NDIS Capacity Building Supports Explained

Capacity Building is the NDIS funding category designed to help you build skills, increase your independence, and work towards your long-term goals. Unlike Core Supports (which covers day-to-day assistance), Capacity Building is an investment in your future. This guide explains how it works.

What is Capacity Building?

Capacity Building supports are funded to help you develop new skills, increase your independence, and reduce your reliance on paid supports over time. The NDIS invests in your capacity because building skills today can reduce the support you need tomorrow.

Capacity Building is divided into eight sub-categories, each targeting a specific area of your life. Unlike Core Supports, funding is allocated to specific sub-categories and generally can't be moved between them.

The eight Capacity Building sub-categories

1. Choice and Control

This covers the costs of managing your plan:

• Plan management fees — if you're plan-managed, your plan manager's fee comes from here
• Financial intermediary services — help with budgeting and financial administration

2. Lifelong Learning

Supports that help you learn and develop:

• Education support — help to participate in school, TAFE, or university
• Training programs — courses that build skills for independence
• Tutoring — individual learning support

3. Finding and Keeping a Job

Employment-related supports:

• Job coaching — help preparing for work, writing resumes, and interview skills
• On-the-job support — a support worker who helps you at your workplace
• School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) — for young people transitioning from school to work
• Disability Employment Services (DES) — help finding and maintaining employment

4. Social and Community Participation

Supports that build your social skills and community involvement:

• Social skills training — learning to interact and communicate
• Community access programs — structured activities to build independence in the community
• Group activities — programs that develop social connections

5. Health and Wellbeing

Supports that improve your physical and mental health:

• Exercise physiology — tailored exercise programs
• Dietetics — nutrition advice and meal planning
• Health coaching — support to manage your own health

6. Home Living

Supports that help you live as independently as possible:

• Independent living skills training — cooking, budgeting, household management
• Accommodation support — help finding and maintaining suitable housing
• Tenancy skills — understanding leases and tenant responsibilities

7. Relationships

Supports that build and maintain relationships:

• Social skills development — learning to build friendships and connections
• Behaviour support — strategies to manage behaviours of concern
• Family and carer support — help for family members to support you

8. Improved Daily Living

This is often the most-used Capacity Building sub-category. It covers:

• Occupational therapy — assessments and therapy for daily living skills
• Speech pathology — communication and swallowing support
• Psychology — mental health support and counselling
• Physiotherapy — movement and physical function
• Assessments — functional assessments, sensory assessments, and specialist reports

How Capacity Building differs from Core Supports

The key difference is the purpose of the funding:

• Core Supports — covers what you need now (everyday assistance)
• Capacity Building — invests in what you could do (building skills for the future)

For example, a support worker who helps you shower is Core Supports. An occupational therapist who teaches you a new technique to shower more independently is Capacity Building.

How to use your Capacity Building budget

Start with your goals

Capacity Building should be tied to your NDIS goals. If your goal is to find work, your Finding and Keeping a Job budget is key. If your goal is to live independently, your Home Living budget matters most.

Choose the right providers

Look for therapists and trainers who:

• Have experience with your type of disability
• Focus on building skills (not just providing ongoing support)
• Set clear, measurable goals
• Provide reports you can use at your next plan review

Track your progress

Keep records of:

• What skills you've developed
• What you can do now that you couldn't before
• Reports and assessments from your therapists

This evidence is crucial for getting continued or increased Capacity Building funding at your next review.

Don't waste your budget

Capacity Building funding is allocated to specific sub-categories. If you don't use it, you lose it — it doesn't roll over. Make sure you're using all your allocated budgets throughout the plan period.

Common questions

Can I move money between Capacity Building sub-categories? Generally, no. Each sub-category is allocated separately. If you need more in one area, discuss it at your next plan review.

What if I don't use all my Capacity Building funding? Unused funding doesn't roll over to your next plan. It's important to use your allocated budgets throughout the plan period.

Can I use Capacity Building for ongoing support? Capacity Building is for time-limited, skill-building interventions, not ongoing support. If you need ongoing help, that's Core Supports.

Need help understanding your Capacity Building budget?

If you're unsure how to use your Capacity Building funding or which providers to choose, contact our team through the contact page — we can help you make the most of your plan.