diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/release.md b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/release.md
index 8bd6c1f001d..1fa7b259963 100644
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/release.md
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/release.md
@@ -1,10 +1,51 @@
 ---
 name: Release
-about: Describe this issue template's purpose here.
-title: ''
-labels: ''
-assignees: ''
-
+about: Create an issue to track a release process.
+title: "Release x.x.x"
+labels: [ "task/release", "scope/core" ]
+assignees: ""
 ---
 
+# Release
+
+## Work Breakdown
+
+Feel free to edit this release checklist in-progress depending on what tasks need to be done:
 
+- [ ] Check that the forked branch uses the latest revision of the branch version
+  from [Eclipse EDC's Connector](https://github.com/eclipse-edc/Connector).
+- [ ] Decide a release version. The version must be the eclipse EDC version `X.Y.Z` appended with the sovity fork
+  version `.W`. eg `0.2.1.1`.
+- [ ] Update this issue's title to the new version.
+- [ ] `release-prep` PR:
+    - [ ] Update the CHANGELOG.md.
+        - [ ] Add a clean `Unreleased` version.
+        - [ ] Add the version to the old section.
+        - [ ] Add the current date to the old version.
+        - [ ] Check the commit history for commits that might be product-relevant and thus should be added to the
+          changelog. Maybe they were forgotten.
+        - [ ] Write or review the `Deployment Migration Notes` section, check the commit history for changed / added
+          configuration properties.
+        - [ ] Write or review a release summary.
+        - [ ] Write or review the compatible versions section.
+        - [ ] Remove empty sections from the patch notes.
+    - [ ] Update the Postman Collection if required.
+    - [ ] Merge the `release-prep` PR.
+- [ ] Wait for the main branch to be green. You can check the status in
+  GH [actions](https://github.com/sovity/edc-extensions/actions).
+- [ ] Validate the image
+    - [ ] Pull the latest latest edc-dev image: `docker image pull ghcr.io/sovity/edc-dev:latest`.
+    - [ ] Check that your image was built recently `docker image ls | grep ghcr.io/sovity/edc-dev`.
+    - [ ] Test the release `docker-compose.yaml` with `EDC_IMAGE=ghcr.io/sovity/edc-dev:latest`.
+    - [ ] Ensure with a `docker ps -a` that all containers are healthy, and not `healthy: starting`
+      or `healthy: unhealthy`.
+- [ ] Test the postman collection against that running docker-compose.
+- [ ] [Create a release](https://github.com/sovity/edc-extensions/releases/new)
+    - [ ] In `Choose the tag`, type your new release version in the format `vx.y.z.w` (for instance `v1.2.3.4`) then
+      click `+Create new tag vx.y.z.w on release`.
+    - [ ] Re-use the changelog section as release description, and the version as title.
+- [ ] Check if the pipeline built the release versions in the Actions-Section (or you won't see it).
+- [ ] Revisit the changed list of tasks and compare it
+  with [.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/release.md](https://github.com/sovity/edc-extensions/blob/main/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/release.md).
+  Propose changes where it makes sense.
+- [ ] Close this issue.