Start an NDIS Business
How to Start an NDIS Business That Lasts
The decisions that come before registration: what you will deliver, to whom, registered or not, and how you will get paid. Get these right and registration is the straightforward part.
The Short Answer
How do I start an NDIS business?
Choose the supports you will deliver and who you will deliver them to, decide whether to register, set up the business with an ABN and insurance, put your systems in writing, and register with the NDIS Commission if you need or want to. Price your supports against the NDIA’s pricing arrangements before you take on participants.
01The Decisions
Before You Register, Decide These
What you deliver
The supports you are qualified and set up to provide. This decides your registration groups and your audit.
Who you deliver to
Participants who self-manage, use a plan manager, or are NDIA-managed. NDIA-managed participants can only use registered providers.
Registered or not
Some supports require registration. For others it is a choice that widens who you can work with.
How you get paid
The NDIA’s pricing arrangements set price limits for many supports. Build your prices and margins around them.
02Setting Up
From ABN to First Participant
- Structure and ABNSole trader, partnership or company. Get advice on tax and liability.
- InsuranceAppropriate cover for the supports you deliver.
- Systems in writingIncidents, complaints, risk, privacy, worker screening, service agreements and records.
- RegistrationApply to the NDIS Commission if you are registering, then the audit.
- ClaimingRegistered providers claim through the NDIA’s portals; unregistered providers invoice plan managers or self-managing participants.
The seven steps from deciding your supports to approval.
How to become an NDIS provider →Sources
- NDIS Commission: Apply for registration
- NDIA: Pricing arrangements
- NDIA: Invoicing and record keeping
- NDIS Commission: Mandatory registration
Checked against these sources on 13 October 2026.
Starting Out?
Tell us what you plan to deliver. We will tell you whether to register, which groups and audit apply, and what it costs.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start an NDIS business?
It depends on your supports, structure and pathway. Registration costs are the auditor’s fee plus any consultant’s fee; our packages start at $899. Budget separately for insurance and setup.
Do I need to be registered to start an NDIS business?
Not always. Some supports require registration and NDIA-managed participants need registered providers. Many businesses start unregistered and register later.
Can I run an NDIS business from home?
Many do, especially sole traders delivering supports in participants’ homes or the community. Your documents should describe how you work.
Keep Reading
More NDIS Guides
- How to Become an NDIS Provider, Step by StepHow to become a registered NDIS provider in seven steps: choose your supports and groups, get ready, apply…Read the guide →
- NDIS Registration as a Sole Trader: What Changes and What Does NotRegistering as an NDIS provider as a sole trader: what you need, which audit applies, how the standards…Read the guide →
- Registered or Unregistered? The Honest ComparisonWhat registered and unregistered NDIS providers can and cannot do, who they can work with, and an honest…Read the guide →
By Profession
Checked against NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and NDIA published guidance in October 2026. NDIS rules change: confirm anything you are about to act on against ndiscommission.gov.au or ndis.gov.au, or ask us.
One Conversation Tells You Where You Stand
Fifteen minutes with someone who has done this thousands of times. We will tell you what applies to you, what it costs and how long it takes — and if you do not need us, we will tell you that too.