Prior Information Notice for Digital Care Services Cloud Telephony Framework

NHS England seeks to alert existing and potential providers of its intention to establish a new Cloud Telephony Framework, which will operate under the existing Digital Care Services Catalogue.

This notice is to inform interested Suppliers that the national strategy is to set in place a new framework for General Practice. It is anticipated that commissioners of primary care services and other health and social organisations will utilise the Framework.

The framework will include standards and capabilities developed specifically for Cloud-Based Telephony solutions under the Digital Care Services Catalogue. Placing the new framework within Digital Care Services Catalogue will support NHS England's ambition to have a sole procurement route for primary care, which will provide a set of centrally understood standards.

To support the development of the new framework, the Digital Care Services Catalogue Authority are developing a new capabilities and standards model to accurately reflect the functionality and benefits of Cloud Telephony for primary care. Suppliers will be required to meet the requirements of the Standards and Capabilities model as set out in the Digital Care Services Catalogue Agreement.

In addition to the Standards and Capabilities model the Digital Care Services Catalogue Authority are developing the Framework Terms and Conditions and the DCS Roadmap which will require Supplier compliance during the Framework term. Further detail on the DCS Catalogue is available here https://gpitbjss.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DCSDCS/overview.

NHS England intend to publish the Contract Notice to establish the Framework following a period of market engagement activity with interested suppliers. It is anticipated that market engagement will commence in February 2023 with the Contract Notice published in April 2023.

The estimated total value for this framework is based on a maximum framework term of 36 months.

Please find see the previous Prior Information Notice relating to this Framework. https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/030470-2021?origin=SearchResults&p=1

Suppliers should note any future opportunities will not be directly linked to this notice.

This notice is only intended to inform the market of a prospective contract opportunity. Potential suppliers will not be prejudiced by any response to this PIN, or failure to respond. This PIN does not formally signify the beginning of a procurement and does not constitute a commitment by the Contracting Authority to undertake any procurement exercise.

If the Contracting Authority decides to formally commence the procurement for the Cloud Telephony framework, a separate contract notice will be issued on Find a Tender Service.

Should you wish to talk to us regarding this notice please contact the Hub through the below email [email protected]

Additional information: This notice is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right, and therefore publication or response does not commit the Authority or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest. The Authority will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise.

Interested parties should note that a response to this notice does not guarantee an automatic invitation to any subsequent formal procurement, which the commissioners will consider in due course.

If the Contracting Authority decides to formally commence the procurement for the Cloud Telephony framework, a separate contract notice will be issued on Find a Tender Service. Any resulting procurement will be managed electronically via the Contracting Authority's e-sourcing suite and details on how to register on the portal will be provided.

Atamis: Interested providers will be able to view this notice via the 'Live Opportunities' list on the e-procurement system, Atamis, available on the following link: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome