The following is a summary of the eligibility rules for the education category only. Summaries of the eligibility rules for the business and health care categories are in the respective Criteria booklets. Ordering instructions are given here . Basic Eligibility Public Law 100-107 includes provisions to expand or modify the list of Award categories.
Eligibility is intended to be as open as possible.
However, departments within schools or colleges are ineligible. Subunits of organizations may be eligible. To be eligible, the subunit must be self-sufficient enough to be examined in all seven Criteria Categories, and it must be recognizable as a discrete entity that is easily distinguishable from the parent and its other subunits. Although an applicant may have facilities outside the United States or its territories or receive support from its parent, in the event of a site visit, the applicant must ensure that the appropriate people and materials are available for examination in the United States to document the operational practices associated with all of its major functions. In the event that the applicant receives the Award, it must be able to share information on the seven Baldrige Criteria Categories at the Quest for Excellence Conference and at its U.S. facilities.