diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-hotfix.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-hotfix.yml
index 81e24bff9..ba2b65893 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-hotfix.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-hotfix.yml
@@ -29,10 +29,13 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     timeout-minutes: 1
     steps:
-      # Get PR number for squash merges to main
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      # Get PR number for squash merges to release
       - name: PR Number
         id: pr
-        uses: bcgov-nr/action-get-pr@v0.0.1
+        uses: ./.github/actions/get-pr-number
+      - name: Set PR Output
+        run: echo "pr=${{ steps.pr.outputs.pr }}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
   # https://github.com/bcgov/quickstart-openshift-helpers
   deploy-hotfix:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-main.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-main.yml
index 8dc582826..9fce4d334 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-main.yml
@@ -36,6 +36,36 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set PR Output
         run: echo "pr=${{ steps.pr.outputs.pr }}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
+  create_release:
+    name: Create GitHub Release (Keep Version)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        package: [backend, frontend, webeoc]
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      # Retrieve the latest tag (from the release branch)
+      - name: Get Latest Tag
+        id: tag
+        run: |
+          git fetch --tags
+          latest_tag=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 --match "v*.*.*")
+          echo "::set-output name=latest_tag::$latest_tag"
+          echo "Latest tag: $latest_tag"
+
+      # Create GitHub Release using the last tag
+      - name: Create GitHub Release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
+        with:
+          tag_name: ${{ steps.tag.outputs.latest_tag }}
+          name: Release ${{ steps.tag.outputs.latest_tag }}
+          body: |
+            ## Changes in this release:
+            - New features and bug fixes.
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
   # https://github.com/bcgov/quickstart-openshift-helpers
   deploy-prod:
     name: Deploy (prod)
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-open.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-open.yml
index 098e2c0b8..697c49aa4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-open.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-open.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ name: PR
 
 on:
   pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - release/**
 
 concurrency:
   # Cancel in progress for PR open and close
@@ -20,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: bcgov-nr/action-builder-ghcr@v2.2.0
         with:
-          keep_versions: 50
           package: ${{ matrix.package }}
           tag: ${{ github.event.number }}
           tag_fallback: latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-version-bump.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-version-bump.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..159455008
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-version-bump.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+name: Handle PR Merge and Version Update
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [closed]
+    branches:
+      - release/**
+jobs:
+  handle_pr:
+    name: Handle Merged PR
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.merged == true }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Fetch all tags
+        run: git fetch --tags --force
+
+      - name: Fetch tags from main
+        id: get_latest_tag
+        run: |
+          git fetch origin main --tags
+          latest_tag=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 origin/main)
+          echo "::set-output name=latest_tag::$latest_tag"
+          echo "Latest tag: $latest_tag"
+
+      - name: Increment Patch Version
+        id: increment_version
+        run: |
+          latest_tag=${{ steps.get_latest_tag.outputs.latest_tag }}
+          version_array=(${latest_tag//./ })
+          patch_version=${version_array[2]}
+          new_patch_version=$((patch_version + 1))
+          new_version="${version_array[0]}.${version_array[1]}.${new_patch_version}"
+          echo "::set-output name=new_version::$new_version"
+          echo "New version: $new_version"
+
+      - name: Update package.json versions
+        run: |
+          cd frontend
+          npm version ${{ steps.increment_version.outputs.new_version }} --no-git-tag-version
+          echo "Frontend package.json version updated to ${{ steps.increment_version.outputs.new_version }}"
+
+          cd ../backend
+          npm version ${{ steps.increment_version.outputs.new_version }} --no-git-tag-version
+          echo "Backend package.json version updated to ${{ steps.increment_version.outputs.new_version }}"
+
+          cd ../webeoc
+          npm version ${{ steps.increment_version.outputs.new_version }} --no-git-tag-version
+          echo "WebEOC package.json version updated to ${{ steps.increment_version.outputs.new_version }}"
+
+          cd ..
+
+      - name: Commit and Push Version Update
+        run: |
+          git config --global user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git config --global user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git add frontend/package.json backend/package.json webeoc/package.json
+          git commit -m "chore: bump version to ${{ steps.increment_version.outputs.new_version }}"
+          git push origin HEAD:refs/heads/${{ github.head_ref }}
+
+      - name: Create Git Tag
+        run: |
+          git tag "${{ steps.increment_version.outputs.new_version }}"
+          git push origin "${{ steps.increment_version.outputs.new_version }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-branch-creation.yml b/.github/workflows/release-branch-creation.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..687cde518
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-branch-creation.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+name: Create New Tag on Release Branch Creation
+
+on:
+  create:
+
+jobs:
+  bump_minor_version:
+    name: Bump Minor Version and Create New Tag
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    # Only trigger for main release branches
+    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/heads/release/') && !contains(github.ref, '/')
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install npm
+        run: sudo apt-get install -y npm
+
+      # Fetch the latest tag (sort by creation date)
+      - name: Fetch latest tag
+        id: latest_tag
+        run: |
+          git fetch --tags
+          latest_tag=$(git tag --sort=-creatordate | grep -E '^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$' | head -n 1)
+          if [ -z "$latest_tag" ]; then
+            echo "No previous tags found, starting with v0.1.0"
+            latest_tag="v0.0.0"
+          fi
+          echo "::set-output name=latest_tag::$latest_tag"
+          echo "Latest tag: $latest_tag"
+
+      # Bump the minor version and reset the patch to 0
+      - name: Bump minor version
+        id: bump_version
+        run: |
+          latest_tag="${{ steps.latest_tag.outputs.latest_tag }}"
+          version_array=(${latest_tag//./ })
+          major_version=${version_array[0]//v/}
+          minor_version=${version_array[1]}
+          patch_version=${version_array[2]}
+          new_minor_version=$((minor_version + 1))
+          new_version="v${major_version}.${new_minor_version}.0"
+          echo "::set-output name=new_version::$new_version"
+          echo "New version: $new_version"
+
+      # Create a new tag with the bumped minor version
+      - name: Create and push the new tag
+        run: |
+          new_version="${{ steps.bump_version.outputs.new_version }}"
+          git tag "$new_version"
+          git push origin "$new_version"