diff --git a/spacy/cli/_util.py b/spacy/cli/_util.py
index 676a7c8d7..373650172 100644
--- a/spacy/cli/_util.py
+++ b/spacy/cli/_util.py
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ import os
 
 from ..schemas import ProjectConfigSchema, validate
 from ..util import import_file, run_command, make_tempdir, registry, logger
-from ..util import ENV_VARS
+from ..util import is_compatible_version, ENV_VARS
+from .. import about
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from pathy import Pathy  # noqa: F401
@@ -142,6 +143,7 @@ def load_project_config(path: Path, interpolate: bool = True) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         msg.fail(invalid_err)
         print("\n".join(errors))
         sys.exit(1)
+    validate_project_version(config)
     validate_project_commands(config)
     # Make sure directories defined in config exist
     for subdir in config.get("directories", []):
@@ -167,6 +169,23 @@ def substitute_project_variables(config: Dict[str, Any], overrides: Dict = {}):
     return dict(interpolated["project"])
 
 
+def validate_project_version(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+    """If the project defines a compatible spaCy version range, chec that it's
+    compatible with the current version of spaCy.
+
+    config (Dict[str, Any]): The loaded config.
+    """
+    spacy_version = config.get("spacy_version", None)
+    if spacy_version and not is_compatible_version(about.__version__, spacy_version):
+        err = (
+            f"The {PROJECT_FILE} specifies a spaCy version range ({spacy_version}) "
+            f"that's not compatible with the version of spaCy you're running "
+            f"({about.__version__}). You can edit version requirement in the "
+            f"{PROJECT_FILE} to load it, but the project may not run as expected."
+        )
+        msg.fail(err, exits=1)
+
+
 def validate_project_commands(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
     """Check that project commands and workflows are valid, don't contain
     duplicates, don't clash  and only refer to commands that exist.
diff --git a/spacy/schemas.py b/spacy/schemas.py
index 591b7e134..0d88d4090 100644
--- a/spacy/schemas.py
+++ b/spacy/schemas.py
@@ -448,6 +448,7 @@ class ProjectConfigSchema(BaseModel):
     workflows: Dict[StrictStr, List[StrictStr]] = Field({}, title="Named workflows, mapped to list of project commands to run in order")
     commands: List[ProjectConfigCommand] = Field([], title="Project command shortucts")
     title: Optional[str] = Field(None, title="Project title")
+    spacy_version: Optional[StrictStr] = Field(None, title="spaCy version range that the project is compatible with")
     # fmt: on
 
     class Config: