diff --git a/activate_virtual_env.bat b/activate_virtual_env.bat
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2fe3054d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activate_virtual_env.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+call "%~dp0.venv\Scripts\activate.bat"
+set PYTHON3="%~dp0.venv\Scripts\python.exe"
+set PYTHON3W="%~dp0.venv\Scripts\pythonw.exe"
diff --git a/create_virtual_env.bat b/create_virtual_env.bat
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca0940fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/create_virtual_env.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+if "%ICP_CONFIG_ENV_RUN%" == "" (
+    call C:\Instrument\Apps\EPICS\config_env.bat
+) else (
+    @echo Using existing EPICS_ROOT %EPICS_ROOT%
+)
+del /q /s .venv >NUL 2>&1
+%PYTHON3% -m venv .venv
+call "%~dp0.venv\Scripts\activate.bat"
+"%~dp0.venv\Scripts\pip.exe" install -r requirements.txt
diff --git a/start_archiver_access_cmd.bat b/start_archiver_access_cmd.bat
index ab4a4354..28532d00 100644
--- a/start_archiver_access_cmd.bat
+++ b/start_archiver_access_cmd.bat
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ call %MYDIRBLOCK%..\..\..\config_env_base.bat
 set EPICS_CAS_INTF_ADDR_LIST=127.0.0.1
 set EPICS_CAS_BEACON_ADDR_LIST=127.255.255.255
 
+call %MYDIRBLOCK%activate_virtual_env.bat
+
 set PYTHONUNBUFFERED=TRUE
 
 %PYTHON3W% %MYDIRBLOCK%ArchiverAccess\archiver_access.py
diff --git a/start_blockserver_cmd.bat b/start_blockserver_cmd.bat
index e5f0357b..193ce0a7 100644
--- a/start_blockserver_cmd.bat
+++ b/start_blockserver_cmd.bat
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ set EPICS_CAS_INTF_ADDR_LIST=127.0.0.1
 set EPICS_CAS_BEACON_ADDR_LIST=127.255.255.255
 set EPICS_CA_MAX_ARRAY_BYTES=1000000
 
+call %MYDIRBLOCK%activate_virtual_env.bat
+
 set PYTHONUNBUFFERED=TRUE
 
 set MYDIRGATE=%MYDIRBLOCK%..\..\..\gateway
diff --git a/start_bs_to_kafka_cmd.bat b/start_bs_to_kafka_cmd.bat
index 19d9629f..6864a8ab 100644
--- a/start_bs_to_kafka_cmd.bat
+++ b/start_bs_to_kafka_cmd.bat
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ call %MYDIRCD%..\..\..\config_env_base.bat
 set EPICS_CAS_INTF_ADDR_LIST=127.0.0.1
 set EPICS_CAS_BEACON_ADDR_LIST=127.255.255.255
 
+call %MYDIRBLOCK%activate_virtual_env.bat
+
 set PYTHONUNBUFFERED=TRUE
 @echo %DATE% %TIME% starting BS to Kafka 
 %PYTHON3W% %MYDIRCD%\BlockServerToKafka\main.py -d %INSTRUMENT%_sampleEnv -c forwarder_config -b livedata.isis.cclrc.ac.uk:9092 -p %MYPVPREFIX%
diff --git a/start_database_server_cmd.bat b/start_database_server_cmd.bat
index 9bb4cabd..21cfe84f 100644
--- a/start_database_server_cmd.bat
+++ b/start_database_server_cmd.bat
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ call %MYDIRBLOCK%..\..\..\config_env_base.bat
 set EPICS_CAS_INTF_ADDR_LIST=127.0.0.1
 set EPICS_CAS_BEACON_ADDR_LIST=127.255.255.255
 set EPICS_CA_MAX_ARRAY_BYTES=10000000
+
+call %MYDIRBLOCK%activate_virtual_env.bat
+
 set PYTHONUNBUFFERED=TRUE
 if exist "%PYTHON3W%" (
     %PYTHON3W% %MYDIRBLOCK%DatabaseServer\database_server.py -od %MYDIRBLOCK%..\..\..\iocstartup
diff --git a/start_remote_ioc_server.bat b/start_remote_ioc_server.bat
index b1345273..f84559fb 100644
--- a/start_remote_ioc_server.bat
+++ b/start_remote_ioc_server.bat
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ set EPICS_CAS_INTF_ADDR_LIST=127.0.0.1
 set EPICS_CAS_BEACON_ADDR_LIST=127.255.255.255
 set EPICS_CA_MAX_ARRAY_BYTES=65536
 
+call %MYDIRBLOCK%activate_virtual_env.bat
+
 set PYTHONUNBUFFERED=TRUE
 
 C:\instrument\apps\python3\python.exe %MYDIRBLOCK%RemoteIocServer\remote_ioc_server.py --pv_prefix %MYPVPREFIX%