diff --git a/src/modules/submodules/base_step.hpp b/src/modules/submodules/base_step.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b0ac868
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/submodules/base_step.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+//
+// Canadian Hydrological Model - The Canadian Hydrological Model (CHM) is a novel
+// modular unstructured mesh based approach for hydrological modelling
+// Copyright (C) 2018 Christopher Marsh
+//
+// This file is part of Canadian Hydrological Model.
+//
+// Canadian Hydrological Model is free software: you can redistribute it and/or
+// modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Canadian Hydrological Model is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Canadian Hydrological Model.  If not, see
+// <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+//
+
+//
+// Created by Donovan Allum 2025
+//
+
+#pragma once
+#include <concepts>
+
+/**
+ * @brief Base class for submodules using the Curiously Recurring Template Pattern (CRTP).
+ *
+ * This class enforces that derived classes implement an `execute_impl(Data&) const` method,
+ * and provides a public `execute(Data&) const` method that forwards to the derived implementation.
+ *
+ * The CRTP pattern allows compile-time polymorphism, enabling static dispatch and
+ * avoiding the overhead of virtual functions. This is useful for performance-critical
+ * code or when templates are preferred over inheritance.
+ *
+ * Usage example:
+ * @code
+ * struct MyStep : public base_step<MyStep, MyData> {
+ *     void execute_impl(MyData& d) {
+ *         // Step-specific logic here
+ *     }
+ * };
+ * MyStep step;
+ * MyData data;
+ * step.execute(data); // Calls MyStep::execute_impl(data)
+ * @endcode
+ */
+
+template<typename T, typename Data>
+concept GuaranteeImplementExecute = requires(const T& t, Data& d) {
+    { t.execute_impl(d) } -> std::same_as<void>;
+};
+
+template<class Derived, class Data>
+class base_step {
+protected:
+    base_step() {};
+public:
+    void execute(Data& d) const {
+
+        static_assert(GuaranteeImplementExecute<Derived,Data>,
+                "Derived class must implement: void execute_impl(Data&) const");
+
+        static_cast<const Derived*>(this)->execute_impl(d);
+    }
+    ~base_step() {};
+};