diff --git a/app/cli/cmd/workflow_contract.go b/app/cli/cmd/workflow_contract.go
index 6d4d2a8c9..2bc0569ee 100644
--- a/app/cli/cmd/workflow_contract.go
+++ b/app/cli/cmd/workflow_contract.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ func newWorkflowContractCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.AddCommand(
 		newWorkflowContractListCmd(),
 		newWorkflowContractCreateCmd(),
+		newWorkflowContractApplyCmd(),
 		newWorkflowContractDescribeCmd(),
 		newWorkflowContractUpdateCmd(),
 		newWorkflowContractDeleteCmd(),
diff --git a/app/cli/cmd/workflow_contract_apply.go b/app/cli/cmd/workflow_contract_apply.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..98e95976d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/cli/cmd/workflow_contract_apply.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+//
+// Copyright 2025 The Chainloop Authors.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"github.com/chainloop-dev/chainloop/app/cli/cmd/output"
+	"github.com/chainloop-dev/chainloop/app/cli/pkg/action"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+func newWorkflowContractApplyCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	var contractPath, name, description, projectName string
+
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "apply",
+		Short: "Apply a contract (create or update)",
+		Long: `Apply a contract from a file. This command will create the contract if it doesn't exist,
+or update it if it already exists.`,
+		Example: `  # Apply a contract from file
+  chainloop workflow contract apply --contract my-contract.yaml --name my-contract --project my-project`,
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+			var desc *string
+			if cmd.Flags().Changed("description") {
+				desc = &description
+			}
+
+			res, err := action.NewWorkflowContractApply(ActionOpts).Run(cmd.Context(), name, contractPath, desc, projectName)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			logger.Info().Msg("Contract applied!")
+			return output.EncodeOutput(flagOutputFormat, res, contractItemTableOutput)
+		},
+	}
+
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&name, "name", "", "contract name")
+	err := cmd.MarkFlagRequired("name")
+	cobra.CheckErr(err)
+
+	cmd.Flags().StringVarP(&contractPath, "contract", "f", "", "path or URL to the contract schema")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&description, "description", "", "description of the contract")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&projectName, "project", "", "project name used to scope the contract, if not set the contract will be created in the organization")
+
+	return cmd
+}
diff --git a/app/cli/documentation/cli-reference.mdx b/app/cli/documentation/cli-reference.mdx
index 3926bdf32..019073e82 100755
--- a/app/cli/documentation/cli-reference.mdx
+++ b/app/cli/documentation/cli-reference.mdx
@@ -3291,6 +3291,52 @@ Options inherited from parent commands
 -y, --yes                       Skip confirmation
 ```
 
+#### chainloop workflow contract apply
+
+Apply a contract (create or update)
+
+Synopsis
+
+Apply a contract from a file. This command will create the contract if it doesn't exist,
+or update it if it already exists.
+
+```
+chainloop workflow contract apply [flags]
+```
+
+Examples
+
+```
+Apply a contract from file
+chainloop workflow contract apply --contract my-contract.yaml --name my-contract --project my-project
+```
+
+Options
+
+```
+-f, --contract string      path or URL to the contract schema
+--description string   description of the contract
+-h, --help                 help for apply
+--name string          contract name
+--project string       project name used to scope the contract, if not set the contract will be created in the organization
+```
+
+Options inherited from parent commands
+
+```
+--artifact-cas string       URL for the Artifacts Content Addressable Storage API ($CHAINLOOP_ARTIFACT_CAS_API) (default "api.cas.chainloop.dev:443")
+--artifact-cas-ca string    CUSTOM CA file for the Artifacts CAS API (optional) ($CHAINLOOP_ARTIFACT_CAS_API_CA)
+-c, --config string             Path to an existing config file (default is $HOME/.config/chainloop/config.toml)
+--control-plane string      URL for the Control Plane API ($CHAINLOOP_CONTROL_PLANE_API) (default "api.cp.chainloop.dev:443")
+--control-plane-ca string   CUSTOM CA file for the Control Plane API (optional) ($CHAINLOOP_CONTROL_PLANE_API_CA)
+--debug                     Enable debug/verbose logging mode
+-i, --insecure                  Skip TLS transport during connection to the control plane ($CHAINLOOP_API_INSECURE)
+-n, --org string                organization name
+-o, --output string             Output format, valid options are json and table (default "table")
+-t, --token string              API token. NOTE: Alternatively use the env variable CHAINLOOP_TOKEN
+-y, --yes                       Skip confirmation
+```
+
 #### chainloop workflow contract create
 
 Create a new contract
diff --git a/app/cli/pkg/action/workflow_contract_apply.go b/app/cli/pkg/action/workflow_contract_apply.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63a6f9335
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/cli/pkg/action/workflow_contract_apply.go
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+//
+// Copyright 2025 The Chainloop Authors.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package action
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+
+	pb "github.com/chainloop-dev/chainloop/app/controlplane/api/controlplane/v1"
+)
+
+type WorkflowContractApply struct {
+	cfg *ActionsOpts
+}
+
+func NewWorkflowContractApply(cfg *ActionsOpts) *WorkflowContractApply {
+	return &WorkflowContractApply{cfg}
+}
+
+func (action *WorkflowContractApply) Run(ctx context.Context, contractName string, contractPath string, description *string, projectName string) (*WorkflowContractItem, error) {
+	client := pb.NewWorkflowContractServiceClient(action.cfg.CPConnection)
+
+	// Try to describe the specific contract first to determine if we should create or update
+	describeReq := &pb.WorkflowContractServiceDescribeRequest{
+		Name: contractName,
+	}
+
+	var rawContract []byte
+	if contractPath != "" {
+		raw, err := LoadFileOrURL(contractPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			action.cfg.Logger.Debug().Err(err).Msg("loading the contract")
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		rawContract = raw
+	}
+
+	_, err := client.Describe(ctx, describeReq)
+	if err == nil {
+		// Contract exists, perform update
+		updateReq := &pb.WorkflowContractServiceUpdateRequest{
+			Name:        contractName,
+			Description: description,
+			RawContract: rawContract,
+		}
+
+		res, err := client.Update(ctx, updateReq)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to update existing contract '%s': %w", contractName, err)
+		}
+
+		return pbWorkflowContractItemToAction(res.Result.Contract), nil
+	}
+
+	// Contract doesn't exist, perform create
+	createReq := &pb.WorkflowContractServiceCreateRequest{
+		Name:        contractName,
+		Description: description,
+		RawContract: rawContract,
+	}
+
+	if projectName != "" {
+		createReq.ProjectReference = &pb.IdentityReference{
+			Name: &projectName,
+		}
+	}
+
+	res, err := client.Create(ctx, createReq)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create new contract '%s': %w", contractName, err)
+	}
+
+	return pbWorkflowContractItemToAction(res.Result), nil
+}