diff --git a/python/cookiecutter.json b/python/cookiecutter.json
index 93594c4..1733049 100644
--- a/python/cookiecutter.json
+++ b/python/cookiecutter.json
@@ -6,5 +6,6 @@
     "repo": "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}",
     "your_name": "",
     "your_email": "",
-    "add_docs": [false, true]
+    "add_docs": [false, true],
+    "add_fastapi": [false, true]
 }
diff --git a/python/hooks/post_gen_project.py b/python/hooks/post_gen_project.py
index 6e456c0..54e8ec6 100644
--- a/python/hooks/post_gen_project.py
+++ b/python/hooks/post_gen_project.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 """Provide hooks to run after project is generated."""
+
 from pathlib import Path
 import shutil
 
@@ -6,3 +7,11 @@
 if not {{ cookiecutter.add_docs }}:
     shutil.rmtree("docs")
     Path(".readthedocs.yaml").unlink()
+
+
+if not {{ cookiecutter.add_fastapi }}:
+    Path("tests/test_api.py").unlink()
+    Path("src/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}/api.py").unlink()
+    Path("src/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}/models.py").unlink()
+    Path("src/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}/config.py").unlink()
+    Path("src/{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}/logging.py").unlink()
diff --git a/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml
index 88eefe5..3120c68 100644
--- a/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml
+++ b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/pyproject.toml
@@ -18,16 +18,29 @@ classifiers = [
 requires-python = ">=3.11"
 description = "{{ cookiecutter.description }}"
 license = {file = "LICENSE"}
+{%- if cookiecutter.add_fastapi %}
+dependencies = [
+    "fastapi",
+    "pydantic~=2.1",
+]
+{% else %}
 dependencies = []
+{% endif -%}
 dynamic = ["version"]
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]
-tests = ["pytest", "pytest-cov"]
+tests = [
+    "pytest",
+    "pytest-cov",
+{%- if cookiecutter.add_fastapi %}
+    "httpx",
+{%- endif %}
+]
 dev = [
     "pre-commit>=4.0.1",
     "ruff==0.8.6",
 ]
-{% if cookiecutter.add_docs %}
+{%- if cookiecutter.add_docs %}
 docs = [
     "sphinx==6.1.3",
     "sphinx-autodoc-typehints==1.22.0",
@@ -100,6 +113,9 @@ select = [
     "ARG",  # https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/rules/#flake8-unused-arguments-arg
     "PTH",  # https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/rules/#flake8-use-pathlib-pth
     "PGH",  # https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/rules/#pygrep-hooks-pgh
+{%- if cookiecutter.add_fastapi %}
+    "FAST",  # https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/rules/#fastapi-fast
+{%- endif %}
     "PLC",  # https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/rules/#convention-c
     "PLE",  # https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/rules/#error-e_1
     "TRY",  # https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/rules/#tryceratops-try
@@ -121,6 +137,9 @@ fixable = [
     "PT",
     "RSE",
     "SIM",
+{%- if cookiecutter.add_fastapi %}
+    "FAST",
+{%- endif %}
     "PLC",
     "PLE",
     "TRY",
diff --git a/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/__init__.py b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/__init__.py
index 68871eb..dca501f 100644
--- a/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/__init__.py
+++ b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 """{{ cookiecutter.description }}"""
+
 from importlib.metadata import PackageNotFoundError, version
 
 
diff --git a/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/api.py b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/api.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..201bab6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/api.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+"""Define API endpoints."""
+
+from collections.abc import AsyncGenerator
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
+from enum import Enum
+
+from fastapi import FastAPI
+
+from {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} import __version__
+from {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.config import config
+from {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.logging import initialize_logs
+from {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.models import ServiceInfo, ServiceOrganization, ServiceType
+
+
+@asynccontextmanager
+async def lifespan(app: FastAPI) -> AsyncGenerator:  # noqa: ARG001
+    """Perform operations that interact with the lifespan of the FastAPI instance.
+
+    See https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/advanced/events/#lifespan.
+
+    :param app: FastAPI instance
+    """
+    initialize_logs()
+    yield
+
+
+class _Tag(str, Enum):
+    """Define tag names for endpoints."""
+
+    META = "Meta"
+
+
+app = FastAPI(
+    title="{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}",
+    description="{{ cookiecutter.description }}",
+    version=__version__,
+    contact={
+        "name": "Alex H. Wagner",
+        "email": "Alex.Wagner@nationwidechildrens.org",
+        "url": "https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/institute-for-genomic-medicine/research-labs/wagner-lab",
+    },
+    license={
+        "name": "MIT",
+        "url": "https://github.com/{{ cookiecutter.org }}/{{ cookiecutter.repo }}/blob/main/LICENSE",
+    },
+    docs_url="/docs",
+    openapi_url="/openapi.json",
+    swagger_ui_parameters={"tryItOutEnabled": True},
+)
+
+
+@app.get(
+    "/service_info",
+    summary="Get basic service information",
+    description="Retrieve service metadata, such as versioning and contact info. Structured in conformance with the [GA4GH service info API specification](https://www.ga4gh.org/product/service-info/)",
+    tags=[_Tag.META],
+)
+def service_info() -> ServiceInfo:
+    """Provide service info per GA4GH Service Info spec
+
+    :return: conformant service info description
+    """
+    return ServiceInfo(
+        organization=ServiceOrganization(), type=ServiceType(), environment=config.env
+    )
diff --git a/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config.py b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3db97db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+"""Read and provide runtime configuration."""
+
+import logging
+import os
+
+from pydantic import BaseModel
+
+from {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.models import ServiceEnvironment
+
+
+_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+_ENV_VARNAME = "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug | upper }}_ENV"
+
+
+class Config(BaseModel):
+    """Define app configuration data object."""
+
+    env: ServiceEnvironment
+    debug: bool
+    test: bool
+
+
+def _dev_config() -> Config:
+    """Provide development environment configs
+
+    :return: dev env configs
+    """
+    return Config(env=ServiceEnvironment.DEV, debug=True, test=False)
+
+
+def _test_config() -> Config:
+    """Provide test env configs
+
+    :return: test configs
+    """
+    return Config(env=ServiceEnvironment.TEST, debug=False, test=True)
+
+
+def _staging_config() -> Config:
+    """Provide staging env configs
+
+    :return: staging configs
+    """
+    return Config(env=ServiceEnvironment.STAGING, debug=False, test=False)
+
+
+def _prod_config() -> Config:
+    """Provide production configs
+
+    :return: prod configs
+    """
+    return Config(env=ServiceEnvironment.PROD, debug=False, test=False)
+
+
+def _default_config() -> Config:
+    """Provide default configs. This function sets what they are.
+
+    :return: default configs
+    """
+    return _dev_config()
+
+
+_CONFIG_MAP = {
+    ServiceEnvironment.DEV: _dev_config,
+    ServiceEnvironment.TEST: _test_config,
+    ServiceEnvironment.STAGING: _staging_config,
+    ServiceEnvironment.PROD: _prod_config,
+}
+
+
+def _set_config() -> Config:
+    """Set configs based on environment variable `{{ cookiecutter.project_slug | upper }}_ENV`.
+
+    :return: complete config object with environment-specific parameters
+    """
+    raw_env_value = os.environ.get(_ENV_VARNAME)
+    if not raw_env_value:
+        return _default_config()
+    try:
+        env_value = ServiceEnvironment(raw_env_value.lower())
+    except ValueError:
+        _logger.error(
+            "Unrecognized value for %s: '%s'. Using default configs",
+            _ENV_VARNAME,
+            raw_env_value
+        )
+        return _default_config()
+    return _CONFIG_MAP[env_value]()
+
+
+config = _set_config()
diff --git a/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/logging.py b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/logging.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5fe9733
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/logging.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+"""Configure application logging."""
+
+import logging
+
+
+def initialize_logs(log_level: int = logging.DEBUG) -> None:
+    """Configure logging.
+
+    :param log_level: app log level to set
+    """
+    logging.basicConfig(
+        filename=f"{__package__}.log",
+        format="[%(asctime)s] - %(name)s - %(levelname)s : %(message)s",
+    )
+    logger = logging.getLogger(__package__)
+    logger.setLevel(log_level)
diff --git a/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/models.py b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb85d82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/src/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+"""Define models for internal data and API responses."""
+
+from enum import Enum
+from typing import Literal
+
+from pydantic import BaseModel
+
+from . import __version__
+
+
+class ServiceEnvironment(str, Enum):
+    """Define current runtime environment."""
+
+    DEV = "dev"
+    PROD = "prod"
+    TEST = "test"
+    STAGING = "staging"
+
+
+class ServiceOrganization(BaseModel):
+    """Define service_info response for organization field"""
+
+    name: Literal["Genomic Medicine Lab at Nationwide Children's Hospital"] = (
+        "Genomic Medicine Lab at Nationwide Children's Hospital"
+    )
+    url: Literal[
+        "https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/institute-for-genomic-medicine/research-labs/wagner-lab"
+    ] = "https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/institute-for-genomic-medicine/research-labs/wagner-lab"
+
+
+class ServiceType(BaseModel):
+    """Define service_info response for type field"""
+
+    group: Literal["org.genomicmedlab"] = "org.genomicmedlab"
+    artifact: Literal["{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} API"] = "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} API"
+    version: Literal[__version__] = __version__
+
+
+class ServiceInfo(BaseModel):
+    """Define response structure for GA4GH /service_info endpoint."""
+
+    id: Literal["org.genomicmedlab.{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"] = (
+        "org.genomicmedlab.{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"
+    )
+    name: Literal["{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"] = "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"
+    type: ServiceType
+    description: Literal["{{ cookiecutter.description }}"] = "{{ cookiecutter.description }}"
+    organization: ServiceOrganization
+    contactUrl: Literal["Alex.Wagner@nationwidechildrens.org"] = (  # noqa: N815
+        "Alex.Wagner@nationwidechildrens.org"
+    )
+    documentationUrl: Literal["https://github.com/{{ cookiecutter.org }}/{{ cookiecutter.repo }}"] = (  # noqa: N815
+        "https://github.com/{{ cookiecutter.org }}/{{ cookiecutter.repo }}"
+    )
+    createdAt: Literal["{% now 'utc', '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S+00:00' %}"] = "{% now 'utc', '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S+00:00' %}"  # noqa: N815
+    updatedAt: str | None = None  # noqa: N815
+    environment: ServiceEnvironment
+    version: Literal[__version__] = __version__
diff --git a/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/conftest.py b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/conftest.py
index 8cec28e..3e64a1d 100644
--- a/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 def pytest_addoption(parser):
     """Add custom commands to pytest invocation.
 
-    See https://docs.pytest.org/en/8.1.x/reference/reference.html#parser"""
+    See https://docs.pytest.org/en/8.1.x/reference/reference.html#parser
+    """
     parser.addoption(
         "--verbose-logs",
         action="store_true",
diff --git a/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/test_api.py b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/test_api.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8dfa29c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/tests/test_api.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+"""Test FastAPI endpoint function."""
+
+from datetime import datetime
+import re
+
+import pytest
+from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
+
+from {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.api import app
+from {{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}.models import ServiceEnvironment
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def api_client():
+    return TestClient(app)
+
+
+def test_service_info(api_client: TestClient):
+    response = api_client.get("/service_info")
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    expected_version_pattern = r"\d\.\d\."  # at minimum, should be something like "0.1"
+    response_json = response.json()
+    assert response_json["id"] == "org.genomicmedlab.{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"
+    assert response_json["name"] == "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }}"
+    assert response_json["type"]["group"] == "org.genomicmedlab"
+    assert response_json["type"]["artifact"] == "{{ cookiecutter.project_slug }} API"
+    assert re.match(expected_version_pattern, response_json["type"]["version"])
+    assert response_json["description"] == "{{ cookiecutter.description }}"
+    assert response_json["organization"] == {
+        "name": "Genomic Medicine Lab at Nationwide Children's Hospital",
+        "url": "https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/institute-for-genomic-medicine/research-labs/wagner-lab",
+    }
+    assert response_json["contactUrl"] == "Alex.Wagner@nationwidechildrens.org"
+    assert (
+        response_json["documentationUrl"]
+        == "https://github.com/{{ cookiecutter.org }}/{{ cookiecutter.repo }}"
+    )
+    assert datetime.fromisoformat(response_json["createdAt"])
+    assert ServiceEnvironment(response_json["environment"])
+    assert re.match(expected_version_pattern, response_json["version"])
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index b6ccfd0..c62ca9b 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ click==8.1.7
 cookiecutter==2.5.0
 idna==3.6
 Jinja2==3.1.3
+jinja2-time==0.2.0
 markdown-it-py==3.0.0
 MarkupSafe==2.1.4
 mdurl==0.1.2