Marshall University is working to build connections with local businesses under a pilot project approved by the West Virginia Legislature. House Bill 4418 creates a small business supplier certification assistance program to help small businesses bid on government contracts. The Herald-Dispatch said that as part of the project, the university’s purchasing office is working to educate small businesses about the program and recruit them to get certified. More than one hundred vendors are working toward the certification. The pilot project runs through the end of 2023, when a legislative committee will evaluate whether it should be expanded statewide.