diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9116b23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - "main"
+  pull_request:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
+env:
+  GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+  _VCPKG_: ${{ github.workspace }}/external/microsoft/vcpkg
+  VCPKG_ROOT: ${{ github.workspace }}/external/microsoft/vcpkg
+  VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES: "clear;x-gha,readwrite"
+  VCPKG_DEFAULT_BINARY_CACHE: ${{ github.workspace }}/external/microsoft/vcpkg/bincache
+  VCPKG_FEATURE_FLAGS: "dependencygraph"
+
+jobs:
+  build-test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    env:
+      TRIPLET: x64-linux
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out repository code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          submodules: "true"
+
+      - uses: actions/github-script@v6
+        with:
+          script: |
+            core.exportVariable('ACTIONS_CACHE_URL', process.env.ACTIONS_CACHE_URL || '');
+            core.exportVariable('ACTIONS_RUNTIME_TOKEN', process.env.ACTIONS_RUNTIME_TOKEN || '');
+
+      - name: "Create directory '${{ env.VCPKG_DEFAULT_BINARY_CACHE }}'"
+        run: mkdir -p ${{ github.workspace }}/external/microsoft/vcpkg/bincache
+        shell: bash
+
+      - uses: lukka/get-cmake@latest
+        with:
+          cmakeVersion: "3.29.0"
+
+      - name: Restore vcpkg
+        uses: actions/cache@v3
+        with:
+          path: |
+            ${{ env._VCPKG_ }}
+            !${{ env._VCPKG_ }}/buildtrees
+            !${{ env._VCPKG_ }}/packages
+            !${{ env._VCPKG_ }}/downloads
+            !${{ env._VCPKG_ }}/installed
+          key: |
+            ${{ env.TRIPLET }}-${{ hashFiles( '.git/modules/external/microsoft/vcpkg/HEAD' )}}
+
+      - name: Configure
+        env:
+          CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE: 1
+          VCPKG_DEBUG: 1
+        run: |
+          echo "Configuring for triplet ${{ env.TRIPLET }}"
+          TRIPLET=${{ env.TRIPLET }} make configure
+
+      - name: Upload vcpkg buildtrees
+        if: always()
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: vcpkg-buildtrees-${{ env.TRIPLET }}-${{ github.sha }}
+          path: external/microsoft/vcpkg/buildtrees/science-scipp
+          retention-days: 1
+
+      - name: Build
+        run: NPROC=1 make build
+
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: build-${{ env.TRIPLET }}-${{ github.sha }}
+          path: build
+          retention-days: 1
+
+      - name: Run tests
+        run: make test
+        shell: bash
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d3bf99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+
+name: release-please
+
+jobs:
+  release-please:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: googleapis/release-please-action@v4
+        with:
+          token: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_PLEASE_AT }}
diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..466df71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  ".": "0.1.0"
+}
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e0e946b..3f668e2 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.23.5)
 
-project(synapse VERSION 0.0.1)
+file(READ "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/version.txt" SYNAPSE_CPP_VERSION)
+string(STRIP "${SYNAPSE_CPP_VERSION}" SYNAPSE_CPP_VERSION)
+project(synapse VERSION ${SYNAPSE_CPP_VERSION})
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 74ae658..7b6b7c1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+VCPKG_MANIFEST_FEATURES ?= examples\;tests
+
 .PHONY: all
 all: clean configure build
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 18add40..f53ec75 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@ To build:
 
 ```sh
 git submodule update --init
+
+# Set up vcpkg -- you can also use a vcpkg elsewhere via VCPKG_ROOT
 cd external/microsoft/vcpkg && ./bootstrap-vcpkg.sh && cd -
+export VCPKG_ROOT="$(pwd)/external/microsoft/vcpkg}"
+
 make all
 
 # or
diff --git a/external/sciencecorp/vcpkg b/external/sciencecorp/vcpkg
index 5a626e6..6d9fc95 160000
--- a/external/sciencecorp/vcpkg
+++ b/external/sciencecorp/vcpkg
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 5a626e6f89f096d20a95a169ca914a9285f33d51
+Subproject commit 6d9fc9518b884eb8e2e627e86862d47f3848fc5e
diff --git a/release-please-config.json b/release-please-config.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2bf86f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release-please-config.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "packages": {
+    ".": {
+      "release-type": "simple"
+    }
+  },
+  "bootstrap-sha": "e255ba2a354554be7b59ad7711aef9695cd34a92",
+  "always-update": true,
+  "bump-minor-pre-major": true
+}
diff --git a/version.txt b/version.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c6aa7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+0.1.0
\ No newline at end of file