The NDIA is running the Quality Supports Program to build evidence about what it takes to deliver high-quality supports that are sustainable for providers and work for participants. A key part of this program is the Therapy Pilot, which is designed to inform future pricing reforms by examining the work involved, the workforce needed, and participant outcomes.
For therapy providers, this is worth paying attention to because it signals the NDIA’s direction of travel: pricing decisions that are shaped by evidence about quality delivery, real-world inputs, and outcomes.
What is the Quality Supports Program?
The Quality Supports Program is an NDIA initiative that uses pilots to gather evidence about service delivery and quality. The NDIA uses this evidence to help inform future pricing and market stewardship decisions.
The program currently includes pilots across different support types, including Supported Independent Living (SIL), Support Coordination, and therapy. The therapy pilot sits alongside this broader program of work.
What pilots are already underway and why that matters
The Therapy Pilot sits within the NDIA’s broader Quality Supports Program, which includes multiple pilots designed to build evidence about what quality delivery looks like in practice and what it takes to sustain it. These pilots are not simply “research projects”. They are intended to translate real-world service delivery into evidence the NDIA can use to inform pricing decisions and longer-term market reforms.
Alongside the Therapy Pilot, the NDIA is also running pilots in Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Support Coordination. Each pilot focuses on understanding the work involved in delivering quality supports, the operating realities providers face, and how participant outcomes connect to those inputs. Together, these pilots show a consistent direction: the NDIA is gathering practical, delivery-based evidence to support future pricing and stewardship decisions, rather than relying only on high-level assumptions.
For providers, this matters because it signals what future pricing discussions are likely to prioritise: clearer evidence about costs, workforce mix, service quality, and outcomes. That makes strong internal documentation a competitive advantage, not just an audit requirement. If your organisation is tightening documentation and governance to stay ready for both audits and pricing change, you might find our guide on NDIS record keeping requirements helpful.
What is the Therapy Pilot and when is it running?
The NDIA has confirmed the Quality Supports Therapy Pilot is commencing as part of the broader Quality Supports Program, and it will run as a 12-month pilot with grant funding supporting participating providers to work with the NDIA on data collection. There are 27 registered providers across Australia selected to take part in this.
The NDIA has also stated that participating providers were selected through a closed, non-competitive grant process, and that the pilot is intended to build evidence to inform pricing reforms over time.
What the therapy pilot will look at
The NDIA has stated the therapy pilot will look at:
- the work required to deliver quality therapy supports
- the types of workers involved
- the outcomes for participants
3 key impacts for providers
Impact 1 - Stronger evidence expectations about quality therapy supports
Because the pilot is examining the work involved in quality therapy supports and participant outcomes, providers should expect more emphasis on clearly articulating what quality looks like in practice. That includes the steps involved in therapy delivery and how therapy contributes to outcomes.
A practical provider response is to tighten internal consistency around how you record delivery and outcomes, so your evidence is clear and defensible.
Impact 2 - Workforce mix and capability will be under the microscope
The pilot explicitly looks at the types of workers involved in delivering quality therapy supports. That signals a focus on workforce composition, role clarity, and how capability is maintained in day-to-day practice.
For therapy providers, this is a prompt to review:
- who delivers which components of therapy supports
- how supervision and oversight are structured
- how competency and quality are maintained across the workforce
Impact 3 - Pricing reforms will be informed by real operating data
The NDIA has stated that the therapy pilot is intended to inform pricing reforms. Providers should interpret this as a clear signal that future pricing discussions will be increasingly evidence-driven and connected to real delivery inputs and outcomes.
Practically, this means providers benefit from understanding how NDIA pricing changes are staged and communicated, and from being ready to contribute evidence when consultations occur.
How this links to the NDIA Three-Year Pricing Workplan 2025-2028
The NDIA has committed to a staged approach to pricing improvements through 2025-2028, including evidence building and targeted reviews.
The therapy pilot sits within this broader direction of travel, where evidence gathered in one period is used to inform design and implementation work in later periods.
If you want a breakdown of the NDIA roadmap, this summary may help.
What providers can do now
Here are low-risk steps that align with what the NDIA has said the therapy pilot will examine:
Strengthen outcome tracking that is meaningful and consistent
Focus on capturing outcomes in a way that links therapy supports to functional impact and participant goals. Consistency matters more than complexity.
Document the real work of quality delivery
The pilot focuses on the work required to deliver quality therapy supports. Providers can strengthen their internal evidence by ensuring they capture service delivery steps clearly, including any quality-related processes that are part of normal delivery.
Stay ready for consultation and change
The NDIA has emphasised that evidence and structured reviews will inform pricing reforms. Providers who keep clear evidence and stay informed are better positioned to respond when consultation opportunities arise.
Conclusion
The Quality Supports Therapy Pilot is a clear signal that the NDIA is building a stronger evidence base about what quality therapy supports involve, who delivers them, and what outcomes they produce.
For providers, the opportunity is preparation: strengthen documentation, clarify workforce roles, and ensure outcome tracking is consistent and meaningful. These are practical actions that support both service quality and readiness for future pricing discussions.
If you want support strengthening your systems, compliance foundations, or workforce capability as reforms roll out, Labour Care can help. Book a free consultation today.
FAQs about NDIS Quality Supports Therapy Pilot:
1. Is the NDIS Therapy Pilot open to all providers?
No. The NDIA says providers were chosen through a closed, non-competitive grant process, so it is not an open application round.
2. How much funding has been allocated to the Therapy Pilot?
The NDIA says participating therapy providers will share up to $20 million in grant funding during the 12-month pilot.
3. Why should therapy providers care if they are not part of the pilot?
Because the pilot is gathering evidence about service delivery, workforce mix and participant outcomes, which the NDIA says will inform future therapy pricing settings across the sector.
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