Participants and providers have told us about the importance of finding, recognising, and promoting new ways for participants to pursue their home and living goals.
In response we introduced a new initiative to bring participants and providers together to design and deliver improved ways of delivering home and living supports.
We call them Demonstration Projects. Demonstration projects look at different ways of delivering home and living supports that give greater flexibility to participants and providers, are outcomes-focused, encourage better practice and ensure Scheme sustainability.
Round 1 Home and living demonstration projects
We launched a Market Information Request in September 2021 for providers to work with participants to submit a Demonstration Project they would like to test and evaluate alternative approaches in supported independent living.
We received 29 applications and used a competitive, merit-based process to select 11 projects. 5 of these projects have continued through to their implementation phase.
Each project tests a slightly different way of delivering supports and is aimed at delivering greater flexibility, improving outcomes, encouraging better practice with a focus on Scheme sustainability.
To support project implementation and evaluation, providers have received grants ranging from $50,000 for smaller projects, to $170,000 for larger projects.
The grants are helping to maximise the benefits of these projects for the participants involved and the broader sector through the delivery of a robust evaluation.
The NDIA is monitoring the Round 1 Home and living demonstration projects outcomes. These projects are closing in June 2024.
Demonstration round 1 project overviews
Read our provider stories:
- Mind Australia - psychosocial residential rehabilitation
- Possability - enhanced practice leader
- Rocky Bay - active support and practice leadership
- Supporting Independent Living Cooperative - family governance cooperative
- We Care NSW - transiting from supported independent living to independent living
Round 2 Home and living demonstration projects
In May 2023, the National Disability Insurance Agency commenced a second grant round of Demonstration Projects called Empowering Participants: Information, Assistance and Connections.
This was a national grant round that sought innovative projects aimed at testing different models for providing NDIS participants with high quality information, assistance and connections about home and living options.
Each project will be co-designed by people with disability, offer employment opportunities and a platform for participants to share their own lived experience.
The successful grant recipients were announced in October 2023, they are: