How to start an NDIS business in Australia: a step-by-step guide
Starting out as an NDIS provider is mostly a sequence of decisions and documents. None of it is complicated on its own — but knowing the order, and what each step actually requires, saves weeks of false starts. Here's the path most new providers follow.
1. Decide what supports you'll deliver
Before anything administrative, get specific about the supports you'll offer and who you'll offer them to. This shapes everything downstream — your registration groups, your insurance, your pricing and the policies you'll need.
- What support categories will you deliver (e.g. assistance with daily life, community participation, support coordination, therapy)?
- Will you work with NDIA-managed, plan-managed or self-managed participants — or all three?
- Are you a sole trader to start, or setting up a company from day one?
2. Decide whether to register
This is the single biggest early decision. Registered providers are audited against the NDIS Practice Standards and can support participants whose plans are managed by the NDIA. Unregistered providers can still operate — but only with plan-managed and self-managed participants.
Many providers start unregistered to get moving, then register once they have steady participants and their documentation is in order. Either way, the quality of your paperwork matters — plan managers and participants increasingly expect a professional service agreement, clear consent and proper records.
3. Set up the business basics
- Apply for an ABN (and register a business name if you're not trading under your own name).
- Choose your structure — sole trader is simplest to start; a company offers liability separation as you grow.
- Open a dedicated business bank account so income and expenses are clean from day one.
- Register for GST if you expect to turn over $75,000+ (most NDIS supports are GST-free, but check your situation).
4. Get the right insurance
Most participants, plan managers and registration auditors will ask for evidence of insurance. The usual baseline is public liability and professional indemnity, plus workers' compensation once you employ staff. Get quotes early — it's often quicker than people expect, and you'll need the certificates on file.
5. Sort worker screening and orientation
Anyone delivering supports in a risk-assessed role generally needs an NDIS Worker Screening Check. Workers should also complete the free NDIS Worker Orientation Module ("Quality, Safety and You"). Keep records of both — they're among the first things an auditor or plan manager looks for.
6. Build your core documents
This is where a lot of new providers stall — and where first impressions are made. Before you take on a participant you'll want, at minimum:
- A service agreement — the contract between you and each participant.
- Consent to collect and share information.
- A privacy and confidentiality policy.
- An incident management process and a way to record incidents.
- Progress note and service record templates.
- A complaints and feedback process.
These don't just satisfy the rules — they're how a small provider looks and feels like an established one. Every document reading to one consistent standard is what turns "a person with an ABN" into "a business a participant trusts".
7. Find your first participants
Word of mouth, support coordinators, plan managers and local provider directories are the common channels. A clear, plain-English service agreement and a tidy welcome pack make those referrals far more likely to convert — people refer providers who make them look good too.
Where to go next
Once you're operating, the work shifts from setup to consistency: keeping records up to date, responding to incidents properly, and being ready to show your governance if you register or get audited. The rest of this Knowledge Centre walks through each of those.
This guide is general information to help you plan — always check the current requirements with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, which is the authoritative source.
The NDIS Provider Starter Checklist
Every document and setup step a new provider needs, in one printable checklist. Pop in your email and it's yours.