What is the declaration of general interest?
The declaration of general interest, looks, is basically that legal paper that says: "Hey, what we are going to do a lot for everyone." Sounds grandiloquent, right? But seriously, it has real weight, especially when it comes to public contests and state contracts. This can change the entire game - from whom you can compete to how the contract cake is distributed.
In public competitions, it is normal for some official or bureaucrat to serve their seal and declare that an X project is vital for the community. Because? Because they can justify spending budget wool on that. They can also put the rules of the game: who can participate, under what conditions, etc.
Let's put a silly, but useful example: the government wants to build a new school. Then, they release the famous statement saying that the school is super necessary because education and the future and you know, all that roll. With that in hand, they can say "this goes first" and even tilting the balance to choose a specific contractor if they believe he is the only one who can do the job as God commands.
For companies that want to join these competitions, eye: it is not just filling papers and now. They better understand what the declaration of general interest puts, because that can be the difference between winning or staying from the stands. If your proposal does not fit what that statement says, nor bother.
In rapidito summary: the declaration of general interest is that legal piece that gives meaning (or excuse, depends on how you see it) to spend public money on certain projects and puts the rules to hire. If you are going to compete for public contracts, you better know what you say and adapt, because if not, you stay out.
Do you want to know more? Well, talk to someone who knows about tenders or ask a lawyer for a advice. And keep aware of the news of the sector because this changes faster than one thinks.