ANNOUNCING THE 2026 GRQC PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

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The Greater Rochester Quality Council (GRQC), an affiliate of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce the 2026 Performance Excellence Awards.. The GRQC Performance Excellence Award Program helps organizations in all sectors of the economy gain valuable insights into strategic areas of their operations, connect with like-minded leaders in high-performing organizations, and earn formal recognition for achieving excellence through continuous improvement methodologies.

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 Applications will be accepted through May 31, 2026.

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WHO SHOULD APPLY

The Performance Excellence awards are open to small, mid-sized and large organizations in the following sectors: business, non-profit, healthcare, education and government.

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Eligible applicants may include:

• An entire organization or enterprise

• A subsidiary or distinct business unit

• A department with a high degree of authority to establish goals, shape and execute strategy, influence organizational culture, implement plans, and achieve independent results.

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Organizations located in the greater Rochester and Finger Lakes regions are encouraged to apply. Applications are also welcomed from organizations throughout Wester New York, including communities such as Syracuse and Buffalo

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Organizations may submit multiple applications, including submissions across different award categories.  Each application will be evaluated independently and may receive recognition based on the specific criteria of the category in which the application was submitted.

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WHY APPLY FOR A PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE AWARD?

• Measure your performance against proven, objective criteria for excellence and continuous improvement.

• Gain comprehensive, actionable, written feedback from experienced, independent professionals. The insights provided through the site visit and detailed feedback report are priceless; comparable to consulting services that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars.

• Recognize the great work your people do to deliver better results; apply teamwork to solve problems and improve processes; and build greater customer loyalty.

• Celebrate and showcase your success with others across the greater Rochester community.

• Network, connect, and build new relationships with high performing organizations at the GRQC Awards & Showcase event.

 

HOW TO APPLY

• Review the award categories below and click on the links to learn more about each category. Complete the appropriate application template and submit it to awards@grqc.org by May 31, 2026.

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AWARD CATEGORIES​

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Team Excellence Award

• The GRQC Team Excellence Award recognizes how teams  collaborate to achieve meaningful results. Teams are formed to solve problems, improve processes, complete projects, or address specific business issues, working toward a shared, pre-defined goal. A team’s scope may focus on a single area or may be cross-functional, impacting multiple departments, people and/or processes.

• If your organization uses teams to solve problems, drive continuous improvement, or complete major projects, this award is a great way to recognize a specific team’s accomplishments and receive valuable feedback on building high-performing teams in the future.

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Organizational Excellence Award

• The GRQC Organizational Excellence Award is modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige Excellence Framework, a proven approach for evaluating leadership systems and organizational results. This category offers a comprehensive, holistic view of the organization.

• If your organization is ready to reflect on its overall performance and gain insights into how effectively it operates as a whole, this award is an excellent choice.

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Customer Experience Award

• Customers include anyone served by your organization - business clients, patients, residents, students, constituents, and other stakeholders.

• If your organization is committed to  delivering exceptional service and meaningful customer experiences, this award offers recognition and actionable insights to further strengthen your approach.​​

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Evaluation of Application

• A GRQC review team will evaluate each application using a simplified version of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award scoring guidelines.

• Organizations that meet the initial qualifications will receive a 2-to-3-hour site or virtual visit conducted by 2-3 members of the review team between June and August.  The purpose of the visit is to corroborate the information submitted, clarify any questions, , and observe relevant practices in action.

• Following the site visit, the review team will apply the scoring guidelines to complete the formal evaluation process.

• Feedback will be provided to each applicant to support ongoing learning and continuous improvement.

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AWARDS

• Team Excellence

• Organizational Excellence

• Customer Experience

 

Most applicants earn recognition at the Gold, Silver or Bronze levels within the category for which they apply.

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GRQC reserves its highest honor- the George Hansen Award for Exemplary Performance -for select applicants whose performance exceeds the Gold level. This distinction is awarded following a site visit that uncovers both results and practices that clearly surpass the Gold-level expectations.

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The Pathfinder Award recognizes organizations in the early stages of their quality journey that demonstrate a strong commitment to continuous improvement and performance excellence.

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