The 2011 Productivity Commission Report into Disability Care and Supports, which led to the establishment of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), identified the need for a NDIS eMarket to drive innovation across the economy, deeming this necessary for the scheme to scale and thrive.

That is, the eMarket was identified at the very beginning as essential for scheme sustainability.

The Productivity Commission determined that a key factor in the successful transition – from the old block-funded and service-centred models of delivery to a person-centred model – was the ability for participants to genuinely exercise choice and the development of a properly operating market of providers.