Petrochem company seeks EPC bids along with FEED but unwilling to pay for it – 21 May 2021

A large and well-established company is seeking proposals from EPC contractors along with FEED for a large petrochem project.

But it seems to be unwilling to pay for the FEED unless it wins the contract

On the ground that the wining design is the one which will get the project, and an EPC contractor needs to do the necessary hardwork and spend money on FEED to deserve a large project

How good is this argument?