Kansas State University is taking applications now through 5 p.m. March 31 for the second class of its Launch A Business program.

The business incubator, which is sponsored by KS StateBank, will select as many as 20 Kansas companies and expose them to a variety of resources offered at K-State, including classes, assistance from student researchers and connections to university alumni.

The free program will run from May 28 to June 19, with a capstone event on June 25 that will include presentations from all the participating companies.

“The LAB program allows us to share our expertise with the community,” said Ali Malekzadeh, Edgerley family dean of the College of Business Administration. “Our faculty, alumni and students are incredible resources, and we are excited to ask them to volunteer to support the next great startup ventures. We are grateful to KS State Bank for making this possible.”

The Launch A Business program is especially interested in early-stage companies that are involved in global food systems—up to 10 such companies will be part of this second class. Organizers are looking for businesses that are scalable and that have found an innovative solution to a demonstrated problem.

The first Launch A Business class was last summer, and it included companies from the Kansas City area.

To apply for Launch A Business or to get more information, visit this website.