In this Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, photo, large spheres take shape in front of an existing Amazon building, behind, as new construction continues across the street in Seattle. Memo to the many places vying for Amazon's second headquarters: It ain't all food trucks and free bananas. For years now, much of downtown Seattle has been a maze of broken streets and caution-taped sidewalks, with dozens of enormous cranes towering overhead as construction trucks rumble past pedestrians and bicyclists. And while Amazon is far from solely to blame for these issues, and many say the benefits clearly outweigh the drawbacks, life has been disrupted. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, photo, large spheres take shape in front of an existing Amazon building, behind, as new construction continues across the street in Seattle. Memo to the many places vying for Amazon's second headquarters: It ain't all food trucks and free bananas. For years now, much of downtown Seattle has been a maze of broken streets and caution-taped sidewalks, with dozens of enormous cranes towering overhead as construction trucks rumble past pedestrians and bicyclists. And while Amazon is far from solely to blame for these issues, and many say the benefits clearly outweigh the drawbacks, life has been disrupted. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Credit: Elaine Thompson

BOSTON — In the high-stakes contest to land Amazon’s new headquarters, many consider Boston to be a serious contender competing against other big technology hubs around the United States and Canada.

But it’s also competing against its neighbors: Several smaller Massachusetts cities — along with Rhode Island and southern New Hampshire — are each submitting their own pitches to Amazon, using proximity to Boston’s tech talent as a major draw.

“Talent really is the unquestionable, huge priority,” said Brian Dacey, president of the Cambridge Innovation Center and a former Boston economic development director who says the region could make a strong case for luring the Seattle e-commerce company. Local research strengths — such as in artificial intelligence and robotics — are important to Amazon’s business model, he said.

Amazon asked state and regional leaders to coordinate no more than one bid from any metropolitan area, but that hasn’t stopped multiple cities in greater Boston from making rival bids. There are two alone from the Merrimack Valley — one each from a cluster of municipalities in greater Lawrence and greater Lowell.

New Bedford also is applying, touting itself as “the inspiring place from which Herman Melville’s novel ‘Moby Dick’ began.” Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella is pitching his city as “the hidden jewel” while also dismissing the attractiveness of a Boston campus, saying Amazon “can’t afford to be anywhere where their employees are fatigued and tired by the time they reach work in the morning.” Worcester is offering up to $500 million in tax breaks and sending Amazon a promotional video .

The state hasn’t disclosed its preferred locations or how much it’s willing to offer Amazon in business incentives, citing competitiveness.

Top real estate offerings pushed by developers include Suffolk Downs, the former horse racing track at Boston’s border with Revere. Others are advocating for more urban locations, such as Boston’s Seaport District, where Amazon is already planning to open a 900-worker office next year to advance its Alexa virtual assistant.

Rhode Island and New Hampshire also are making pitches, promising Amazon a way of tapping into Boston’s high-tech aura while avoiding its congestion and high prices. Rhode Island is touting its universities, cultural amenities and train connections to Boston, while New Hampshire says it doesn’t need financial gimmicks to make its case.