NDIS Grant Program Open to Community Organisations

Community organisations are being invited to partner with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to help deliver the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) across the country as part of a new grant program.

From August, suitable organisations can apply for funding under the agency’s Partners in the Community Program to support local areas transitioning to the NDIS in 2017.

Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services Jane Prentice said the program was based on utilising capacity in the community, rather than replacing it.

“We are looking for community partners to work with the NDIA to deliver Local Area Coordination (LAC) and Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) in the ACT, as well as areas of Queensland, South Australia and Victoria that are scheduled to transition to the NDIS in 2017,” Prentice said.

“We know there are many organisations which already have strong community connections, knowledge and expertise who can work with the agency to help deliver this world-leading scheme.”

She said Local Area Coordination services focus on participant capacity building, including plan development, implementation and review and the Early Childhood Early Intervention services deliver outcomes for children and their families through best-practice and family-centred approaches.

“This round of commissioning builds on earlier LAC arrangements finalised for locations that commenced in July 2016 in New South Wales, Tasmania and parts of Victoria and signals the NDIA’s intention to maintain a rolling program of commissioning to build its partner arrangements,” Prentice said.

Prentice said funding details and arrangements to finalise ECEI services in these initial locations will be announced at a later date. A spokesperson for the minister said however the grant program was not for existing service providers.

The grant round closes on Thursday 8 September 2016 at 2pm AEST.

A webinar on the Partners in the Community Program will be held on Monday 15 August 2016 at 11am AEST. The webinar panel will discuss key information about the program and the application process.

Information about the webinar and NDIS Partners in the Community Program, including application criteria, is available here.