diff --git a/lib/tasks/project_components/blank_html_starter/index.html b/lib/tasks/project_components/blank_html_starter/index.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/lib/tasks/project_components/blank_html_starter/project_config.yml b/lib/tasks/project_components/blank_html_starter/project_config.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9cb93f804
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tasks/project_components/blank_html_starter/project_config.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+NAME: 'Blank HTML & CSS Starter'
+IDENTIFIER: 'blank-html-starter'
+TYPE: 'html'
+COMPONENTS:
+  - name: 'index'
+    extension: 'html'
+    location: 'index.html'
+    index: 0
+    default: true
+  - name: 'styles'
+    extension: 'css'
+    location: styles.css
+    index: 1
+    default: false
diff --git a/lib/tasks/project_components/blank_html_starter/styles.css b/lib/tasks/project_components/blank_html_starter/styles.css
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/lib/tasks/projects.rake b/lib/tasks/projects.rake
index 93ae0fce1..23307857b 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/projects.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/projects.rake
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ end
 
 def find_project(proj_config)
   if Project.find_by(identifier: proj_config['IDENTIFIER']).nil?
-    project = Project.new(identifier: proj_config['IDENTIFIER'], name: proj_config['NAME'])
+    project = Project.new(identifier: proj_config['IDENTIFIER'], name: proj_config['NAME'],
+                          project_type: proj_config['TYPE'] ||= 'python')
   else
     project = Project.find_by(identifier: proj_config['IDENTIFIER'])
     project.name = proj_config['NAME']