LaunchKC, an economic development initiative by the Downtown Council, will give 10 tech startups $50,000 each along with other resources to attract them to downtown Kansas City.

Local, regional and national early-stage businesses can apply for consideration starting March 31. Final selections will be announced in September.

“LaunchKC’s objective is to create a more robust startup culture and infrastructure in Kansas City,” said Bill Dietrich, president and CEO of the Downtown Council and chief administrative officer of LaunchKC, in a release. “This will strengthen our growing innovation district in downtown, where investors, inventors and entrepreneurs collaborate within a livable, walkable and transit-connected urban center.”

In addition to a $50,000 grant, LaunchKC will provide each of the program’s participating entrepreneurs with free work space for 12 months, guidance from mentor teams and interaction with entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, legal experts and venture capitalists.

LaunchKC is looking for scalable business models in such sectors as advanced manufacturing, agriculture, animal health, big data, cloud services, data analytics, financial tech, health tech, mobile and real estate.

The program will be funded by a $250,000 grant from the Missouri Technology Corporation that is to be matched by corporate, public and philanthropic sponsors.

“Entrepreneurship is vital to growing Missouri’s economy,” said Mike Downing, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. “These are the folks that are changing and sculpting our world, as well as creating jobs in our communities. Our investment will assist in attracting talent and ideas to the state, as well as add to the abundant resources and supportive infrastructure that fosters growth in the entrepreneurial community.”

For more information about LaunchKC and to apply to the program, go to launchkc.org.