Self-managed, plan-managed and NDIA-managed

The three management types

Every NDIS participant chooses how their plan funding is managed official source (opens in a new tab) . The choice affects who receives and processes payments, which providers the participant can work with, and how much administrative responsibility sits with the participant themselves. Management type is recorded in the plan and can be changed at or between plan reviews.

The three options are self-management , plan management , and NDIA (agency) management . A participant can also use a combination of these across different support budgets, for example self-managing their Core Supports while having their Capacity Building budget agency-managed.

Self-management

When a participant self-manages, they receive their NDIS funding directly and are responsible for paying providers themselves official source (opens in a new tab) . They submit payment requests to the NDIA (or have someone help them do so) and pay providers from the funds they receive. This gives participants the greatest flexibility: they can engage both registered and unregistered providers, negotiate their own rates, and use their funding in creative ways as long as the supports are consistent with their plan goals and the NDIS rules.

For providers working with self-managed participants, payment comes directly from the participant rather than from the NDIA or a plan manager. This means invoices go to the participant and payment timelines depend on how promptly the participant submits their claims and transfers funds. Maintaining clear invoicing and keeping good records is important on both sides.

Plan management

Plan management sits between self-management and agency management. The participant engages a registered plan manager, who receives funding on their behalf, pays provider invoices, and tracks spending across the plan’s budgets official source (opens in a new tab) . Plan management is itself funded separately within a participant’s plan, so it does not come out of the participant’s support budgets.

Participants who are plan-managed can use both registered and unregistered providers, which gives them more choice than agency management. From a provider’s perspective, you submit invoices to the plan manager rather than directly to the NDIA. Plan managers have their own payment processes and turnaround times, and they are responsible for ensuring claims are valid before paying them. It is worth familiarising yourself with the plan manager your participant uses, particularly their invoicing requirements and preferred formats.

NDIA (agency) management

When a participant is agency-managed, the NDIA administers the funding directly official source (opens in a new tab) . Providers make payment requests through the NDIS provider portal against a service booking, and the NDIA pays the provider directly. This is the most straightforward arrangement for providers in terms of receiving payment, but it comes with an important constraint: agency-managed participants can only use registered providers.

If your organisation is not registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, you cannot deliver funded supports to agency-managed participants. This is a common source of confusion for newer providers. The NDIS Commission’s provider registration pages outline what registration involves and which audit pathway applies to your organisation.

What it means for providers

Understanding a participant’s management type before starting services avoids payment problems and compliance issues. Before delivering services, confirm whether the participant is self-managed, plan-managed, or agency-managed, and identify who you will invoice or submit payment requests to.

For plan-managed participants, you also need the plan manager’s contact details and any specific invoicing instructions they require. For agency-managed participants, ensure you have an active service booking in the NDIA portal before delivering supports, as claims against agency-managed plans require a current booking to succeed official source (opens in a new tab) . Asking participants about their management type at intake, and recording it in your service agreement, keeps everyone clear from the start.