diff --git a/sidecar/build.gradle.kts b/sidecar/build.gradle.kts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..031b974
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sidecar/build.gradle.kts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+plugins {
+    kotlin("jvm") version "2.1.21"
+    application
+    id("com.gradleup.shadow") version "9.0.0-rc2"
+}
+
+java {
+    toolchain {
+        languageVersion.set(JavaLanguageVersion.of(17))
+    }
+}
+
+kotlin {
+    jvmToolchain(17)
+}
+
+dependencies {
+    testImplementation(kotlin("test"))
+    testImplementation("org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter:5.11.3")
+}
+
+application {
+    mainClass.set("dev.uatu.sidecar.MainKt")
+}
+
+tasks.test {
+    useJUnitPlatform()
+}
diff --git a/sidecar/src/main/kotlin/dev/uatu/sidecar/Main.kt b/sidecar/src/main/kotlin/dev/uatu/sidecar/Main.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c34acc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sidecar/src/main/kotlin/dev/uatu/sidecar/Main.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+package dev.uatu.sidecar
+
+fun main() {
+    println("uatu-sidecar stub: gRPC server lands in task #10")
+}
diff --git a/sidecar/src/test/kotlin/dev/uatu/sidecar/MainTest.kt b/sidecar/src/test/kotlin/dev/uatu/sidecar/MainTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de43ac4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sidecar/src/test/kotlin/dev/uatu/sidecar/MainTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package dev.uatu.sidecar
+
+import kotlin.test.Test
+import kotlin.test.assertTrue
+
+class MainTest {
+    @Test
+    fun mainExists() {
+        assertTrue(true, "placeholder test — real tests land with DriverService")
+    }
+}