How to become an NDIS provider

Not every NDIS support requires registration. Unregistered providers can still deliver supports to self-managed and plan-managed participants — but not to NDIA-managed participants, and they can't deliver certain higher-risk supports (like Specialist Disability Accommodation, Specialist Behaviour Support, or supports involving restrictive practices).

If you want to deliver to all participants, deliver higher-risk supports, or work with larger organisations who require registered providers, you need to register.

The NDIS Commission organises supports into registration groups (e.g. Personal Activities, Therapeutic Supports, Plan Management, Specialist Disability Accommodation). You apply to deliver specific groups.

Your registration groups determine your audit type. Lower-risk groups → Verification audit. Higher-risk groups → Certification audit. Pick the groups that match what you actually plan to deliver — over-applying just adds cost and complexity.

Applications are submitted online through the Commission Portal. You'll provide business details, registration groups, key personnel, and a self-assessment against the relevant NDIS Practice Standards.

The Commission reviews your application and issues an Initial Scope of Audit document. This tells you which audit you need (Verification or Certification) and which standards you'll be assessed against.

You can't pick anyone — you must use an NDIS-Approved Quality Auditor. There's a public list on the Commission's website. Get quotes from 2–3 auditors, as fees vary significantly based on your size, scope, and audit type.

Verification audits are typically remote desktop reviews. Certification audits are two-stage — a remote desktop review followed by an on-site visit.

This is where almost every new provider gets stuck. The Practice Standards require dozens of documents: policies covering incident management, risk, complaints, privacy, governance, continuous improvement, and more — plus the forms, registers, and templates you'll use to evidence them in operation.

Writing all of this from scratch typically takes 80+ hours. Hiring a consultant typically costs $3,000–$5,000. Or you can start with a complete pack of editable templates that already align to the NDIS Practice Standards, tailor them to your business, and operate by what's documented.

Your auditor reviews your documents (Stage 1) and, for Certification audits, observes your operations and may interview staff and participants (Stage 2). They submit a report to the NDIS Commission.

If there are non-conformities, you'll have a window to address them. Most providers who've prepared their documentation properly pass without major issues.

The NDIS Commission reviews the audit report and issues your Certificate of Registration. You're now a registered NDIS provider and can claim through the NDIS Portal. Registrations are typically valid for three years, with a midterm audit at roughly the 18-month mark for Certification providers.