Do You Need a Service Agreement with Your NDIS Provider?

Key Information

• Service agreements are only mandatory for SDA supports, but they're worth having with any provider.
• A good service agreement covers the supports being delivered, the rate charged, and how to end the arrangement if needed.
• You're protected by Australian Consumer Law as well as the NDIS Code of Conduct; your provider must give you a service agreement that's clear, fair and easy to understand.
• Only you, a plan nominee, or a guardian can sign a service agreement on your behalf.

Under the NDIS rules, service agreements are only mandatory for SDA supports. However, you can still benefit from having a signed service agreement with any provider. These agreements provide a clear outline of expectations on both sides, which is allows everything to run smoothly and acts as a ‘source of truth’ to settle any disputes.

What is an NDIS service agreement?

A service agreement is a formal, written (and signed) contract between NDIS service providers and participants. It outlines all the important details of support delivery, including:

• What supports are being provided.
• What days and times support delivery will happen.
• The rate your provider will charge (and how this rate changes for evenings, weekends, and public holidays if applicable).
• Any notice period, and what process you must both follow to end a service agreement.

Outside of the NDIS Code of Conduct, you’re also protected by Australian Consumer Law when purchasing products or services. Your provider must supply a service agreement that you can understand, which is fair and transparent. This means everything has to be specified, and they can’t include unreasonably long notice periods or high cancellation fees.

Related: What the ACCC's 2026 NDIS Report Means for Plan Managed Participants

When a service agreement makes sense

If you’re purchasing SDA support, you must have a service agreement with your provider. But service agreements are practical in many support situations, particularly for ongoing or longer-term supports. Many providers will still ask you to sign a service agreement as part of their standard business practice.

Service agreements can make budgeting easier too; you can map your support frequency and billing cycles to better budget your NDIS funding periods. Timing is a really important consideration if you’re working with multiple providers. You can set expectations around cadence as part of the service agreement so you’re not at risk of getting invoices processed too quickly and running out of funding in your current window.

Reviewing and signing a service agreement: Everything you need to know

Your service agreement should specify the outcomes you’re looking to achieve and set out everyone’s responsibilities and obligations while working towards these goals. It’s like a map of what will happen while you’re working with that provider; a written guide for the what, where and how of service delivery.

What should a good service agreement include?

Because this is essentially the blueprint for working with this provider, a service agreement should have all the relevant details. That includes:

• Your name (or the name of the participant in question), contact information, and NDIS participant number.
• The service provider’s name, contact information, and address. For NDIS-registered providers, include their registration number.
• A description of the supports and services you will receive. This might be anything from daily living assistance to therapies, transportation, and other services that align with your NDIS plan as written.
• Start and end dates for service delivery, and any notice periods for changing providers.
• Where the services will be delivered (e.g. at home, in the community, at a specific facility).
• How often you will receive these services, and the duration of each session where applicable.
• Your goals for this support and what you are trying to achieve in the long term.
• Costs of each service, how payments will be made, and any cancellation fees.
• What happens if your circumstances change (or if your provider’s circumstances change) and you need to modify the agreement.
• How you can raise concerns or complaints about the services, and how they will handle disputes.
• Privacy considerations regarding collecting, using, or disclosing a participant’s personal information.

Related: How Do I Know My NDIS Provider Isn’t Ripping Me Off?

Reviewing your service agreement

Once you have all the details from your provider, you should carefully read the agreement and make sure it all sounds correct before you sign. It can often be a good idea to have someone you trust read over it too, to make sure there’s nothing you’re missing or to help with any bits you don’t understand.

If there are parts that you’re not sure about or don’t agree with, you’re allowed to go back to the provider and ask about it. You have the right to negotiate, and you can seek help with any part of the process from family, your support coordinator, or an independent disability advocate.

Sometimes, your service agreements may need to be updated because of changes to the NDIS rules (like the recent changes to NDIS mandatory provider registration). You should treat this like a new contract, and read over it carefully to make sure it still works for you.

Related: How NDIS Providers & Plan Managers Can Work Together for Participants

Who can sign your service agreement?

Your service agreement should be between you (the NDIS participant in question) and your service provider. However, there are exceptions:

Plan nominees

Plan nominees are NDIS-approved individuals who can make decisions about a participant’s plan, like asking for changes or managing their funding. This is usually someone the participant knows already (like a parent managing their adult child’s NDIS plan) or it can be a volunteer nominee.

Note: A plan nominee is different from a correspondence nominee. A correspondence nominee can access information for or about you, but they can’t make decisions about your NDIS plan or funding.

Guardians

Guardians are court or tribunal-appointed legal guardians, usually a parent or family member. They can act as a substitute decision-maker, including signing service agreements.

How NDSP Plan Managers can help

Your service agreement covers the delivery of supports, while plan management makes sure your claims (provider or reimbursement) are compliant with NDIS rules, price guidelines, and with your current plan as written.

Having an expert plan management provider in your corner (like NDSP) can help smooth out friction involved with setting up service agreements and processing provider invoices. You retain choice and control while we take care of the admin and compliance side, allowing you to focus your time and energy on the things that matter to you.

With our quick response times, expert NDIS knowledge, and user-friendly tools like the NAPPA portal and our free online participant toolbox, we aim to make plan management a simple, easy process that empowers NDIS participants living across Australia.

If you’re looking for a new plan manager, why not get in touch with NDSP today and find out how our national network can support you on your NDIS journey. We’d love to help!