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Can the NDIS Fund a Microenterprise? Funding Your Own Small Business

What the NDIS can and can't fund when you want to work for yourself, and how to tell if it's right for you

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About microenterprise

What is a microenterprise?

Updated October 2026 · Written by the Good Company team · Part of our NDIS employment and funding guides

A microenterprise, or micro business, is a very small business, usually run by one person or a handful of people, often from home, online or at a market stall. It is built around something you are good at or enjoy, and it can sell a product or a service. Examples include:

  • a craft or baking stall at a local market;
  • handmade jewellery or art sold online;
  • dog walking or pet sitting;
  • gardening or lawn mowing;
  • freelance design, photography or social media help;
  • a YouTube or TikTok channel.

The benefits of running a microenterprise

  • You choose the work. You can build a business around a skill or interest you already have.
  • You set the pace. You decide your hours, which can suit people whose energy or health changes from day to day.
  • You build real skills. Talking to customers, handling money, solving problems and following through all grow with practice.
  • You connect with people. Selling something means meeting customers and being part of your community.
What the NDIS funds

Can the NDIS fund a microenterprise?

The NDIS does not fund the cost of starting or running a business. Its list of supports that are not NDIS supports includes:

  • business development costs and business skills development costs;
  • company registration, bookkeeping, and accounting services or software.

Stock, equipment, stall fees and marketing are business costs you pay for yourself. Some people fund them through savings, small grants, family support or early sales.

What your NDIS plan may include

What a plan may include is the support you need because of your disability in order to work. The NDIS says employment supports can help you build work skills, and can include on-the-job coaching, training and mentoring in any workplace.

Whether that support can be used in your own business depends on your goals and on what is reasonable and necessary for you, so raise it with your my NDIS contact or planner. Employment supports usually sit in Capacity Building – Finding and Keeping a Job.

What microenterprise support can look like

At Good Company we call our support workers mentors. With microenterprise support, a mentor works alongside you on the skills and confidence that working for yourself takes. That can include:

  • working out what you are good at and what you would enjoy doing week after week;
  • building routines for making, packing, delivering or turning up on time;
  • practising how to talk with customers and handle money;
  • starting small, such as one product or one market day, and learning from it;
  • building the confidence to do more of it on your own.
Is it right for you?

Is a microenterprise right for you?

It suits people who like making their own decisions and are willing to stick at something. It also comes with responsibilities that are worth thinking about first:

  • it takes time and energy, and income is not guaranteed;
  • there can be costs for materials, equipment or stall fees;
  • there is paperwork, such as keeping records of what you earn and spend;
  • earning money can affect other payments you receive.

If that sounds like too much right now, a job with support may suit you better. NDIS employment supports cover that path.

How to talk about a business goal in your plan

  1. Write a goal. For example: “I want support to start my own gardening business.” If you’re just starting, a goal like “explore work that fits my interests” is enough.
  2. Show your idea. Photos, a sample or a simple one-page plan help your planner see what you’re growing toward.
  3. Explain the disability-related support you need to do the work, such as coaching, routines, travel or communication with customers.
  4. Ask your planner whether employment supports in your plan can be used for working in your own business.

Will business income affect my payments?

Your NDIS funding isn’t means-tested, so business income doesn’t reduce your NDIS plan. Income can affect payments such as the Disability Support Pension: you need to tell Services Australia about income you earn, including from your own business, so check with them before you start trading.

On ABNs and GST: business.gov.au explains when you need an ABN, and the ATO says you must register for GST once your GST turnover reaches $75,000. An accountant or a small business advisory service can help you with your obligations.

With Good Company

How Good Company can help

We match you with a mentor based on personality, interests and location, and you see their profile before you meet. Read Jodie’s story about Pooch N Pounce and try our free Market Day business game.

We support NDIS participants in Perth, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide through NDIS mentoring, employment support and microenterprise support. If you have a business idea, make a referral or get in touch.

Sources and further reading

This guide is general information only and was current at October 2026. NDIS rules, and how they apply to individual plans, can change. It is not advice about your plan, or financial or tax advice. Check ndis.gov.au, call the NDIS on 1800 800 110, or speak with your support coordinator or plan manager. Good Company Disability Services is an independent provider and is not affiliated with the NDIS or the NDIA.

Questions

Microenterprise support: FAQ

Will the NDIS pay to start my business?

No. Business development costs, business skills development costs, company registration, bookkeeping and accounting are on the NDIS list of supports that are not NDIS supports. A plan may include disability-related support to help you work, depending on your goals and needs.

It depends on your situation. business.gov.au explains when you need an ABN. The ATO says you must register for GST once your GST turnover reaches $75,000. An accountant or small business advisory service can help.

It can. You need to tell Services Australia about income you earn, including from your own business. Check with them before you start trading.

No. NDIS funding is not means-tested.

In a job, an employer sets your tasks, hours and pay. In a microenterprise you work for yourself, so you make those decisions and carry the responsibility.

Yes. Many people start a microenterprise part-time alongside a job, SLES or study.

Further reading

All funding guides

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