--- title: "AI Overlay for the Existing Avaya Elite Telephony Platform" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077cc4" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077cc4" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077cc4.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077cc4.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust" published: "2026-09-29" --- # AI Overlay for the Existing Avaya Elite Telephony Platform Buyer: North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077cc4 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077cc4) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077cc4.json) ## Summary North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is exploring an AI-enabled overlay for its existing Avaya Elite telephony platform. This is a technology and IT services requirement, focused on testing whether AI capabilities can be added to the current telephony environment. The work is intended to examine feasibility, capability, assurance needs, delivery complexity, indicative cost and supplier appetite. Findings may also help shape requirements for a future full replacement of the Trust’s telephony system, aligned with emerging national standards and design. That wider replacement is a possible future direction, not part of a confirmed procurement commitment. The procurement record identifies the Trust as the buyer, based in Newcastle upon Tyne; it does not state where any resulting work would be delivered. This is at the planning stage: the buyer has expressed an intention to procure and is undertaking preliminary market engagement, not inviting tenders. The engagement is intended to gather evidence on feasibility, delivery, assurance, costs and market appetite; the buyer says it may inform an options appraisal, business case, pilot proposal or future procurement strategy, none of which is guaranteed. The buyer’s stated engagement milestone and expected next notice date are both 30 October 2026. The estimated value is £200,000 excluding VAT (£220,000 including VAT). The anticipated contract period is 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2030, with an extension option that could run to 31 March 2031. It is a single lot; no evaluation criteria are set out at this stage. This preparatory engagement is relevant to suppliers able to assess or deliver AI-enabled telephony overlays, particularly those with experience of the Avaya Elite platform and integration with existing telephony environments. The buyer is seeking insight into technical capability, feasibility, assurance requirements, delivery complexity, indicative costs and market appetite, so suppliers able to discuss these areas can help shape the eventual requirement. Experience with planning or evidencing technology pilots, options appraisals and business cases may also be useful, although none is set as a requirement. The potential future replacement is described as needing alignment with emerging national standards and design. The procurement is marked as suitable for small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises. ## Notice The purpose is to test feasibility, capability, assurance needs, delivery complexity, indicative cost and market appetite for an AI-enabled overlay to the existing telephony environment. The engagement will also help NEAS identify requirements that should inform a future complete telephony replacement aligned with emerging national standards and design. The evidence may support an options appraisal, business case, pilot proposal or future procurement strategy, but none is guaranteed. ### Planning Information The engagement will also help NEAS identify requirements that should inform a future complete telephony replacement aligned with emerging national standards and design. The evidence may support an options appraisal, business case, pilot proposal or future procurement strategy, but none is guaranteed. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091997-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 29 Sep 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 30 Oct 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2030 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £200,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust | | Locality | NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE | | Postcode area | Newcastle upon Tyne | | Postcode | NE15 8NY | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear | | ITL 3 | TLC43 Tyneside | | Local authority | Newcastle upon Tyne | | Electoral ward | Lemington | | Westminster constituency | Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 48 - Software package and information systems - 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support ### Codes - 48000000 - Software package and information systems - 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support ## Release History - 29 Sep 2026 at 15:35 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091997-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091997-2026 29th September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents - https://www.neas.nhs.uk/ ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077cc4. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077cc4.json.