How to Apply

2013 Due Dates

Make sure your materials are postmarked on or before these dates.

Eligibility certification package
with a nomination to the Board of Examiners	February 19
without a nomination	April 2
Award application package
on CD only	April 30
as 15 paper copies plus CD	May 14

Applying for the Baldrige Award is a two-part process.

Step 1: Submit an Eligibility Certification Package.

See Is Your Organization Eligible? for information on eligibility for the Baldrige Award. If you have questions, call 877-237-9064, option 3.

The eligibility certification package consists of

• a completed Eligibility Certification Form signed by your organization’s highest-ranking official
• an organization chart and other required documents described in the form
• the nonrefundable fee of $360
• proof of the date you send the package (see Eligibility Certification Package Checklist)

The Baldrige Program keeps this material confidential. We use it to avoid conflicts of interest when assigning examiners to your application. In addition, the information in the Eligibility Certification Form provides a useful profile of your organization and is often the first information read by the examiners who evaluate your application.

We’ll review your eligibility certification package promptly and contact your designated eligibility contact point or alternate if it needs clarification, but you’ll self-certify your organization’s eligibility to apply for the award. You don’t need notification from the program to begin preparing your application.

The Baldrige Program relies on the information you submit in the Eligibility Certification Form. If we find during the award cycle that the information is inaccurate in a way that makes your organization ineligible, you will forfeit eligibility for the award, and your organization will receive a feedback report only. If you have questions, call 877-237-9064, option 3.

Nominate a Senior Member of Your Organization to the Board of Examiners

If you apply for the Baldrige Award, you can gain insight into the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and the Baldrige Award process by nominating a senior member of your organization to be noncompetitively appointed to the Baldrige Board of Examiners when you submit your Eligibility Certification Package.

The nominee must not have served previously as a Baldrige examiner and must fully participate as a member of the board by

• attending Examiner Preparation
• participating in the evaluation of an organization that has applied for the award

Board appointments provide a significant opportunity for your organization to learn about the Criteria and the evaluation process. Examiners

• improve their understanding of the Baldrige Criteria
• see how the Criteria are used in high-performing organizations
• develop a network of professional colleagues

To take advantage of this opportunity, examiners make a substantial time commitment. All board appointments are for one year only, and your organization or the nominee must cover travel and lodging expenses incurred for Examiner Preparation. See What Do Examiners Do? for a description of the duties, terms and conditions, and timeline.

Step 2: Submit an Award Application Package.

In this package, you provide the information that a team from the Board of Examiners needs to conduct a rigorous evaluation of your organization. All information you provide is considered confidential. The award application package contains

• the Award Application Form
• either 15 individually bound paper copies of your application (as well as any required supplemental sections) and a CD containing a PDF file of the application, or a CD only (see Application Content and Format)
• the appropriate fees
• proof of the date you send the package (see the Award Application Package Checklist)

Your application will be accepted only if you’ve certified your eligibility by the due date (see above). To apply for the award, you’ll also need the appropriate Criteria for Performance Excellence booklet for your organization.

• The content and formatting requirements for the application are identical whether you submit the application on paper or on CD. We reserve the right to return incomplete applications and those that don’t meet these requirements. If you have questions, call 877-237-9064, option 3.