diff --git a/.github/workflows/pkgdown.yml b/.github/workflows/pkgdown.yml
index 2b7c4cb..7517079 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pkgdown.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pkgdown.yml
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Install package dependencies 📄
-        uses: boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/.github/actions/dependencies@main        
-        
+        uses: boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/.github/actions/dependencies@main
+
       - name: Get validation results
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Check URLs 🌐
         run: |
-          lychee . --format markdown --verbose --no-progress >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-        shell: bash  
+          lychee . --format markdown --verbose --no-progress --exclude "https://boehringer-ingelheim.github.io*" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+        shell: bash
 
       - name: Checkout gh-pages branch ⬇️
         if: github.ref_name == 'main'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e94f5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+name: Release 📈
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types:
+      - opened
+      - synchronize
+      - reopened
+      - ready_for_review
+    branches:
+      - main
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+  workflow_call:
+
+concurrency:
+  group: release-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  create-release:
+    name: ${{ vars.CI_IMAGE }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout project ⬇️
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: NEWS.md and DESCRIPTION Version check 🏁
+        run: |
+          DESC_VERSION=$(awk -F: '/Version:/{gsub(/[ ]+/,"") ; print $2}' DESCRIPTION | tr -d '\n' | xargs)
+          NEWS_VERSION=$(awk '/^#+ /{print $3,$4; exit}' NEWS.md | tr -d '\n' | xargs)
+          DESC_DEV_VERSION=$(echo $DESC_VERSION | awk -F '.' '{print $NF}')
+          echo "NEWS.md version: $NEWS_VERSION"
+          echo "DESCRIPTION version: $DESC_VERSION"
+
+          if [ $DESC_DEV_VERSION -ge 9000 ]; then
+            echo "✖️ DESCRIPTION file version is in development mode."
+            echo "Please fix this."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          if [ "$DESC_VERSION" = "$NEWS_VERSION" ]; then 
+            echo "✔️ NEWS.md and DESCRIPTION have the same version"
+            exit 0
+          else
+            echo "✖️ NEWS.md and DESCRIPTION have different versions"
+            echo "Please fix this."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/workflows/shared_ci.yml b/.github/workflows/shared_ci.yml
index 8ef22c5..9818295 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/shared_ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/shared_ci.yml
@@ -45,4 +45,8 @@ jobs:
 
   styler:
     name: Styler 🌐
-    uses: boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/.github/workflows/styler.yml@main
\ No newline at end of file
+    uses: boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/.github/workflows/styler.yml@main
+
+  release:
+    name: Release 📈
+    uses: boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/.github/workflows/release.yml@main
diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 06a3f88..33b5b71 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Package: dv.templates
 Title: Provides reusable functionality for R and CI/CD 
-Version: 0.0.0.9100
+Version: 0.1.0
 Authors@R: c(
     person("Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co.KG", role = c("cph", "fnd")),
     person("Sorin", "Voicu", email = "sorin.voicu.ext@boehringer-ingelheim.com", role = c("aut", "cre"))
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..855de90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# dv.templates 0.1.0
+
+- add release checks
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a228d22..7e3fbf2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 [![Build status](https://github.com/boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/actions/workflows/pkgdown.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/actions/workflows/pkgdown.yml?query=workflow)
 [![Build status](https://github.com/boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/actions/workflows/roxygen.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/actions/workflows/roxygen.yml?query=workflow)
 [![Build status](https://github.com/boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/actions/workflows/styler.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/actions/workflows/styler.yml?query=workflow)
+[![Build status](https://github.com/boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/actions/workflows/release.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/actions/workflows/release.yml?query=workflow)
 
 An R package template with built-in GitHub Actions-based CI/CD workflows.
 
diff --git a/workflows.md b/workflows.md
index afcfdb8..4063b3e 100644
--- a/workflows.md
+++ b/workflows.md
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ Generates a [`pkgdown`](https://pkgdown.r-lib.org/) website and uploads it to Gi
 Uses [`roxygen`](https://roxygen2.r-lib.org/) to generate `.Rd` files in the
 `man/` directory. It also checks if manuals are up-to-date with roxygen comments in the code.
 
+### [`release.yml`](https://github.com/boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/blob/main/.github/workflows/release.yml)
+
+Uses adds additional checks before merging the PR to main.
+
 ### [`shared_ci.yml`](https://github.com/boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/blob/main/.github/workflows/shared_ci.yml)
 
 Builds a reusable workflow to be called from other repositories.
@@ -71,5 +75,4 @@ jobs:
   pkgdown:
     name: Pkgdown 📖
     uses: boehringer-ingelheim/dv.templates/.github/workflows/pkgdown.yml@main
-
 ```