Prepare CI and deployment scaffolding

README.md

@@ -55,12 +55,18 @@ A comprehensive SAAS application for managing recruiter workflows, built with mo
    cd MerchantsOfHope-SupplyANdDemandPortal
    ```
 
-2. **Start the application**
+2. **Copy environment template**
+   ```bash
+   cp .env.example .env
+   ```
+   The defaults support Docker-based development. Adjust values as needed for local tooling or deployment pipelines.
+
+3. **Start the application with Docker (recommended for parity)**
    ```bash
    docker-compose up --build
    ```
 
-3. **Initialize the database**
+4. **Initialize the database**
    ```bash
    # Run database migrations
    docker-compose exec merchantsofhope-supplyanddemandportal-backend npm run migrate
@@ -69,11 +75,31 @@ A comprehensive SAAS application for managing recruiter workflows, built with mo
    docker-compose exec merchantsofhope-supplyanddemandportal-backend npm run seed
    ```
 
-4. **Access the application**
+5. **Access the application**
    - Frontend: http://localhost:3000
    - Backend API: http://localhost:3001
    - Database: localhost:5432
 
+### Alternative: Native Node.js workflow
+
+If you prefer running services outside Docker:
+
+```bash
+# Install dependencies
+cd backend && npm install
+cd ../frontend && npm install
+
+# Start backend (uses .env)
+cd ../backend
+npm run dev
+
+# In a separate terminal start frontend
+cd ../frontend
+npm start
+```
+
+Ensure a PostgreSQL instance is running and the `DATABASE_URL` in `.env` points to it.
+
 ### Demo Accounts
 
 The application comes with pre-seeded demo accounts:
@@ -140,9 +166,23 @@ docker-compose exec merchantsofhope-supplyanddemandportal-backend npm run test:w
 docker-compose exec merchantsofhope-supplyanddemandportal-frontend npm test
 ```
 
-## Development
+To run tests without Docker, execute `npm test` inside `backend/` or `frontend/` after installing dependencies.
 
-### Project Structure
+## Continuous Integration
+
+Gitea Actions configuration lives in `.gitea/workflows/ci.yml`. It:
+- Runs backend and frontend unit tests on every push or pull request.
+- Builds Docker images on pushes to the `main` branch, ready to publish to a registry (requires `REGISTRY_*` secrets).
+
+See inline comments in the workflow for required secrets.
+
+## Deployment
+
+### Coolify
+
+Follow `docs/COOLIFY_DEPLOYMENT.md` for guidance on connecting this repository to a Coolify environment, configuring secrets, and enabling automated deploys via Gitea CI.
+
+## Project Structure
 ```
 MerchantsOfHope-SupplyANdDemandPortal/
 ├── backend/