auto-scaling	true
title	NDX, Opportunities for London Boroughs
theme	themes/cddo
author	Chris Nesbitt-Smith
marp	true
class	lead
description	A 60-min session for the LOTI AI Community of Practice on what NDX:Try is, how London boroughs can use it today, and where the broader National Digital Exchange is heading. With Wing Lau, Hackney. Thu 21 May 2026, 13:00.
url	https://talks.cns.me/GDS-NDX-LOTI1.html
html	true

NDX, Opportunities for London Boroughs

Chris Nesbitt-Smith · Wing Lau, Hackney

LOTI AI Community of Practice · 21 May 2026

👋

Chris Nesbitt-Smith · OCTO, DSIT

Wing Lau · Hackney

The problem

You've got an AI vendor pitch.

Your CIO wants you to prove it works before signing.

Your procurement, for even a £0 trial, says wait.

Your security team needs to see it running first.

Six months later you decide not to buy.

£1.2bn

in annual savings — if government bought tech better

Feryal Clark MP — gov.uk, June 2025

320

councils "go it alone when negotiating tech contracts"

gov.uk press release · 7 June 2025

Press release quote with 320 councils highlighted

🧪

NDX:Try

"Secure, time-limited access to cutting-edge tools, with no upfront effort or cost."

technology.blog.gov.uk · 17 April 2026

GDS technology blog post with highlighted quote

🔁

Re-launch as often as you want.

Each session is fresh.

~$50

per session, fair use

figure under review

Most things you'll want to try fit well inside this.

AWS pays.

DSIT operates.

You consume.

17 scenarios live today · 8 more in the backlog

AI Contact Centre

BOPS Planning

Council Chatbot

Digital Planning Register

Empty AWS Sandbox

FixMyStreet

FOI Redaction

LocalGov Drupal with AI

LocalGov IMS

Minute

Paperless-ngx with AI

Planning AI

PlanX Digital Planning

QuickSight Dashboard

Simply Readable

Smart Car Park

Text to Speech

🤝

Last week, in Hackney, with Wing

📄

Pattern: document AI

paperless-ngx with AI

🌐

Pattern: content AI

LocalGov Drupal with AI

☎️

Pattern: voice AI

AI Contact Centre

⏱️

~5 min deploy · <£1/day · 24h ephemeral

AWS picks up the bill

What we want from you

🎯 Sign up. Click one scenario this week.

🗣️ Tell us what's broken. What works. What's missing.

📣 Tell other boroughs. Tell your suppliers.

3 starts

Try is the first feature. Catalog, Campaign, Challenge, Assist are coming.

Local government is the first audience. Wider public sector next.

AWS is the first vendor. Others at their pace.

📚

Next: Catalog

Assured marketplace · peer reviews · published trust evidence

💰

Next: Campaign

Pooled demand · co-funded builds · the Kickstarter mechanic

📋

Next: Challenge

Public sector problem book · suppliers respond · innovators target

What you can do this afternoon

🔗 Use it `ndx.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk`

🎤 Come hands-on AWS, 4 June — `aws-experience.com/emea/smb/e/300f4/hands-on-with-ndxtry`

📣 Tell your suppliers Name "NDX:Try" → `ndx@dsit.gov.uk`

5 questions to ask your supplier

1. Can I try this without signing anything?

2. What does it cost to stop using it?

3. Where do I find peer reviews from other boroughs?

4. Why isn't this on NDX:Try yet?

5. What problem on the NDX Challenge book are you working on?

Bonus, for procurement: which framework lets us score peer reviews as previous performance? (Procurement Act 2023.)

❓

Questions

Wing's on the line for "what's it actually like to use" questions.

Uh oh!

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NDX, Opportunities for London Boroughs

Chris Nesbitt-Smith · Wing Lau, Hackney

LOTI AI Community of Practice · 21 May 2026

👋

Chris Nesbitt-Smith · OCTO, DSIT

Wing Lau · Hackney

The problem

You've got an AI vendor pitch.

Your CIO wants you to prove it works before signing.

Your procurement, for even a £0 trial, says wait.

Your security team needs to see it running first.

Six months later you decide not to buy.

£1.2bn

in annual savings — if government bought tech better

Feryal Clark MP — gov.uk, June 2025

320

councils "go it alone when negotiating tech contracts"

gov.uk press release · 7 June 2025

🧪

NDX:Try

"Secure, time-limited access to cutting-edge tools, with no upfront effort or cost."

technology.blog.gov.uk · 17 April 2026

🔁

Re-launch as often as you want.

Each session is fresh.

~$50

per session, fair use

figure under review

Most things you'll want to try fit well inside this.

AWS pays.

DSIT operates.

You consume.

🤝

Last week, in Hackney, with Wing

📄

Pattern: document AI

paperless-ngx with AI

🌐

Pattern: content AI

LocalGov Drupal with AI

☎️

Pattern: voice AI

AI Contact Centre

⏱️

~5 min deploy · <£1/day · 24h ephemeral

AWS picks up the bill

What we want from you

🎯 Sign up. Click one scenario this week.

🗣️ Tell us what's broken. What works. What's missing.

📣 Tell other boroughs. Tell your suppliers.

3 starts

Try is the first feature. Catalog, Campaign, Challenge, Assist are coming.

Local government is the first audience. Wider public sector next.

AWS is the first vendor. Others at their pace.

📚

Next: Catalog

Assured marketplace · peer reviews · published trust evidence

💰

Next: Campaign

Pooled demand · co-funded builds · the Kickstarter mechanic

📋

Next: Challenge

Public sector problem book · suppliers respond · innovators target

What you can do this afternoon

🔗 Use it ndx.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk

🎤 Come hands-on AWS, 4 June — aws-experience.com/emea/smb/e/300f4/hands-on-with-ndxtry

📣 Tell your suppliers Name "NDX:Try" → ndx@dsit.gov.uk

5 questions to ask your supplier

1. Can I try this without signing anything?

2. What does it cost to stop using it?

3. Where do I find peer reviews from other boroughs?

4. Why isn't this on NDX:Try yet?

5. What problem on the NDX Challenge book are you working on?

🔗 Use it `ndx.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk`

🎤 Come hands-on AWS, 4 June — `aws-experience.com/emea/smb/e/300f4/hands-on-with-ndxtry`

📣 Tell your suppliers Name "NDX:Try" → `ndx@dsit.gov.uk`

`ndx.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk`