How to Start a Support Coordination Service
Start a support coordination business in Australia: levels, registration, conflict-of-interest rules, real margins and the 2026-27 reforms that change the mod
What a support coordination business actually delivers
Why support coordination is the cheapest NDIS service to start
Registered or unregistered: the first real decision
The conflict-of-interest problem that defines this business
What you can charge versus what it costs
Worked example: why utilisation is the whole game
The setup checklist
Who you hire matters more than anything else
The reforms that could change this business model
Getting found by participants and coordinators
Common mistakes to avoid
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be registered to start a support coordination business?
Not currently. You can deliver support coordination unregistered and invoice self-managed and plan-managed participants, but you cannot bill NDIA-managed (agency-managed) plans without registration. Mandatory registration is expanding to high-risk supports from 1 July 2027, and differentiated pricing for unregistered providers is under consultation in H2 2026, so confirm your obligation at ndiscommission.gov.au before deciding to stay unregistered.
How much can I charge for support coordination?
Prices are capped by the NDIA Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL), with separate line items for Level 1 Support Connection, Level 2 Coordination of Supports and Level 3 Specialist Support Coordination. The 2026-27 PAPL was published 23 June 2026 and applies from 1 July 2026. Level 2 has sat near $100 per hour and Level 3 roughly double, but these figures change each PAPL — confirm the current line item at ndis.gov.au before quoting.
What qualifications do support coordinators need?
There is no single mandated qualification for Level 1 or Level 2, but coordinators typically come from disability, community services, social work or allied health backgrounds. Level 3 Specialist Support Coordination effectively requires that professional depth. Every worker needs an NDIS Worker Screening Check and the NDIS Worker Orientation Module before delivering support.
What is the conflict of interest rule for support coordinators?
If your business both coordinates supports and delivers them, you have a financial incentive to refer to yourself, which the NDIS Code of Conduct and the Commission's guidance require you to identify, disclose and manage. You need a written conflict-of-interest policy, plain-language disclosure to the participant, genuine documented alternatives, and no referrals made a condition of coordination. The reform direction favours separating coordination from delivery, so build that separation early.
Will commissioned support coordination in 2028 end this business?
It changes it. From 1 July 2028 the NDIA plans to move toward commissioning support coordination rather than participants freely choosing their own coordinator, which is the biggest structural risk to an independent operator relying on organic referrals. The design and timing are Bill-dependent and not yet settled — confirm the detail at health.gov.au/securingtheNDIS and plan for the model to shift rather than assuming it stays as it is today.