diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63a66ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+name: CI
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+
+jobs:
+  backend:
+    name: Backend compile check
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.11"
+
+      - name: Compile backend modules
+        run: python -m compileall -q backend
+
+  frontend:
+    name: Frontend lint, typecheck, and build
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        working-directory: frontend
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Node.js
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: "20"
+          cache: npm
+          cache-dependency-path: frontend/package-lock.json
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: npm ci
+
+      - name: Lint
+        run: npm run lint
+
+      - name: Typecheck
+        run: npx tsc --noEmit
+
+      - name: Build
+        run: npm run build
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f77c0ef..810f955 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -66,9 +66,16 @@ python3 app.py
 ```bash
 cd frontend
 npm install
+
+# Optional: point the frontend at a non-local backend API.
+cp .env.example .env.local
+
 npm run dev
 ```
 
+The frontend reads `NEXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL` from `frontend/.env.local`.
+The default is `http://127.0.0.1:5000/` for local development.
+
 ### 4. Access the Application
 
 - Frontend: http://localhost:3000
@@ -141,6 +148,12 @@ Analyzes a GitHub repository and its description for SDG alignment using Aurora
 4. Add tests if applicable
 5. Submit a pull request
 
+## Deployment
+
+See [Deployment Readiness Plan](docs/deployment-readiness.md) for the current
+hosting recommendation, CI checks, and follow-up work for the DMP 2026 MVP
+requirements in issue #8.
+
 ## License
 
 See LICENSE file for details.
diff --git a/docs/deployment-readiness.md b/docs/deployment-readiness.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31bcedc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/deployment-readiness.md
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+# Deployment Readiness Plan
+
+This document maps the current application to the hosting and CI/CD part of
+[DMP 2026 issue #8](https://github.com/chaoss/UNSDG-classifier-tool/issues/8).
+It does not close the full MVP issue; the DPG registry evaluation and accuracy
+work remain separate milestones.
+
+## Recommended Hosting Shape
+
+The current architecture is a split application:
+
+- Next.js frontend in `frontend/`
+- Flask backend in `backend/`
+- External classifier services called from the backend
+- GitHub API access for repository metadata
+
+Because GitHub Pages cannot run the Flask backend or Python ML dependencies, a
+static-only GitHub Pages deployment is not sufficient for the full tool. A
+practical zero-budget MVP path is:
+
+1. Host the Next.js frontend on a static/Node-capable frontend host.
+2. Host the Flask backend on a Python-capable host.
+3. Configure the frontend with `NEXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL` so staging and
+   production can point at different backend URLs without code changes.
+4. Keep classifier endpoints, tokens, and rate-limit-sensitive settings outside
+   source code through environment variables.
+
+## Configuration
+
+Frontend configuration:
+
+```bash
+cd frontend
+cp .env.example .env.local
+# Set NEXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL to the hosted Flask API origin.
+```
+
+Backend configuration should keep external API endpoints and credentials in the
+host environment. If PR #23 is merged first, the backend will have a centralized
+`backend/config.py` and `backend/.env.example` for these values.
+
+## CI/CD Baseline
+
+This repository now includes `.github/workflows/ci.yml`, which runs on every
+pull request and push to `main`:
+
+- Python backend compile check with Python 3.11
+- Frontend dependency install from `package-lock.json`
+- ESLint
+- TypeScript typecheck
+- Next.js production build
+
+That gives maintainers a merge gate before connecting a deployment provider.
+
+## Follow-Up Work For #8
+
+- Add a backend health endpoint for deployment monitoring.
+- Add backend tests around API request/response contracts.
+- Add deployment provider-specific instructions once maintainers choose the
+  final no-budget hosting platform.
+- Add the DPG registry evaluation spreadsheet/notebook for the 100-project and
+  85% accuracy acceptance criteria.
+- Add API throttling/backoff around Aurora and OSDG calls to preserve the
+  documented one-request-per-second limit.
diff --git a/frontend/.env.example b/frontend/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85827e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# Copy this file to frontend/.env.local when the backend API is hosted
+# somewhere other than the local Flask default.
+
+NEXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:5000/
diff --git a/frontend/.gitignore b/frontend/.gitignore
index 5ef6a52..7b8da95 100644
--- a/frontend/.gitignore
+++ b/frontend/.gitignore
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ yarn-error.log*
 
 # env files (can opt-in for committing if needed)
 .env*
+!.env.example
 
 # vercel
 .vercel
diff --git a/frontend/services/api.ts b/frontend/services/api.ts
index 006d226..e6c8e22 100644
--- a/frontend/services/api.ts
+++ b/frontend/services/api.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 import axios from "axios";
 import {
-  ResultsData,
   SDGClassificationRequest,
   SDGClassificationResponse,
 } from "@/types/main";
 
-const API_BASE_URL = "http://127.0.0.1:5000/";
+const DEFAULT_API_BASE_URL = "http://127.0.0.1:5000/";
+
+const normalizeBaseUrl = (url: string) => (url.endsWith("/") ? url : `${url}/`);
+
+const API_BASE_URL = normalizeBaseUrl(
+  process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL || DEFAULT_API_BASE_URL,
+);
 
 const apiClient = axios.create({
   baseURL: API_BASE_URL,
diff --git a/frontend/types/global.d.ts b/frontend/types/global.d.ts
index cbe652d..0ffc89f 100644
--- a/frontend/types/global.d.ts
+++ b/frontend/types/global.d.ts
@@ -1 +1,22 @@
 declare module "*.css";
+
+declare module "*.png" {
+  import type { StaticImageData } from "next/image";
+
+  const content: StaticImageData;
+  export default content;
+}
+
+declare module "*.jpg" {
+  import type { StaticImageData } from "next/image";
+
+  const content: StaticImageData;
+  export default content;
+}
+
+declare module "*.jpeg" {
+  import type { StaticImageData } from "next/image";
+
+  const content: StaticImageData;
+  export default content;
+}
diff --git a/frontend/types/main.d.ts b/frontend/types/main.d.ts
index 4b051b7..f7ae450 100644
--- a/frontend/types/main.d.ts
+++ b/frontend/types/main.d.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export interface SDGClassificationResponse {
   projectName?: string;
   projectUrl?: string;
   repo_url?: string;
-  [key: string]: any;
+  [key: string]: unknown;
 }
 
 export type SDGCardProps = {