(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- A self-sustaining business model based on income generation, and supplemented with support from the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and other nonoperating income, is the new environment for the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, which is transitioning away from federal funding through an appropriation to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The model focuses on expanding markets, strategic partners, and customer relationships, with the goal of long-term sustainability and growth for the entire Baldrige Enterprise: the Foundation, the Alliance for Performance Excellence (35-plus state, local, regional, and sector-specific Baldrige-based programs serving nearly all 50 states), and ASQ.

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