noun
prime contract work; prime contractor
Refers to the main contractor in a project hierarchy, or the work undertaken by that contractor, as opposed to subcontractors (下請け).
この建設プロジェクトでは、元請けが全体の責任を負う。
In this construction project, the prime contractor bears overall responsibility.
元請けとして、下請け会社の管理も重要な仕
As the prime contractor, managing subcontractors is also an important task.
Subcontractor or subcontract work, the entity or work under the prime contractor.
Compound of 元 (moto, 'origin, base') and 請け (uke, 'undertaking, contract'), literally 'original contract'.