diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index 456596841a9..d8e12fbdf6e 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,6 @@ updates:
         patterns:
           - "*"
   - package-ecosystem: "pip"
-    directory: "/"
+    directory: "/build-project"
     schedule:
       interval: "weekly"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index e7d7755cd4a..d7d76f5d7d7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
       - name: Build a binary wheel and a source tarball
-        run: ./build-project.py
+        run: ./build-project/build-project.py
       - name: Store the distribution packages
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@ea165f8d65b6e75b540449e92b4886f43607fa02 # v4
         with:
diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index cb8e14df96b..95e966d9624 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ include README.rst
 include SECURITY.md
 include pyproject.toml
 
-include build-requirements.in
-include build-requirements.txt
-include build-project.py
+include build-project/build-requirements.in
+include build-project/build-requirements.txt
+include build-project/build-project.py
+include build-project/.python-version
 
 include src/pip/_vendor/README.rst
 include src/pip/_vendor/vendor.txt
diff --git a/build-project/.python-version b/build-project/.python-version
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e4fba218358
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build-project/.python-version
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+3.12
diff --git a/build-project.py b/build-project/build-project.py
similarity index 97%
rename from build-project.py
rename to build-project/build-project.py
index 2108669ca6f..3bfa764c097 100755
--- a/build-project.py
+++ b/build-project/build-project.py
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ def main() -> None:
             ],
             check=True,
             env={"SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH": get_git_head_timestamp()},
+            cwd=Path(__file__).parent.parent,
         )
 
 
diff --git a/build-requirements.in b/build-project/build-requirements.in
similarity index 100%
rename from build-requirements.in
rename to build-project/build-requirements.in
diff --git a/build-requirements.txt b/build-project/build-requirements.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from build-requirements.txt
rename to build-project/build-requirements.txt
diff --git a/noxfile.py b/noxfile.py
index 57f5e897d63..d37c9a94766 100644
--- a/noxfile.py
+++ b/noxfile.py
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ def build_dists(session: nox.Session) -> List[str]:
         )
 
     session.log("# Build distributions")
-    session.run("python", "build-project.py", silent=True)
+    session.run("python", "build-project/build-project.py", silent=True)
     produced_dists = glob.glob("dist/*")
 
     session.log(f"# Verify distributions: {', '.join(produced_dists)}")