last four years (2022–2025) or
Receiving a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) site visit within the last two years (2024–2025).
There is an Alternative Evidence of Eligibility process for those who do not satisfy one of the standard pathways. More information on all eligibility pathways is described here. Applicants determined to be eligible and participate in the 2026 Award process receive automatic “finalist status,” which includes a site visit in 2026, and recognition at the 2027 Quest for Excellence® Conference. Baldrige recipients are selected from all Finalists.
Community: Approved as a new award category by Congress in 2022, entire communities are now eligible to apply for the Baldrige Award (if determined eligible through one of the pathways listed above).
Improved Process & Increased Value: Building on Baldrige Reimagined, the 2026 cycle introduces streamlined and simplified evaluation processes, refined Award Criteria, and enhancements that improve the applicant and examiner experience. These changes deliver greater value through more robust and actionable final feedback with a new post‑evaluation debrief, enhanced examiner training with expanded expert support, and reduced fees for most applicants.
Intent to Apply is now open, and the deadline to submit intent (along with a nonrefundable deposit) is Wednesday, April 15 at 8:00pm ET. Full applications and final payments are due by July 1 at 8:00pm ET; applications will be submitted via online portal like with the 2025 cycle (the portal will be available on or around April 15, but applicants can begin to compile responses to questions now!).
A full Award cycle timeline is available here; note that examiner applications will be available May 1 (and due by June 1). Also note that the Business/Nonprofit version of the full Baldrige Framework will be released by the Baldrige Foundation in early April and the Healthcare/Education versions this summer.
