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About The Connecticut Quality
Improvement Award Partnership, Inc.
The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award, Inc., America’s first state-level quality award, was founded in 1987 utilizing the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence criteria in an effort to advance innovative programs that improve quality, performance, and marketplace competitiveness.
Since 1987, the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) has been the State’s annual quality awards, recognizing Connecticut manufacturing and service companies that excel in managing quality improvement for business success and growth. Beginning in 1995, health care, education, government and other not-for-profit organizations became eligible to apply along with manufacturing and service companies.
The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership, Inc., a Connecticut nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax exempt corporation, is an active partnership among the private sector, state and municipal government, and the educational community, which annually sponsors a three tiered awards program that recognizes organization for their accomplishments.
The three levels of award are the entry level CQIA Innovation Prize, the mid level Connecticut Breakthrough Quality Award and the highest level Connecticut Leadership Quality Award.
The CQIA Innovation Prize recognizes accomplishments during the first stages of the quality journey for all organizations located in Connecticut. It is meant to stimulate interest in organizations to implement quality while fostering recognition of innovative improvements. There is no limit to the number of applications from any organization and no limit to the number of CQIA Innovation Prizes presented each year.
The Connecticut Breakthrough Quality Award (formerly called the Connecticut Small Organization Quality Award): For all Connecticut organizations that are ready to launch their first rigorous quality improvement, measurement, and business-impact initiative, CQIA Partnership offers an authentic "bare bones" version of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria and process. Eligible organizations include but are not limited to service businesses, manufacturing companies, hospitals and health care facilities, academic institutions, non-profits and government agencies. Applicants must demonstrate an extended commitment to measurable progress on their journey to long-term competitiveness. There is no limit to the number of winning applications. All applicant companies receive written feedback and a site visit from Baldrige trained Connecticut Quality Improvement Award examiners.
The Connecticut Leadership Quality Award (formerly called the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award): For all organizations located in Connecticut that are ready to move from the breakthrough to the leadership level in quality performance and market competitiveness, CQIA Partnership offers the complete Baldrige process, exactly as experienced by national Baldrige Award winners. This award recognizes demonstrated quality improvement as a strategy for performance excellence. There is no limit to the number of winning organizations. All applicant organizations receive written feedback and a site visit from Baldrige trained Connecticut Quality Improvement Award examiners.
Winning organizations of all three Connecticut Quality Improvement Awards along with national and international cutting-edge professionals share their success and innovative improvements at CQIA Partnership’s Annual Conference on Quality and Innovation.
For further information, please contact Sheila Carmine, founder and executive director, The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership, Inc., PO Box 1396, Stamford, CT 06904-1396, telephone 203 322-9534, fax 203 329-2465, e-mail
cqia@aol.com.
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![[Company Logo Image]](images/cqialogosm.gif)
