Toronto has put real money behind protecting community spaces from vehicle attacks. The City’s Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) Grant offers eligible organizations up to $100,000 each from a $2.5 million fund to assess, design, and install crash-rated protection like bollards, gates, and reinforced street furniture.
The application window closed on March 2, 2026, and the City is expected to fund at least 25 organizations. If your organization applied, here is what comes next. If you missed the window, there is still significant funding available from other levels of government, and we cover that below too.
What the Grant Covers
The grant is specific to physical measures that stop vehicles. Eligible expenses include:
- Permanent crash-rated bollards, fixed or retractable
- Crash-rated fencing and gates
- Reinforced, crash-rated street furniture such as benches and planters designed to stop vehicles
- Upgrades to existing infrastructure to meet current crash-rating standards
- Threat, Vulnerability, and Risk Assessments (TVRA), site surveys, and engineering studies
- Design, installation, and permit costs
One requirement stands out: barriers that are not crash-rated are explicitly ineligible. Decorative bollards and standard planters will not qualify. Products must be certified to recognized impact standards such as ASTM F2656, ISO 22343-1, IWA 14-1, or PAS 68, verified by an independent testing agency.
Who Was Eligible
- Incorporated non-profits and charitable organizations based in Toronto
- Organizations serving communities at risk of hate-motivated incidents or crimes, including places of worship, cultural community organizations, faith-based schools, and childcare centres
- Property owners, or tenants with long-term occupancy and the owner’s support
How the Process Works
The grant runs in two phases. First, the City funds a Threat, Vulnerability, and Risk Assessment prepared by a Qualified Security Consultant. That assessment determines whether HVM is warranted and what level of protection the site needs. Second, the City releases the remaining funds, up to the $100,000 total, for design, permits, product, and installation.
Funded organizations have one year to complete their project, and every expense must be pre-approved by the City. Vendor quotes are required as part of the Phase Two application, and the City encourages competitive quotes rather than sole-sourcing.
The Requirements That Trip People Up
The City’s Hostile Vehicle Mitigation on City Streets guidelines set a high bar. A few things to plan for:
- Certification proof. You need a crash test report or third-party certificate for every rated product. The City specifically warns applicants about vendors using vague language that implies certification without formal testing.
- Private property first. HVM must go on your own property wherever feasible. Encroaching on the sidewalk or boulevard requires a justification letter, an HVM permit, and an encroachment agreement with the City.
- Accessibility. Installations must comply with AODA. Standard pedestrian clearway is 1.5 metres, and tighter bollard spacing is only accepted where the security assessment justifies it.
- Maintenance. Owners are responsible for upkeep for the life of the installation, and maintenance documentation is part of the application.
Missed the Toronto Grant? Federal Money Is Still Open
The Canada Community Security Program is accepting applications on a continuous, first-come first-served basis. It covers up to 70 percent of eligible costs to a maximum of $1.5 million per project for communities at risk of hate-motivated incidents, and it applies across Canada, not just Toronto. Bollards are eligible where there is a credible risk of vehicle ramming near gathering spaces, and mechanical bollards were added to the eligible list for 2026-27.
Ontario also runs the Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant, which offers smaller amounts for security upgrades. The three programs can be stacked, with each covering costs the others do not.
What a Typical Project Looks Like
The City’s own budgetary estimates put a certified bollard at roughly $9,000 to $19,000 installed depending on foundation type. In practice, a $100,000 grant typically covers the assessment plus a protective array of six to eight crash-rated bollards, or a mix of bollards with a crash-rated gate at a driveway entrance.
How Ontario Bollards Can Help
We supply certified, crash-rated bollards and vehicle barriers with the third-party test documentation the City requires, and we work with security consultants, engineers, and installers across the GTA every day. Whether you are a grant recipient assembling quotes for your Phase Two application, or an organization exploring the federal program, we can help you scope the right products for your site and budget.
Get in touch for a quote or a no-pressure conversation about your site.