ILO Exploration and Design (Stage 1)
Exploration and design is the first stage of an individualised living option. The NDIA funds up to 30, 50 or 100 hours for the person, usually with an ILO provider, to work out where they want to live, who with, what support they need and who will provide it. It ends with a service proposal the NDIA uses to decide stage 2 funding.
What Happens During Exploration and Design?
The person, the people close to them and a provider work through how the person wants to live.
- Exploring where and how the person wants to live, and helping others understand it
- Understanding their strengths and what they can already do
- Working out what skills they could build through their ILO
- Choosing where they live, who they live with and how they're supported
- Working out how family, friends, community and paid supports fit together
- Finding out what's possible, and assessing and managing risks
- Designing the ILO and making decisions about it
- Completing the service proposal
Depending on the situation, the NDIA says this stage can also include help to find suitable housing or to link with other services.
How Many Hours Does the NDIA Fund?
Up to 100. The guideline sets three levels.
| Up to | The situations the NDIA describes |
|---|---|
| 30 hours | The person already knows what help they'll need, wants to move somewhere not too far from where they live now, and can make their own decisions or has people who help |
| 50 hours | The person isn't sure what help they'll need, wants to move to a different area, and needs some help reaching a decision with other people involved |
| 100 hours | The person needs to work out help across many areas of life, wants to move to a different type of area such as a city to a small town, and has many people involved in decisions who may disagree |
The NDIA also looks at how much informal support is available and whether the person already has ILO. Hours can be different in remote and very remote areas.
Looking for an ILO Provider?
We'll connect you with a registered ILO provider who may be able to help.
What Does Exploration and Design Cost?
It's charged by the hour. The 2026-27 NDIS Pricing Schedule sets a maximum of $100.14 an hour nationally, $140.19 in remote areas and $150.21 in very remote areas.
The support item is 01_850_0106_1_1, Individualised Living Options - Exploration and Design. The 2025-26 Pricing Arrangements say providers can also claim non-face-to-face time, provider travel, short notice cancellations and NDIA requested reports against it. Prices are reviewed each year, so check the current schedule. Our ILO price guide page explains how both stages are priced.
Do You Have to Use a Provider?
No, but most people do. The NDIA says some people choose not to use a service provider for this stage, which is fine.
The guideline also says exploring and designing an ILO can be complex, and that it's a good idea to get help from someone familiar with ILO, like a provider or a support coordinator. Ideally the provider who will run the ILO in stage 2 is involved in this stage and helps write the service proposal.
How Does Stage 1 End?
With a completed service proposal sent to the NDIA.
By the end of the stage the NDIA expects the person to have chosen their living arrangement and package of supports, found the provider who will put the ILO in place, and completed the service proposal with a quote for the ILO costs. When the NDIA adds stage 1 funding it also gives an estimate of the stage 2 amount, so the proposal can be designed to fit.
The person has to be involved
The NDIA says the person must be involved in developing the service proposal, and needs to know they agree with everything in it. A proposal they weren't part of is unlikely to be funded.
Questions People Ask
How long does exploration and design take?
The NDIA describes it in hours, usually between 30 and 100, rather than weeks. How long it takes in practice depends on the person and the provider.
Can family help with exploration and design?
Yes. The NDIA encourages family and friends to be involved, and the decisions should be made by the person, with support where they need it.
Does exploration and design find me a house?
It can include help to find suitable housing. The home itself isn't funded by ILO, so rent or a mortgage is still the person's to pay.
Do I get stage 2 automatically after stage 1?
No. The NDIA reviews the service proposal and decides whether the ILO supports meet the NDIS funding criteria before adding stage 2 to the plan.
Keep Reading
- The ILO service proposalWhat goes in the NDIA's ILO service proposal form: who fills in each part, primary and supplementary supports, weekly hours and costs, exclusions and consent.
- The ILO support modelStage 2 of an ILO: primary supports, supplementary supports, and monitoring and adjustment.
- ILO price guideThe NDIS ILO price guide for 2026-27: the exploration and design hourly price limits, the weekly ILO Support Model item, quotes, and how hosts are paid.
- NDIS ILO providersWhat an NDIS ILO provider does in each stage, the rules they follow, registration and plan management, and what to look for when choosing an ILO provider.
- How ILO funding worksHow ILO funding works in an NDIS plan: the two stages, the three stage 2 support levels up to $230,000 a year, what's excluded, and how the funding is managed.
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