diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7b8e1226f..ae94670bb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
     [[#1851](https://github.com/remindmodel/remind/pull/1851)]
 - **testthat** ignore missing historical.mif in tests because it is an optional input file
     [[#1857](https://github.com/remindmodel/remind/pull/1857)]
+- **scripts** Add scripts for preparing a release
+    [[#1871](https://github.com/remindmodel/remind/pull/1871)]
     
 ### fixed
 - included CCS from plastic waste incineration in CCS mass flows so it is
diff --git a/scripts/start/defineInputData.R b/scripts/start/defineInputData.R
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9b5498d38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/start/defineInputData.R
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# |  (C) 2006-2024 Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
+# |  authors, and contributors see CITATION.cff file. This file is part
+# |  of REMIND and licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later. Under Section 7 of
+# |  AGPL-3.0, you are granted additional permissions described in the
+# |  REMIND License Exception, version 1.0 (see LICENSE file).
+# |  Contact: remind@pik-potsdam.de
+#' construct list of input data files
+#' @param cfg list of configs
+#' @param remindPath path to REMIND main folder
+
+defineInputData <- function(cfg, remindPath = ".") {
+
+  regicode <- madrat::regionscode(file.path(remindPath, cfg$regionmapping))
+  cfg$input <- c(paste0("rev",cfg$inputRevision,"_",regicode,"_", tolower(cfg$model_name),".tgz"),
+                 paste0("rev",cfg$inputRevision,"_",regicode,ifelse(cfg$extramappings_historic == "","",paste0("-", madrat::regionscode(cfg$extramappings_historic))),"_", tolower(cfg$validationmodel_name),".tgz"),
+                 paste0("CESparametersAndGDX_",cfg$CESandGDXversion,".tgz"))
+  
+  # Specify for each element of input_new whether to stop if the respective file could not be downloaded
+  cfg$stopOnMissing <- c(TRUE, FALSE, TRUE)
+  return(cfg)
+}
diff --git a/scripts/start/updateInputData.R b/scripts/start/updateInputData.R
index 8f1dd6d39..8a6448618 100644
--- a/scripts/start/updateInputData.R
+++ b/scripts/start/updateInputData.R
@@ -19,30 +19,25 @@ updateInputData <- function(cfg, remindPath = ".", gamsCompile = FALSE) {
   } else {
       input_old     <- "no_data"
   }
-  regicode <- madrat::regionscode(file.path(remindPath, cfg$regionmapping))
-  input_new <- c(paste0("rev",cfg$inputRevision,"_",regicode,"_", tolower(cfg$model_name),".tgz"),
-                 paste0("rev",cfg$inputRevision,"_",regicode,ifelse(cfg$extramappings_historic == "","",paste0("-", madrat::regionscode(cfg$extramappings_historic))),"_", tolower(cfg$validationmodel_name),".tgz"),
-                 paste0("CESparametersAndGDX_",cfg$CESandGDXversion,".tgz"))
   
-  # Specify for each element of input_new whether to stop if the respective file could not be downloaded
-  stopOnMissing <- c(TRUE, FALSE, TRUE)
+  cfg <- defineInputData(cfg, remindPath)
   
   # check if all input files are already there
   missinginput <- if (isTRUE(gamsCompile)) NULL else missingInputData()
   requiredinput <- grep("config\\/gdx-files|modules\\/29_CES_parameters\\/load\\/input", missinginput, value = TRUE, invert = TRUE)
 
   # download and distribute needed data
-  if (! setequal(input_new, input_old) || isTRUE(cfg$force_download) || length(requiredinput) > 0) {
+  if (! setequal(cfg$input, input_old) || isTRUE(cfg$force_download) || length(requiredinput) > 0) {
       message(if (isTRUE(gamsCompile)) paste0("     ", cfg$title, ": "),
               if (isTRUE(cfg$force_download)) "You set 'cfg$force_download = TRUE'"
               else "Your input data are outdated, incomplete or in a different regional resolution",
               ". New input data are downloaded and distributed.")
       condSuppress <- function(x) if (isTRUE(gamsCompile)) suppressMessages(x) else x
-      condSuppress(download_distribute(files         = input_new,
+      condSuppress(download_distribute(files         = cfg$input,
                                        repositories  = cfg$repositories, # defined in your environment variables
                                        modelfolder   = remindPath,
                                        debug         = FALSE,
-                                       stopOnMissing = if (isTRUE(gamsCompile)) FALSE else stopOnMissing)
+                                       stopOnMissing = if (isTRUE(gamsCompile)) FALSE else cfg$stopOnMissing)
                   )
   } else if (! isTRUE(gamsCompile)) {
       message("No input data downloaded and distributed. To enable that, delete input/source_files.log or set cfg$force_download to TRUE.")
diff --git a/scripts/utils/postRelease.R b/scripts/utils/postRelease.R
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..34ef37e26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/utils/postRelease.R
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# This script is part of a longer workflow. 
+# Before running this script please perform the steps described here
+# https://gitlab.pik-potsdam.de/REMIND/remind-rse/-/wikis/How-to-create-a-REMIND-release
+
+# in your fork switch to develop and execute this script in the main folder Rscript scripts/utils/postRelease.R
+
+postRelease <- function() {
+  gert::git_fetch("upstream")
+  gert::git_merge("upstream/master")
+
+  pattern <- "The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)."
+  stopifnot(any(grepl(pattern, readLines("CHANGELOG.md"), fixed = TRUE)))
+  textToAdd <- paste("",
+                     "",
+                     "",
+                     "## [Unreleased]",
+                     "",
+                     "### input data/calibration",
+                     "",
+                     "### changed",
+                     "-",
+                     "",
+                     "### added",
+                     "-",
+                     "",
+                     "### removed",
+                     "-",
+                     "",
+                     "### fixed",
+                     "-",
+                     sep = "\n")
+
+  readLines("CHANGELOG.md") |>
+    sub(pattern = pattern, replacement = paste0(pattern, textToAdd), fixed = TRUE) |>
+    writeLines("CHANGELOG.md")
+
+  message("Please perform the following step manually:\n",
+          "git add -p\n",
+          "--> When done press ENTER to commit, push and create PR")
+  gms::getLine()
+
+  gert::git_commit("merge master into develop")
+  gert::git_push()
+  # gh pr create --help
+  # --base branch The branch into which you want your code merged
+  # --head branch The branch that contains commits for your pull request (default [current branch])
+  system(paste0("gh pr create --base develop --title 'merge master into develop' --body ''"))
+}
+
+postRelease()
+message("warnings:")
+print(warnings())
+
diff --git a/scripts/utils/release.R b/scripts/utils/release.R
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5149db9ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/utils/release.R
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+# This script is part of a longer workflow. 
+# Before running this script please perform the steps described here
+# https://gitlab.pik-potsdam.de/REMIND/remind-rse/-/wikis/How-to-create-a-REMIND-release
+
+# in your fork switch to temporary branch (e.g. release-candidate) and
+# execute this script in the main folder Rscript scripts/utils/release.R x.y.z
+
+release <- function(newVersion) {
+  if (Sys.which("sbatch") == "") {
+    stop("release must be created on cluster")
+  }
+  
+  releaseDate <- format(Sys.time(), "%Y-%m-%d")
+  
+  # Get old version from CITATION.cff
+  oldVersion <- readLines("CITATION.cff") |>
+    grep(pattern = "^version: (.*)$", value = TRUE) |>
+    sub(pattern = "^version: (.*)$", replacement = "\\1") |>
+    sub(pattern = "dev", replacement = "")
+  
+  # Update CHANGELOG.md
+  githubUrl <- "https://github.com/remindmodel/remind/compare/"
+  readLines("CHANGELOG.md") |>
+    # Add version and date of new release
+    sub(pattern = "## [Unreleased]", replacement = paste0("## [", newVersion, "] - ", releaseDate), fixed = TRUE) |>
+    # Add two lines with github links that compare versions
+    sub(pattern = paste0("\\[Unreleased\\]: ", githubUrl, "v(.+)\\.\\.\\.develop"),
+        replacement = paste0("[Unreleased]: ", githubUrl, "v", newVersion, "...develop\n",
+                             "[", newVersion, "]: ", githubUrl, "v\\1...v", newVersion)) |>
+    writeLines("CHANGELOG.md")
+  
+  # Update version and release date in CITATION.cff
+  readLines("CITATION.cff") |>
+    sub(pattern = "^version:.*$", replacement = paste("version:", newVersion)) |>
+    sub(pattern = "^date-released:.*$", replacement = paste("date-released:", releaseDate)) |>
+    writeLines("CITATION.cff")
+  
+  # Update version in README.md
+  readLines("README.md") |>
+    gsub(pattern = oldVersion, replacement = newVersion) |>
+    writeLines("README.md")
+  
+  # Create documentation
+  message("creating documentation using goxygen...")
+  goxygen::goxygen(unitPattern = c("\\[","\\]"), 
+                   includeCore = TRUE,
+                   output = "html",
+                   max_num_edge_labels = "adjust", 
+                   max_num_nodes_for_edge_labels = 15, 
+                   startType = NULL)
+  
+  # Upload html documentation to RSE server
+  message("uploading documentation to RSE server")
+  exitCode <- system(paste0("rsync -e ssh -avz doc/html/* ",
+                            "rse@rse.pik-potsdam.de:/webservice/doc/remind/", newVersion))
+  stopifnot(exitCode == 0)
+  
+  # Upload input data to RSE server
+  message("Uploading input data to RSE server")
+  source("config/default.cfg")
+  cfg <- defineInputData(cfg)
+  # Keep mandatory input files only
+  cfg$input <- cfg$input[cfg$stopOnMissing]
+  gms::publish_data(cfg,target = "dataupload@rse.pik-potsdam.de:/remind/public")
+  
+  message("If not already done please perform the two following steps manually now:\n",
+          "1. CHANGELOG.md: sort lines in each category: input data/calibration, changed, added, removed, fixed; remove empty categories\n",
+          "2. git add -p\n",
+          "--> When done press ENTER to commit, push and create PR")
+  gms::getLine()
+  
+  message("Committing and pushing changes")
+  gert::git_commit(paste("remind release", newVersion))
+  gert::git_push()
+
+  message("Creating tag")
+  tag <- paste0("v",newVersion)
+  git_tag_create(name = tag, message = "new tag", repo = ".")
+  git_tag_push(name = tag, repo = ".")
+  
+  message("Creating a PR on GitHub")
+  # gh pr create --help
+  # --base branch The branch into which you want your code merged
+  # --head branch The branch that contains commits for your pull request (default [current branch])
+  system(paste0("gh pr create --base master --title 'remind release ", newVersion, "' --body ''"))
+}
+
+# Source function definition of defineInputData()
+source("scripts/start/defineInputData.R")
+
+# Ask user for release version
+arguments <- commandArgs(TRUE)
+if (length(arguments) != 1) {
+  stop("Please pass the new version number, e.g. `Rscript scripts/utils/release.R 0.8.15`")
+}
+
+release(arguments)
+message("warnings:")
+print(warnings())