A national project is a project of a systemic nature, implemented by a predetermined recipient – usually a state institution, agency or organisation with unique competencies – on the basis of a written invitation instead of a competitive call. It is used where competition would not make sense, because, by its very nature, the given task can only be carried out by a single entity: for example, employment services provided by labour offices, nationwide digital systems, or blanket educational programmes. The intent of a national project is approved by the programme's monitoring committee, which ensures public oversight of the direct award. National projects allow the rapid rollout of blanket measures and stable funding of public policies, though critics point to the risk of lower efficiency in the absence of competitive pressure. For companies and local governments, national projects matter indirectly – they often draw support through them as a target group, for example wage contributions for employees, advisory services for entrepreneurs, or free training courses.
See also: Demand-Driven Project, Monitoring Committee.
