
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
- An Intent to Apply form must be submitted prior to application submittal (unless you are a level 1 applicant – see below)
- An organization that is a part of a larger entity must have sufficient autonomy and authority to make decisions, initiate actions, implement programs, and allocate resources free from the direct control of the larger entity in order to apply individually.
- An organization must have existed at least one year prior to submittal.
- The organization must be permanent (i.e. must not be a unit with a defined, limited life or an ad hoc committee, board or other such unit).
- The organization must have more than two full-time workers.
- A subsidiary and its parent organization may not both submit a Level 2-4 application in the same year. Different subsidiaries of the same parent organization may apply concurrently.
- Eligibility at the regional SWAE level does not automatically confer eligibility at the national Baldrige level.

INTENT TO APPLY
- Process Level Intent to Apply: Submit at any time.
- Level 1: Intent to Apply Not Required.
- Level 2-4 Intent to Apply: Due June 29, 2022.
APPLICATION
- Process Level Application Packet: Application can be submitted at any time, but is due within 60 days of Intent to Apply submittal.
- Level 1 Application Packet: Application can be submitted at any time.
- Level 2 – 4 Application Packet: Due August 15, 2022.
BALDRIGE EXCELLENCE BUILDER
In addition to SWAE’s performance excellence assessment conducted by a team of trained examiners, organizations can utilize the Baldrige Excellence Builder tool to self-assess their operations and performance.