About the Baldrige Excellence Framework

November 24, 2025

Baldrige Foundation Announces Creation of Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee

Baldrige Excellence Framework

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

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Baldrige Excellence Framework®

Manufacturing, Service, Small Business, Nonprofit/Government organizations

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Baldrige Excellence Framework® (Education)

Education organizations

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Baldrige Excellence Framework® (Health Care)

Health Care organizations

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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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The publication containing the Baldrige Criteria is probably the single most influential document in the modern history of American business.

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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I see the Baldrige process as a powerful set of mechanisms for disciplined people engaged in disciplined thought and taking disciplined action to create great organizations that produce exceptional results.