Baldrige National Quality Program

The Baldrige National Quality Program (BNQP) is a public-private partnership to improve the performance of U.S. organizations. BNQP manages the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, named for Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th U.S. Secretary of Commerce. While it is most widely known for the Award, BNQP also provides global leadership in promoting performance excellence and in the learning and sharing of successful performance practices, principles, and strategies. BNQP develops and disseminates the Criteria for Performance Excellence, which are the basis for self-assessments, for giving feedback to Award applicants, and for evaluating organizations for the Award. Created by Public Law 100-107, the Program is a unique partnership supported by the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.