The developer chooses its contractor - Inrap, a local government archaeological service or any other accredited body.

If the developer is a public body, the procedure follows public contract procedures.

If no contractor applies, or no contractor fulfills the required conditions, the developer requests that Inrap realize the excavation and supplies the necessary documents.

If the interested parties do not agree on the conditions for the undertaking or the financing of the excavation, they jointly choose an arbitrator from among the list of those named, for a period of three years, by the Ministry of Culture.