What We Know So Far

The Federal Government’s ‘Securing the NDIS for Future Generations’ NDIS reform legislation introduced a commissioned model for Plan Management, replacing the current open-market approach with a panel of providers selected by the NDIA.
Despite extensive advocacy efforts across the sector, the legislation is expected to pass and the commissioned model will proceed. The reforms are expected to impact more than 1,000 active Plan Management providers, including many Planability customers.

Information released to date indicates:

• The Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill passed the Senate on 18th August 2026.
• Procurement activity is expected during 2027.
• The NDIA intends to have deeds of arrangement in place by 1 October 2027.
• The commissioned model is expected to commence from 1 October 2027.
• A transition period is expected to conclude six months later on 1 April 2028.

While procurement documents have not yet been released, the legislation specifies that a deed of arrangement must include:

Subsection 73EA(2):

A deed of arrangement must include the following:

1. standards and processes to be met by the person in relation to integrity and governance, including reporting requirements to the Agency;
2. standards to be met by the person in relation to staff, including requirements to be satisfied in relation to key personnel of the person;
3. requirements to be met by the person for the handling and submitting of claims to the Agency, including verification of identity and verification of the provision of supports;
4. standards and requirements to be met by the person in relation to information and communications technology and systems;
5. requirements to be met by the person and key personnel of the person in relation to related parties and managing and divesting conflicts of interest.

Beyond the legislation itself, government representatives, the NDIA and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission have provided some insight into the factors driving the move to a commissioned model.

In an interview on 30 July 2026, Minister for the NDIS Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister addressed concerns that the reforms favour larger providers:

“It’s not particularly about scale, but we do have data that shows that the smaller scale operators have very high risks for fraud, and the reason is this: it’s paid on a flat rate. You get a fixed amount per month. What that means is that the larger operators, who’ve got a larger number of clients, invest in the systems and processes that let them deliver a quality service and also yield the rewards of running a sustainable business.”

Source: Radio interview with Minister McAllister, ABC Sydney Mornings, 30 July 2026.

During Senate Committee hearings on 6 August 2026, NDIA Deputy CEO Integrity, Transformation and Technology Services, John Dardo, was asked whether smaller Plan Managers were considered higher risk:

“There is certainly a higher level of risk in the plan managers that are servicing a smaller number of participants for two reasons. The first reason is that the revenue stream from plan management services for those smaller plan managers is likely to be insufficient to sustain a genuine business model with genuine controls.
What I mean by that is they’re unlikely to be able to invest in systems or scrutiny or governance that would give them confidence that they’re claiming appropriately and managing claiming appropriately, just because of the revenue stream not supporting a critical mass of the business.”

Mr Dardo also noted that NDIA integrity activity is not limited to smaller providers and applies across providers of all sizes, including large providers where integrity concerns are identified.

Source: Community Affairs Legislation Committee Hearing, 6 August 2026, page 55.\

The Explanatory Memorandum also indicates that providers appointed to the panel will face significant ongoing management and reporting obligations:

“There would also be administrative costs associated with complying with and reporting on aspects of the panel conditions for successful plan managers. This may include attending regular contract management meetings and producing performance and integrity reports. The regulatory burden cost is estimated to be $1.5 million total.”

Source: Explanatory Memorandum, page 245.

One of the most common questions being asked by the sector is how many Plan Managers will ultimately be appointed to the commissioned panel.

The reality is that nobody knows.

As at August 2026, neither the legislation, Explanatory Memorandum, Senate Committee reports nor government announcements specify a target panel size. No minimum number, maximum number or preferred number of providers has been publicly released.

The Explanatory Memorandum anticipates that some participants will need to transition to a new Plan Manager as a result of the commissioning process and includes cost modelling for those transitions:

“Participants who are required to transition to a new plan management provider would need to select a new plan management provider from the NDIA-commissioned panel. The NDIA would support these participants to be onboarded to a new plan management provider. It is assumed that transitioning to a new plan management provider would require up to 3 hours of effort per participant. Using the OIA’s non-work-related labour cost of $37/hour, the regulatory burden on individuals is $27.8 million.”

Using the Government’s own assumptions, this modelling suggests that approximately 250,000 participants could be transitioned to a new Plan Manager as part of the commissioning process. While this modelling suggests a substantial number of participants may be affected by the commissioning process, it should not be interpreted as an indication of panel size or the number of providers that will ultimately be selected.

Source: Explanatory Memorandum, page 244

Looking Ahead to 2028

While Plan Management reforms are currently the focus of industry discussion, the Australian Government’s broader NDIS reform agenda also includes a move to a commissioned model for Support Coordination.

Current reform materials indicate that consultation and design work is expected to occur during 2026 and 2027, with a commissioned model proposed to commence from 1 July 2028. Government publications also reference ongoing policy work relating to navigation services and the future role of Support Coordination within the disability ecosystem.

At this stage, no detailed commissioning framework, procurement process, provider requirements, panel structure or transition arrangements have been released by Government. As a result, there is significantly less information available than for the proposed Plan Management commissioned panel.

We will continue to monitor developments and update this page as further information becomes available.