diff --git a/scripts/load_python_env.sh b/scripts/load_python_env.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..58d7a045
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/load_python_env.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+ #!/bin/sh
+
+echo 'Creating Python virtual environment in .venv...'
+python3 -m venv .venv
+
+echo 'Installing dependencies from "requirements.txt" into virtual environment (in quiet mode)...'
+.venv/bin/python -m pip --quiet --disable-pip-version-check install -e src
+.venv/bin/python -m pip --quiet --disable-pip-version-check install -r requirements-dev.txt
diff --git a/scripts/setup_postgres_azurerole.sh b/scripts/setup_postgres_azurerole.sh
index 4a507c44..d750ddc8 100755
--- a/scripts/setup_postgres_azurerole.sh
+++ b/scripts/setup_postgres_azurerole.sh
@@ -7,4 +7,6 @@ if [ -z "$POSTGRES_HOST" ] || [ -z "$POSTGRES_USERNAME" ] || [ -z "$APP_IDENTITY
     exit 1
 fi
 
-python ./src/fastapi_app/setup_postgres_azurerole.py --host $POSTGRES_HOST --username $POSTGRES_USERNAME --app-identity-name $APP_IDENTITY_NAME
\ No newline at end of file
+. ./scripts/load_python_env.sh
+
+.venv/bin/python ./src/fastapi_app/setup_postgres_azurerole.py --host $POSTGRES_HOST --username $POSTGRES_USERNAME --app-identity-name $APP_IDENTITY_NAME
diff --git a/scripts/setup_postgres_database.sh b/scripts/setup_postgres_database.sh
index 3d63ce77..add480ca 100755
--- a/scripts/setup_postgres_database.sh
+++ b/scripts/setup_postgres_database.sh
@@ -2,4 +2,6 @@ POSTGRES_HOST=$(azd env get-values | grep POSTGRES_HOST | sed 's/="/=/' | sed 's
 POSTGRES_USERNAME=$(azd env get-values | grep POSTGRES_USERNAME | sed 's/="/=/' | sed 's/"$//' | sed 's/^POSTGRES_USERNAME=//')
 POSTGRES_DATABASE=$(azd env get-values | grep POSTGRES_DATABASE | sed 's/="/=/' | sed 's/"$//' | sed 's/^POSTGRES_DATABASE=//')
 
-python ./src/fastapi_app/setup_postgres_database.py --host $POSTGRES_HOST --username $POSTGRES_USERNAME --database $POSTGRES_DATABASE
\ No newline at end of file
+. ./scripts/load_python_env.sh
+
+.venv/bin/python ./src/fastapi_app/setup_postgres_database.py --host $POSTGRES_HOST --username $POSTGRES_USERNAME --database $POSTGRES_DATABASE
diff --git a/scripts/setup_postgres_seeddata.sh b/scripts/setup_postgres_seeddata.sh
index 4ae9c031..0422d389 100755
--- a/scripts/setup_postgres_seeddata.sh
+++ b/scripts/setup_postgres_seeddata.sh
@@ -2,4 +2,6 @@ POSTGRES_HOST=$(azd env get-values | grep POSTGRES_HOST | sed 's/="/=/' | sed 's
 POSTGRES_USERNAME=$(azd env get-values | grep POSTGRES_USERNAME | sed 's/="/=/' | sed 's/"$//' | sed 's/^POSTGRES_USERNAME=//')
 POSTGRES_DATABASE=$(azd env get-values | grep POSTGRES_DATABASE | sed 's/="/=/' | sed 's/"$//' | sed 's/^POSTGRES_DATABASE=//')
 
-python ./src/fastapi_app/setup_postgres_seeddata.py --host $POSTGRES_HOST --username $POSTGRES_USERNAME --database $POSTGRES_DATABASE
\ No newline at end of file
+. ./scripts/load_python_env.sh
+
+.venv/bin/python ./src/fastapi_app/setup_postgres_seeddata.py --host $POSTGRES_HOST --username $POSTGRES_USERNAME --database $POSTGRES_DATABASE