contribution guidelines

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Contributing
+
+For general Kuadrant contribution guidance, see the [Kuadrant contributing guide](https://kuadrant.io/contributing/).
+
+This document covers the automated governance rules enforced in this repository and the project-specific workflow for getting a contribution merged.
+
+## Issue Triage
+
+All new issues are automatically labelled `triage/needs-triage`. A maintainer will review and move the issue to `triage/accepted` once it has been discussed and prioritised.
+
+| Label | Meaning |
+|---|---|
+| `triage/needs-triage` | New issue, awaiting maintainer review |
+| `triage/accepted` | Reviewed, prioritised, and ready for work |
+
+Only Kuadrant org members can change triage labels. If a non-member attempts to add or remove a triage label, the change is automatically reverted.
+
+## Pull Request Requirements
+
+Every PR from an external contributor must:
+
+1. **Link to an issue** — use `Fixes #123` or `Closes #123` in the PR description, or link it via the GitHub sidebar.
+2. **Link to a triaged issue** — the linked issue must carry the `triage/accepted` label before the PR is opened.
+3. **Not duplicate existing work** — if another contributor already has an open PR for the same issue, your PR will be auto-drafted until that one is resolved.
+
+PRs that do not meet these requirements are automatically closed with an explanatory comment. Your branch is kept intact, so you can reopen once the requirements are satisfied.
+
+This enforcement is implemented by the [Kuadrant contributor governance workflow](https://github.com/Kuadrant/.github/blob/main/.github/workflows/contributor-governance.yml), called from [`.github/workflows/contributor-governance.yml`](.github/workflows/contributor-governance.yml) in this repo.

README.md

@@ -630,6 +630,10 @@ spec:
 EOF
 ```
 
+## Contributing
+
+See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for contribution guidelines.
+
 ## License
 
 Copyright 2025.