diff --git a/backend/api/serializers/project_serializer.py b/backend/api/serializers/project_serializer.py
index 10811f0b..44c2468c 100644
--- a/backend/api/serializers/project_serializer.py
+++ b/backend/api/serializers/project_serializer.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 from api.models.group import Group
 from rest_framework.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.utils import timezone
-from api.models.course import Course
 from api.models.submission import Submission, SubmissionFile
 from api.serializers.submission_serializer import SubmissionSerializer
 
@@ -57,7 +56,7 @@ def validate(self, data):
             raise ValidationError(gettext("project.errors.context"))
 
         # Check if start date of the project is not in the past
-        if data["start_date"] < timezone.now():
+        if data["start_date"] < timezone.now().replace(hour=0, minute=0, second=0):
             raise ValidationError(gettext("project.errors.start_date_in_past"))
 
         # Check if deadline of the project is before the start date
diff --git a/backend/api/tests/test_project.py b/backend/api/tests/test_project.py
index c8a50c82..31c38110 100644
--- a/backend/api/tests/test_project.py
+++ b/backend/api/tests/test_project.py
@@ -150,6 +150,54 @@ def test_toggle_locked_groups(self):
         past_project.toggle_groups_locked()
         self.assertIs(past_project.locked_groups, False)
 
+    def test_automatically_create_groups_when_creating_project(self):
+        """
+        creating a project as a teacher should open the same amount of groups as students enrolled in the project.
+        """
+        course = create_course(id=3, name="test course", academic_startyear=2024)
+
+        student1 = create_student(
+            id=1, first_name="John", last_name="Doe", email="john.doe@example.com"
+        )
+        student2 = create_student(
+            id=2, first_name="Jane", last_name="Doe", email="jane.doe@example.com"
+        )
+        student1.courses.add(course)
+        student2.courses.add(course)
+
+        project_data = {
+            "name": "Test Project",
+            "description": "Test project description",
+            "visible": True,
+            "archived": False,
+            "start_date": timezone.now(),
+            "deadline": timezone.now() + timezone.timedelta(days=1),
+        }
+
+        response = self.client.post(
+            reverse("course-projects", args=[course.id]), data=project_data, follow=True
+        )
+
+        # Creating a group as a teacher should work
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+
+        project = Project.objects.get(
+            name="Test Project",
+            description="Test project description",
+            visible=True,
+            archived=False,
+            start_date=project_data["start_date"],
+            deadline=project_data["deadline"],
+            course=course,
+        )
+
+        groups_count = project.groups.count()
+        # The amount of students participating in the corresponding course
+        expected_groups_count = 2
+
+        # We expect the amount of groups to be the same as the amount of students in the course
+        self.assertEqual(groups_count, expected_groups_count)
+
     def test_start_date_Project_not_in_past(self):
         """
         unable to create a project as a teacher/admin if the start date lies within the past.
diff --git a/backend/api/views/course_view.py b/backend/api/views/course_view.py
index 8e7b9ac4..6aac3096 100644
--- a/backend/api/views/course_view.py
+++ b/backend/api/views/course_view.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from rest_framework.response import Response
 from rest_framework.request import Request
 from api.models.course import Course
+from api.models.group import Group
 from api.permissions.course_permissions import (
     CoursePermission,
     CourseAssistantPermission,
@@ -169,11 +170,17 @@ def _add_project(self, request, **_):
             }
         )
 
+        project = None
+
         # Validate the serializer
         if serializer.is_valid(raise_exception=True):
-            course.projects.add(
-                serializer.save()
-            )
+            project = serializer.save()
+            course.projects.add(project)
+
+        # Create groups for the project
+        students_count = course.students.count()
+        for _ in range(students_count):
+            Group.objects.create(project=project)
 
         return Response({
             "message": gettext("course.success.project.add"),