How to Start a SIL Provider Business in Australia
How to start a SIL business: registration from 1 July 2026, Rosters of Care, real costs, the price-vs-wage gap and cash-flow traps under NDIS reform.
What SIL actually is — and what it is not
Can you actually make money? The price-versus-wage gap
How SIL is priced: the Roster of Care
Do you have to register? (Yes — and the rules just tightened)
The registration audit you must pass
Step-by-step: how to start a SIL business
What it costs to start
Cash flow under 'prove and pay' and the 90-day window
Compliance you cannot delegate
Common mistakes that kill new SIL providers
Get discovered once you are ready to deliver
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between SIL and SDA?
SIL (Supported Independent Living) funds the support workers who help a participant live in their home — personal care, skill-building and overnight support. SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) funds the physical dwelling itself for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. They are separate registrations and separate business models; you can deliver SIL in a home owned by someone else, and many providers deliberately keep the two apart to manage conflict of interest.
Do I need to be a registered provider to deliver SIL?
Yes. SIL has always required registration, and from 1 July 2026 mandatory registration commenced through the new registration group 0138 with a SIL Supplementary Module added to the Practice Standards. SIL requires the higher certification-level audit by an NDIS-approved quality auditor. You cannot deliver SIL as an unregistered provider.
How much does it cost to start a SIL business?
There is no flat government registration fee, but expect a certification audit of roughly $3,000-$15,000 or more, plus policies and systems setup, insurances of a few thousand dollars a year, worker screening and training, and — most importantly — several weeks of payroll as working capital. You pay staff before the NDIA pays you, so under-capitalisation is the most common reason new SIL providers fail early.
How is SIL funded and priced?
SIL is funded from an approved Roster of Care rather than simple hourly billing. You map the support hours, staffing ratios and overnight arrangements across a typical week, submit it with a quote, and the NDIA assesses and approves a funded amount. From 1 July 2026, rosters are submitted digitally with justification, and overnight support is priced on tiered active and passive rates. Always confirm current rates in the live PAPL.
Can I make a profit from SIL?
Yes, but margins are thin and depend on utilisation. Your revenue is capped by the NDIA price limit while your largest cost is wages set by the SCHADS award, and the gap between them must cover super, insurance, leave, training, supervision, rostering and admin before any profit. SIL works when houses are near-full and shifts are staffed exactly to the approved roster; vacancies and penalty-rate miscalculations quickly erase the margin.