Nominations for Kansas City’s annual brand square off—the Battle of the Brands—are being accepted.

How strong is your brand following? Do you have the numbers to win KCSourceLink’s sixth annual Battle of the Brands?

Here’s how it works.

The Battle of the Brands is a bracket-style competition among Kansas City companies—64 to be exact. These local companies (startups, small businesses and brand giants) compete for votes online until only one brand is left standing.

Participating companies are divided into four quadrants to reflect the four different types of entrepreneurship:

• Innovation-Led: These companies are high-impact, high-growth companies driven by technology or innovative service.
• Main Street: These are the businesses that create the character of Kansas City. Think store fronts, retailers, restaurants.
• Microenterprises: These lifestyle businesses are typically sole proprietorships and companies with fewer than five employees.
• Second Stage: These established businesses, typically with 10 to 99 employees, generate upwards of $750,000 in revenue.

Similar to a sports tournament, each company faces off against a quadrant contender until there are four quadrant champs. Additional rounds of battle determine the championship round and finally a winner.

Nominations to participate are being accepted until Feb. 12. One major change in this year’s nominating process is that only the business owner or a business’s employees are eligible to nominate businesses. Winners of previous years’ competitions are ineligible.

Any business that has entrepreneurial roots in the 18-county Kansas City metro region, shows evidence of growth and innovation and has been in business for at least one year is eligible.

The seeding round starts Feb. 20, and the battle proper begins on March 6.

There is no charge to enter or to play. And no cash prizes are awarded. KCSourceLink hosts the Battle each year to shine the spotlight on Kansas City entrepreneurship and to promote local businesses.

For more details about eligibility, format, contenders, elimination round dates and Battle highlights, follow KCSourceLink on social media.