▁the ▁first ▁stage : ▁Gén éra le ▁des ▁E aux ▁( now ▁Viv endi ▁En viron nement ), ▁Ly onna ise ▁des ▁E aux ▁( now ▁S UE Z ), ▁the ▁Société ▁d ' Am én agement ▁U rb ain ▁et ▁R ural ▁( SA UR ), ▁and ▁CI SE ▁( which ▁has ▁since ▁merged ▁with ▁SA UR ). ▁ ▁The ▁two - stage ▁process ▁ent a iled ▁inv iting ▁pre - qual ified ▁b idd ers ▁to ▁submit ▁a ▁first - stage ▁technical ▁proposal ▁that ▁is ▁evaluated , ▁after ▁which ▁each ▁bid der ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁a ▁meeting ▁to ▁discuss ▁the ▁short com ings ▁of ▁their ▁technical ▁proposal . ▁A ▁potentially ▁difficult ▁situation ▁arose ▁when ▁SA UR ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁bid , ▁as ▁SA UR ▁already ▁had ▁a ▁long - standing ▁relationship ▁with ▁S ONE ES . ▁SA UR ▁had ▁been ▁working ▁as ▁an ▁ad visor ▁to ▁S ONE ES ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁The ▁government ▁considered ▁elimin ating ▁them ▁from ▁the ▁b idd ing , ▁but ▁the ▁World ▁Bank ▁did ▁not ▁agree . ▁Instead , ▁S ONE ES ▁was ▁instruct ed ▁to ▁finish ▁up ▁all ▁contract s , ▁end ▁all ▁contact , ▁and ▁provide ▁SA UR ▁with ▁no ▁access ▁to ▁their ▁operation ▁four ▁months ▁before ▁the ▁b idd ing ▁took ▁place . ▁Finally , ▁all ▁four ▁b idd ers ▁were ▁invited ▁to ▁submit ▁re vised ▁technical ▁propos als , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁financial ▁b ids . ▁All ▁four ▁b idd ers ▁respond ed . ▁Ly onna ise ▁des ▁E