This document provides an overview of the Baldrige criteria and its history and purpose. It discusses that in the early 1980s, industry and government recognized the need for quality improvement in businesses. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was then established in 1987 to help organizations assess their performance and identify strengths and opportunities. The criteria include seven categories that follow the Plan-Do-Check-Act model and address approach, deployment, learning, integration, and results trends over time. The presentation aims to explain what Baldrige is and why organizations might use the criteria.