  We apply the BLM scale setting procedure directly to amplitudes (cross
sections) of several semihard processes. It is shown that, due to the presence
of $\beta_0$-terms in the NLA results for the impact factors, the obtained
optimal renormalization scale is not universal, but depends both on the energy
and on the process in question. We illustrate this general conclusion
considering the following semihard processes: (i) inclusive production of two
forward high-$p_T$ jets separated by large interval in rapidity
(Mueller-Navelet jets); (ii) high-energy behavior of the total cross section
for highly virtual photons; (iii) forward amplitude of the production of two
light vector mesons in the collision of two virtual photons.
