The Partnership for Excellence

What The Partnership for Excellence does

The Partnership for Excellence (TPE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. TPE operates as the exclusive regional licensee delivering the Baldrige Excellence Framework — a seven-category organizational performance methodology covering leadership, strategy, customers, measurement/analysis/knowledge management, workforce, operations, and results — across Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Illinois, and most recently Western Pennsylvania. TPE serves healthcare systems, K-12 and higher-education institutions, government agencies, nonprofits, and for-profit businesses seeking structured performance improvement and state-level recognition.

TPE's core products are organized in a two-level assessment pathway: Level 1 (Advising & Partnering Program) for organizations new to Baldrige, providing coaching for a 5-page Organizational Profile and a 25-page abbreviated application; and Level 2 (Examining Program) for full 50-page applications receiving 1,000+ hours of examiner review, a three-day on-site visit, and award recognition on a tiered ladder (Spirit, Pioneer, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum — the Governor's Award for Excellence). Supporting offerings include the annual Quest for Success Conference in Columbus, monthly Third Thursday Webinars, a year-long Baldrige Champion Collaboration cohort, a six-week Application Writing Web Series, Lean Six Sigma certification training through a third-party partner, and Individual/Organizational Membership programs.

TPE operates with a paid core staff of three (President/CEO Margot Hoffman, Ph.D.; Editor Elaine D. Edgar, Ph.D.; Director of Training and Administration Services Lauren Browning) supplemented by a volunteer examiner network and a Board of Trustees drawn from member organizations. Revenue derives from individual and organizational membership fees (Professional, Student, K-12 Education, Sole Proprietorship, Small, Medium, Large tiers), corporate sponsorships, individual tax-deductible contributions, application/assessment fees, and training/workshop fees; TPE receives no state or federal government funding. The organization has helped 17 entities from its region win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, anchoring its credibility within the national Alliance for Performance Excellence consortium of 25 programs.

Name

The Partnership for Excellence

Legal name

The Partnership for Excellence

Website

https://thepartnershipforexcellence.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Partnership for Excellence is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that delivers Baldrige-based organizational performance assessments, examiner-driven feedback, tiered award recognition, and training programs to healthcare, education, government, nonprofit, and business organizations across Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Illinois, and Western Pennsylvania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: TPE generates revenue through Individual (Professional, Student) and Organizational (K-12 Education, Sole Proprietorship, Small, Medium, Large) membership fees. All contributions are tax-deductible.
2. Corporate Sponsorships and Individual Contributions: TPE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded through corporate sponsorships and individual contributions. TPE receives no state or federal government funding.
3. Organizational Assessment and Application Fees: Organizations pay fees to apply for assessments and awards through the Advising & Partnering Program and the full Examining Program. An Intent-to-Apply form is due August 15th each year and a full 50-page application is due December 1st.
4. Training and Workshop Fees: Revenue from programs including the 2026 Baldrige Champion Collaboration ($2,000 for members, $2,500 for non-members), Application Writing Web Series ($375 for participants, $300 for TPE members), and Lean Six Sigma Training courses.
5. Conference Sponsorship: Sponsorship of TPE's Quest for Success Conference connects sponsors with leaders and decision-makers across industries, showcasing organizational commitment to excellence.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Partnership for Excellence (TPE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers Baldrige-based organizational assessments, training programs, and award recognition services to organizations across Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Illinois, and Western Pennsylvania. It operates a two-level assessment pathway (Advising & Partnering for newcomers; Examining Program for full applications) complemented by conferences, webinars, Lean Six Sigma training, and membership programs to help organizations achieve performance excellence.

Product overview

The Partnership for Excellence offers a unified performance excellence program built around the Baldrige Excellence Framework. The core offerings include a two-level assessment pathway: Level 1 (Advising & Partnering Program) for organizations new to Baldrige, providing coaching and abbreviated applications; and Level 2 (Examining Program) for organizations ready for full 50-page applications with comprehensive evaluation and site visits. These assessment programs feed into the annual Quest for Success Conference where award recipients are recognized. Supporting products include Third Thursday Webinars, the Baldrige Champion Collaboration cohort program, Application Writing Web Series, Lean Six Sigma Training certifications, a volunteer Examiner Program, and Individual/Organizational Membership programs—all designed to help organizations at various stages of their performance excellence journey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Level 1 - Advising & Partnering Program Two-part assessment program for organizations new to Baldrige. Part I (Advising) provides coaching to draft a 5-page Organizational Profile with written examiner feedback, resulting in a Spirit award. Part II (Partnering) assists with feedback interpretation and developing a 25-page abbreviated application addressing Baldrige Excellence Builder criteria, resulting in a Pioneer award.
• Level 2 - Examining Program Full 50-page application assessment aligned to the national Baldrige Performance Excellence Program with over 1,000 hours of review, a three-day site visit, written feedback reports, and award recognition at Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum (Governor's Award) levels.
• Quest for Success Conference Annual premier conference for organizational leaders and performance excellence professionals featuring pre-conference workshops, award ceremonies, keynote presentations, plenary sessions, concurrent sessions, and networking opportunities, held September 14-15, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio.
• Third Thursday Webinars Monthly webinar series on performance excellence topics featuring industry experts and best practices sharing. Past webinars are available on TPE's Vimeo channel.
• Baldrige Champion Collaboration

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 organizations from TPE's five-state region have received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Indiana Hospital Association (IHA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2025TPE entered an agreement with IHA on April 15, 2025 to become an IHA Entrusted Partner. IHA represents over 170 hospitals ranging from rural facilities to statewide health systems in Indiana. The IHA Entrusted Partner program is a strategic initiative designed to connect IHA members with beneficial products and services. TPE is one of the first three organizations to become an IHA Entrusted Partner. TPE President and CEO Margot Hoffman stated that TPE is excited to partner with IHA and help their members enhance performance through TPE's programs and services.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Fund for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (Baldrige Foundation): Supports the national Baldrige Program and the network of state/regional Baldrige-based programs. Operates adjacent to rather than directly competing with TPE, but closely linked through the Alliance for Performance Excellence ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Alliance for Performance Excellence: Consortium of 25 state, regional, and national Baldrige-based performance excellence programs. TPE is a member program; other members operate comparable regional Baldrige frameworks with similar assessments, awards, and examiner networks.
• Florida Sterling Council: Florida's statewide Baldrige-based performance excellence program. Provides organizational assessments, awards, and training with regional focus, directly comparable to TPE's service model in a different state.
• California Council for Excellence: California's Baldrige-based regional program offering assessments, training, and award recognition. Operates the same model as TPE in a different region, serving California-based organizations with similar volunteer examiner infrastructure.
• Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence: Tennessee's Baldrige-based performance excellence program offering organizational assessments, examiner training, and award recognition. Sister program in the Alliance for Performance Excellence network serving a different state.
• Georgia Oglethorpe Award Program: Georgia's regional Baldrige-based program providing performance assessments and awards. Operates the same Baldrige-driven model as TPE, with similar volunteer examiner programs and tiered award recognition.

Broad incumbents

• American Society for Quality (ASQ): Large national quality management organization that provides training, certifications, and Best Practices in areas like Lean Six Sigma and Baldrige-aligned content. Broader and more diversified than TPE, but overlaps in training and recognition offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/partnershipforexcellence
• Xx.com/tpetoday
• Facebookfacebook.com/thepartnershipforexcellence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-partnership-for-excellence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Partnership for Excellence