A Support Category Built Around Skill-Building
Innovative Community Participation is a Capacity Building support, funded under Increased Social and Community Participation, that pays for creative, non-traditional programs designed to build a participant's independence and confidence in the community. It sits apart from more familiar, ongoing supports because it's specifically aimed at developing a skill or capability, not simply getting a participant to an activity.
What It Can Look Like in Practice
Because this support is deliberately non-traditional, it can take many forms depending on the participant's goals: art or music workshops, adaptive sport, small business or employment preparation, or structured social skill-building. The common thread is that each program is built around a specific participant's interests, not a fixed activity list.
How It's Different From Community Participation
It's easy to confuse this support with Community Participation or Group/Centre Activities. Community Participation is an ongoing Core support for day-to-day involvement in community life. Group/Centre Activities are structured group programs at set times. Innovative Community Participation, by contrast, is time-limited and outcome-focused — it exists to build a specific skill, with an expectation of progress.
Is It Right for You?
If your NDIS plan includes Capacity Building funding under Increased Social and Community Participation, it's worth discussing with your provider whether a tailored, skill-building program fits your goals better than an ongoing group or community support. A good starting point is a conversation about what you'd like to be able to do more independently over the next 6–12 months.