diff --git a/.github/workflows/run-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/run-tests.yml
index 1caa509..8786119 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run-tests.yml
@@ -17,26 +17,10 @@ on:
       - '.github/**'
 
 jobs:
-  test-linux:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-    - name: Setup .NET
-      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
-      with:
-        dotnet-version: 8.x.x
-    - name: test
-      working-directory: ./
-      run: dotnet test
-
-  test-windows:
-    runs-on: windows-latest
-    steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-    - name: Setup .NET
-      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
-      with:
-        dotnet-version: 8.x.x
-    - name: test
-      working-directory: ./
-      run: dotnet test
\ No newline at end of file
+  build-and-test:
+    name: "Build and test"
+    uses: nfdi4plants/actions-workflows/.github/workflows/build-and-test-solution.yml@main
+    with:
+      solution: ./arc-validation-packages.sln
+      checkout-submodules: true
+      configuration: Release
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a24530f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "ArcPrototype"]
+	path = tests/fixtures/ArcPrototype
+	url = https://git.nfdi4plants.org/muehlhaus/ArcPrototype.git
diff --git a/ValidationPackages.sln b/arc-validation-packages.sln
similarity index 100%
rename from ValidationPackages.sln
rename to arc-validation-packages.sln
diff --git a/tests/GitSubmodulesTests.fs b/tests/GitSubmodulesTests.fs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5419e71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/GitSubmodulesTests.fs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+module GitSubmoduleTests
+
+open System
+open System.IO
+open Xunit
+
+[<Fact>]
+let ``ArcPrototype commit hash is correct`` () = 
+    Assert.Equal(
+        ReferenceObjects.expected_prototype_commit_hash, 
+        TestObjects.prototypeCommitHash
+    )
diff --git a/tests/ReferenceObjects.fs b/tests/ReferenceObjects.fs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f1d193
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ReferenceObjects.fs
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module ReferenceObjects
+
+open System.IO
+
+let expected_prototype_commit_hash = "2635598d9ea365c7ce545a9f279cca39af3de5df"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/TestObjects.fs b/tests/TestObjects.fs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e396cb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/TestObjects.fs
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module TestObjects
+
+let prototypeCommitHashOutput = TestUtils.getCommitHash "../../../fixtures/ArcPrototype"
+
+let prototypeCommitHash = prototypeCommitHashOutput.Result.Output.TrimStart().TrimEnd()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/TestUtils.fs b/tests/TestUtils.fs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91dc047
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/TestUtils.fs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+module TestUtils
+
+open System
+open System.IO
+open type System.Environment
+open Fake.Core
+
+let runTool (tool: string) (args: string []) (dir:string) =
+    CreateProcess.fromRawCommand tool args
+    |> CreateProcess.withWorkingDirectory dir
+    |> CreateProcess.redirectOutput
+    |> Proc.run
+
+let getCommitHash path = 
+    let output = runTool "git" [|"rev-parse"; "HEAD"|] path
+    output
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/ValidationPackages.Tests.fsproj b/tests/ValidationPackages.Tests.fsproj
index d7919f3..a0ed58d 100644
--- a/tests/ValidationPackages.Tests.fsproj
+++ b/tests/ValidationPackages.Tests.fsproj
@@ -10,11 +10,16 @@
   <ItemGroup>
     <None Include="fixtures\**" CopyToOutputDirectory="Always" />
     <Content Include="..\validation_packages\**" CopyToOutputDirectory="Always" LinkBase="validation_packages" />
+    <Compile Include="TestUtils.fs" />
+    <Compile Include="ReferenceObjects.fs" />
+    <Compile Include="TestObjects.fs" />
+    <Compile Include="GitSubmodulesTests.fs" />
     <Compile Include="Tests.fs" />
     <Compile Include="Program.fs" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
+    <PackageReference Include="Fake.Core.Process" Version="6.0.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="coverlet.collector" Version="6.0.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="17.8.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="xunit" Version="2.5.3" />
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/ArcPrototype b/tests/fixtures/ArcPrototype
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..2635598
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/ArcPrototype
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 2635598d9ea365c7ce545a9f279cca39af3de5df