Supported Employment referrals for NDIS coordinators

Supported employment settings, including Australian Disability Enterprises, with on-the-job support for participants with higher support needs.

NDIS registration group: Specialised supported employment

What Supported Employment is under the NDIS

Supported employment is ongoing, individualised on-the-job support that helps a participant with higher support needs to gain, keep and progress in paid work. It is delivered in the workplace itself — through supervision, task training, and hands-on assistance — for people who need substantial, continuing support to work that mainstream employment services cannot provide on their own.

It is most commonly associated with Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs), which employ people with disability in a supported setting. Since the NDIS supported employment reforms, funding is individualised and follows the participant into the workplace rather than being block-funded to the provider. This gives participants more say over where they work and how they are supported, and increasingly allows the same on-the-job support to be delivered in open or mainstream workplaces.

The focus is person-centred: matching the support to the participant's goals, building skills, adjusting tasks and the work environment, and supporting the person to maintain their role and, where they choose, move toward more independent or award-wage employment over time.

What it covers

Who it suits

Refer for supported employment when a participant wants to work but needs ongoing, individualised on-the-job support that mainstream employment services or short-term capacity-building supports cannot provide on their own.

It suits people with higher support needs, including those working in or seeking a place at an Australian Disability Enterprise, and those pursuing supported open employment.

How to refer Supported Employment on Novida

Search Novida for verified supported employment providers and filter by location, setting (ADE or open employment) and registration status. Review provider profiles to shortlist those whose service model and support intensity match the participant's goals.

Check the provider is registered for the Supported Employment registration group and confirm current capacity before making contact. Then reach out directly with a complete referral: participant consent, NDIS number, plan-management type, the relevant employment line items and available budget, the frequency and setting of support required, and any specific needs or workplace requirements.

Novida is free to use and never sits in the middle of the referral — you contact and engage the provider directly, so there is no third party handling the participant's information or slowing the process down.

What to check before you refer

Supported Employment — NDIS price limits (2026–27)

How it’s priced

Supported employment is priced under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (the current NDIS Price Guide), which set the maximum prices for the relevant supported employment line items. Funding is individualised and follows the participant, and prices can vary with the intensity or ratio of support delivered — always check the latest Pricing Arrangements for the applicable items before referring.

Coordinator FAQs — Supported Employment

Does a provider need to be registered to deliver supported employment?
Yes for agency (NDIA) managed participants — only NDIS-registered providers can be paid from agency-managed funds, and the provider must be registered against the Supported Employment registration group and meet the Supported Employment Practice Standards module. Plan-managed and self-managed participants can use unregistered providers,…
How is supported employment different from Disability Employment Services (DES)?
DES is a Commonwealth employment program that sits outside the NDIS and helps people find and keep open-market jobs. NDIS supported employment funds ongoing, individualised on-the-job support for participants who need substantial help to work, often in a supported setting such as an ADE. DES is not funded from the participant's NDIS plan;…
Can a participant access DES and NDIS supported employment at once?
Generally not for the same support at the same time — the NDIS and DES are designed to complement, not duplicate. A participant might use DES to find open employment while using NDIS-funded supports for other needs, but the same on-the-job support should not be funded twice. Check the participant's current arrangements and plan wording,…
Which budget funds supported employment?
Supported employment is funded through the participant's plan under employment-related supports, with its own line items in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. Since the ADE reforms, funding is individualised and follows the participant rather than being block-funded to the provider. Confirm the plan includes employment…
Do Australian Disability Enterprises still operate?
Yes. ADEs continue to operate as supported employment providers, but funding changed after the reforms — instead of block grants, funding is individualised and follows each participant into the workplace. This lets support be tailored to the person's needs and goals and supports greater choice about where they work. Participants can be…
How is supported employment different from School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)?
SLES is a capacity-building support that helps young people transition from school to work over roughly one to two years, building job-readiness skills. Supported employment is ongoing, on-the-job support for people already working, or ready to work, who need substantial help to maintain a role. A participant may progress from SLES into…
Can supported employment be delivered in open, mainstream workplaces?
Yes. Since the reforms, supported employment is no longer limited to ADEs — it can be delivered in open or mainstream workplaces where a participant needs ongoing, individualised on-the-job support. The setting should match the participant's goals and support needs. When referring, tell the provider whether the participant is seeking an…
Does the NDIS pay the participant's wages?
No. The NDIS funds the disability-related support a participant needs to work — supervision, training and on-the-job assistance — not their wages. Wages are paid by the employer, such as an ADE, under the relevant industrial arrangements. When referring, focus the conversation on the support ratio and needs; wage and employment terms are…
What Practice Standards apply to supported employment providers?
Registered supported employment providers must meet the NDIS Practice Standards, including the specific Supported Employment module covering areas such as a supportive work environment, worker rights and progression opportunities. They are regulated by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. This matters most for agency-managed…

Related NDIS registration groups

How to check a provider’s credentials

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