diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
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+# Contributing new schemes to PQClean
+
+## Why contribute to PQClean
+
+PQClean hopes to provide your scheme to people who want to integrate post-quantum cryptography into their own libraries and applications.
+But our extensive testing framework might also help you catch bugs in your implementation, that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
+We run our builds on (emulated) ARMv7, ARMv8, x86 and amd64.
+Also, we apply static and dynamic analysis tools.
+
+## Adding your scheme
+
+For this text, we will assume that you want to contribute a **kem** to PQClean.
+For a signature scheme, these steps are equivalent, but the API is slightly different.
+See the section [API][#API] below.
+
+1. Fork our repository. You will be creating a pull request soon.
+**Tip:** Do not wait until you think you have gotten everything perfect, before you open the pull request.
+We set up things so Github and the CI environment will give you
+
+2. Create the following folder structure: `crypto_kem/yourschemename/clean`.
+We follow the SUPERCOP layout, so please create a separate folder for each parameter set.
+For now, we only accept **pure, portable C code**
+
+3. Create a ``META.yml`` file in ``crypto_kem/yourschemename/`` following this template:
+```yaml
+name: Name
+type: <kem|signature>
+claimed-nist-level: <N>
+length-public-key: <N>
+length-ciphertext: <N>
+testvectors-sha256: sha256sum of output of testvectors
+principal-submitter: Eve
+auxiliary-submitters:
+  - Alice
+  - Bob
+  - ...
+implementations:
+  - name: clean
+    version: <some version indicator>
+```
+This file needs to be valid [YAML](https://yaml.org/).
+
+4. Put your scheme into ``crypto_kem/yourschemename/clean``.
+  1. Make sure all symbols are prefixed with ``PQCLEAN_YOURSCHEME_CLEAN_``
+  2. Include ``api.h`` into your scheme with the symbols specified in the section [API][#API]:
+5. Create ``Makefile`` and ``Makefile.Microsoft_nmake`` files to compile your scheme as static library.
+  * We suggest you take these from ``crypto_kem/kyber768/clean`` and modify them to suit your scheme.
+6. Add a ``LICENSE`` file to your implementation folder.
+7. Commit everything and push it to your fork
+8. Open a pull request on our repository and process the feedback given to you by the CI environment.
+   The pull request will also set up a checklist for you and us to follow.
+
+## API
+
+These items should be available in your ``api.h`` file.
+Please make sure your ``api.h`` file does not include any other files.
+
+### KEMs
+* ``int PQCLEAN_YOURSCHEME_CLEAN_crypto_kem_keypair(unsigned char *pk, unsigned char *sk);``
+* ``int PQCLEAN_YOURSCHEME_CLEAN_crypto_kem_enc(unsigned char *ct, unsigned char *ss, const unsigned char *pk);``
+* ``int PQCLEAN_YOURSCHEME_CLEAN_crypto_kem_dec(unsigned char *ss, const unsigned char *ct, const unsigned char *sk);``
+* ``define`` macros
+  * ``CRYPTO_SECRETKEYBYTES``
+  * ``CRYPTO_PUBLICKEYBYTES``
+  * ``CRYPTO_CIPHERTEXTBYTES``
+  * ``CRYPTO_BYTES``
+  * ``CRYPTO_ALGNAME``
+
+### Signature schemes
+* ``int PQCLEAN_YOURSCHEME_CLEAN_crypto_sign_keypair(unsigned char *pk, unsigned char *sk);``
+* ``int PQCLEAN_YOURSCHEME_CLEAN_crypto_sign(unsigned char *sm, unsigned long long *smlen, const unsigned char *msg, unsigned long long len, const unsigned char *sk);``
+* ``int PQCLEAN_YOURSCHEME_CLEAN_crypto_sign_open(unsigned char *m, unsigned long long *mlen, const unsigned char *sm, unsigned long long smlen, const unsigned char *pk);``
+* ``define`` macros
+  * ``CRYPTO_SECRETKEYBYTES``
+  * ``CRYPTO_PUBLICKEYBYTES``
+  * ``CRYPTO_BYTES``
+  * ``CRYPTO_ALGNAME``
+
+#### Return codes
+Your schemes should return 0 on success, or a negative value on failure.
+Notably, ``crypto_sign_open`` should return ``-1`` if signature verification failed.
+
+# Contributing to the framework of PQClean
+
+We also welcome contributions to the testing framework.
+Open an issue or pull request on Github and we will review your suggestion.
+In general, we are always looking to improve the experience of submitters of schemes and of people consuming the implementations collected by this project.
+Please do bear in mind the intentions of this project.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 93bfb5e2..9ed821b5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ What PQClean is **not** aiming for is
 
 As a first main target, we are collecting C implementations that fulfill the requirements
 listed below.
+Please also review our [guidelines for contributors](CONTRIBUTING.md) if you are interested in adding a scheme to PQClean.
 
 ## Requirements on C implementations that are automatically checked