diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 1a59817..753f905 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 variables:
   PYTHON_IMAGE: python:3.9
-  RUN_DIR: ./cicd/runtime
+  RUN_DIR: ./.gitlab/runtime
   USER: $GITLAB_USER_LOGIN
   # Configure mysql environment variables (https://hub.docker.com/_/mysql/)
   MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: root
@@ -25,12 +25,6 @@ variables:
 workflow:
   auto_cancel:
     on_new_commit: interruptible
-  rules:
-    - changes:
-      - .gitlab-ci.yml
-      - pyproject.toml
-      - "*.py"
-      - src/python/**/*.py
 
 default:
   image: $PYTHON_IMAGE
@@ -58,6 +52,12 @@ python:prepare_venv:
     - source $RUN_DIR/venv/bin/activate
   script:
     - pip install -e .[cicd]
+  rules:
+    - changes:
+      - .gitlab-ci.yml
+      - pyproject.toml
+      - src/ensembl/**/*.py
+      - tests/**/*.py
 
 # Test stage
 
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ python:prepare_venv:
   stage: test
   before_script:
     - source $RUN_DIR/venv/bin/activate
+  needs: ['python:prepare_venv']
 
 ## Linting, type checking and formatting
 
@@ -130,6 +131,23 @@ python:pytest:
     paths:
       - $RUN_DIR/coverage
 
+## License-related checks: NOTICE file and license headers
+
+.license:
+  stage: test
+  variables:
+    CMD: python .gitlab/scripts/check_license.py
+
+license:notice:
+  extends: .license
+  script:
+    - $CMD notice
+
+license:header:
+  extends: .license
+  script:
+    - $CMD header
+
 # Deploy stage
 
 ## Generate GitLab pages with HTML coverage report
diff --git a/.gitlab/scripts/check_license.py b/.gitlab/scripts/check_license.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..f936e45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitlab/scripts/check_license.py
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# See the NOTICE file distributed with this work for additional information
+# regarding copyright ownership.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+"""Checks if one of the requirements of the license is met by the repository."""
+
+import argparse
+import datetime
+from itertools import zip_longest
+from os import PathLike
+from pathlib import Path
+import re
+import sys
+
+
+# Do not show traceback for an easier error readability
+sys.tracebacklimit = 0
+
+
+_SCRIPTS_DIR = Path(__file__).absolute().parent
+_TEMPLATES_DIR = _SCRIPTS_DIR.parent / "templates"
+_ROOT_PATH = _SCRIPTS_DIR.parents[1]
+# Set of file suffixes for which we expect to find the license header
+_SUFFIXES_WITH_HEADER = {
+    "pl",
+    "pm",
+    "py",
+    "nf",
+    "config",
+    "mysql",
+    "pgsql",
+    "sql",
+    "sqlite",
+    "bash",
+    "sh",
+    "toml",
+    "yml",
+}
+_EXCLUDE_DIRS = {
+    Path(".gitlab/runtime"),
+    Path("src/python/tests/data"),
+    Path("src/python/tests/utils/test_rloader"),
+}
+
+
+def check_notice(notice_template: PathLike) -> None:
+    """Checks if the NOTICE file is correct and the copyright year is up-to-date.
+
+    Args:
+        notice_template: Path to notice template file.
+
+    Raises:
+        RuntimeError: If the NOTICE file has incorrect format or the copyright year is not correct.
+
+    """
+    notice_file = _ROOT_PATH / "NOTICE"
+    year = datetime.date.today().year
+    report = ""
+    with notice_template.open() as tpl, notice_file.open() as fh:
+        # Add dummy values if one of the files turns out to be shorter than the other
+        for tpl_line, fh_line in zip_longest(tpl, fh, fillvalue=""):
+            tpl_line = tpl_line.replace("<current_year>", f"{year}")
+            tpl_line = tpl_line.rstrip("\n")
+            fh_line = fh_line.rstrip("\n")
+            if tpl_line != fh_line:
+                report += f"> Expected: '{tpl_line}'\n  Found:    '{fh_line}'\n"
+    if report:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"Incorrect NOTICE file format or copyright year\n\n{report}")
+    else:
+        print("NOTICE file is correct and the copyright year is up-to-date")
+
+
+def check_header(header_template: PathLike) -> None:
+    """Checks if every code file in the repository has a valid license header.
+
+    Args:
+        header_template: Path to license header template file.
+
+    Raises:
+        RuntimeError: If at least one file has missing or incorrect license header.
+
+    """
+    template = header_template.read_text()
+    # Escape symbols that may be interpreted as part of a regex otherwise
+    template = template.replace(".", "\.").replace("(", "\(").replace(")", "\)")
+    # Allow comment symbols and additional spaces before each header line, and single newline instead of two
+    template = "[#/-]*\s*" + template.replace("\n\n", "(\n)+").replace("\n", "\n[#/-]*\s*")
+    # Compile template as regex to improve performance
+    prog = re.compile(rf"{template}")
+    report_files = []
+    for file_path in _ROOT_PATH.rglob("*.*"):
+        if file_path.is_file() and (file_path.suffix[1:] in _SUFFIXES_WITH_HEADER):
+            if _EXCLUDE_DIRS.intersection(set(file_path.relative_to(_ROOT_PATH).parents)):
+                # Do not check any files that belong to one of the directories to exclude
+                continue
+            if not prog.search(file_path.read_text()):
+                report_files.append(str(file_path))
+    if report_files:
+        report = "\n".join(report_files)
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            f"{len(report_files)} code files have missing or incorrect license header\n\n{report}"
+        )
+    else:
+        print("Every code file in the repository has a valid license header")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description=(
+            "Checks if the NOTICE file is correct or if every code file in the repository has a valid "
+            "license header."
+        )
+    )
+    # Create separate subparsers for each case "notice" and "header"
+    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(title="License aspect to check", required=True, dest="{notice,header}")
+    parser_notice = subparsers.add_parser("notice", help="Check NOTICE file format and copyright year")
+    parser_notice.add_argument(
+        "--template",
+        type=Path,
+        required=False,
+        default=_TEMPLATES_DIR / "notice.tpl",
+        help="Path to notice template file",
+    )
+    parser_notice.set_defaults(check_function=check_notice)
+    parser_header = subparsers.add_parser("header", help="Check if code files have proper license header")
+    parser_header.add_argument(
+        "--template",
+        type=Path,
+        required=False,
+        default=_TEMPLATES_DIR / "license_header.tpl",
+        help="Path to license header template file",
+    )
+    parser_header.set_defaults(check_function=check_header)
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    # Run the corresponding function depending on the type of check selected by the user
+    args.check_function(args.template)
diff --git a/.gitlab/templates/license_header.tpl b/.gitlab/templates/license_header.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad93e24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitlab/templates/license_header.tpl
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+See the NOTICE file distributed with this work for additional information
+regarding copyright ownership.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
diff --git a/.gitlab/templates/notice.tpl b/.gitlab/templates/notice.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92332f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitlab/templates/notice.tpl
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Ensembl
+Copyright [2016-<current_year>] EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute
+
+This product includes software developed at:
+- EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute
diff --git a/NOTICE b/NOTICE
index 604a57d..ae774eb 100644
--- a/NOTICE
+++ b/NOTICE
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Ensembl
-Copyright [2018-2024] EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute
+Copyright [2016-2024] EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute
 
 This product includes software developed at:
 - EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute
diff --git a/src/python/ensembl/core/__init__.py b/src/python/ensembl/core/__init__.py
index e69de29..b704884 100644
--- a/src/python/ensembl/core/__init__.py
+++ b/src/python/ensembl/core/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# See the NOTICE file distributed with this work for additional information
+# regarding copyright ownership.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.