You may notice funding in your NDIS Plan allocated towards Capacity Building. So, what does capacity building mean and how do you make the most of it?
NDIS Capacity Building funding covers supports that help improve your skills, independence and confidence so you can participate more fully in everyday life. It can support you to reach your goals at home, in the community, at work or in education.
Here we explain what capacity building means and take a closer look at the capacity building budget.
What is capacity building?
Capacity building means developing the skills, confidence and independence to do more for yourself over time. The focus is on building long-term capacity and achieving your personal goals.
This might include things like:
- Learning to cook healthy meals
- Improving social skills
- Managing money
- Preparing for work
- Gaining confidence to get out in the community.
Capacity Building budgets and your NDIS Plan.
There are several budgets within the Capacity Building supports. Their names may differ depending on whether you’re on a legacy NDIS Plan or a PACE Plan. You may receive funding in one or more of the following categories in your NDIS Plan.
Support coordination and psychosocial recovery coaches (Support coordination): Supports to help you understand and use your NDIS Plan. A support coordinator can connect you with providers, negotiate services and link you with community or government supports.
Improved living arrangements: Supports to help you find, apply for and maintain appropriate housing that suits your needs. You can use this funding to get support applying for a rental, exploring housing options or managing a tenancy.
Increased social and community participation: Supports you to build confidence, make friends and get involved in community life. You could use this for supports that help you develop your social skills, or participate in local events and activities. However, the cost of activities themselves is not covered.
Finding and keeping a job: Helps you prepare for and stay in work. This might include job search support, allied health assessment or advice, or training to build on-the-job skills.
Relationships (Improved relationships): Supports you to develop and maintain positive relationships. This may include social skill development. For PACE plans, Behaviour Supports is a separate category.
Behaviour supports (for PACE plans only): Provides specialist behavioural intervention supports and behaviour support plans where required. These services belong to the Improved Relationships budget in Legacy plans.
Health and wellbeing (Improved health and wellbeing): Supports health-related goals. You might use this funding for a dietitian, exercise physiology or a personal trainer.
Lifelong learning (Improved learning): This budget helps you achieve education and training goals and is usually funded for participants transitioning from school to further education like university or TAFE. This can include help applying for a course, managing your study schedule or having a support worker attend classes with you.
Choice and control (Improved life choices): This is where your budget for plan management will be located. A plan manager like Leap in! provides support to manage your budget, pay invoices and stay on top of your funding.
Improved daily living skills: Covers therapy services like occupational therapy, speech therapy or physiotherapy to build everyday skills and independence.
Making the most of your Capacity Building budgets.
You may not receive funding for all of these categories, so it’s important to think about what’s most important to you before your next plan meeting or reassessment.
For example, if your goal is to live independently:
- Use Improved Living Arrangments to find housing that suits your needs.
- Use Health and wellbeing funding to find a service provider that provides advice on diet management.
We can help!
Here at Leap in! HQ we want to help you achieve the most out of your NDIS Plan. If you’re still unsure if the funds within your Capacity Building budgets are doing the best they can for you, then have a chat with our crew.
Call us on 1300 05 78 78, email us at [email protected] or sign up to Leap in! plan management today.
Further reading.
- NDIS support categories explained.
- Achieving your NDIS employment goals.
- Housing and the NDIS: What your options are.
First published 21 February 2020, revised and updated 1 March 2024 and add 12 November 2025.
