diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 0180e5c60..4dbd006d7 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 [submodule "morpheus_utils"]
 	path = external/utilities
 	url = https://github.com/nv-morpheus/utilities.git
-	branch = branch-23.11
+	branch = branch-24.03
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index abaa790a3..36f2ba647 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ morpheus_utils_initialize_package_manager(
 morpheus_utils_initialize_cuda_arch(mrc)
 
 project(mrc
-  VERSION 23.11.00
+  VERSION 24.03.00
   LANGUAGES C CXX
 )
 
diff --git a/ci/release/pr_code_freeze_template.md b/ci/release/pr_code_freeze_template.md
index 99642f7c9..62f0e82ed 100644
--- a/ci/release/pr_code_freeze_template.md
+++ b/ci/release/pr_code_freeze_template.md
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-## :snowflake: Code freeze for `branch-${VERSION}` and `v${VERSION}` release
+## :snowflake: Code freeze for `branch-${CURRENT_VERSION}` and `v${CURRENT_VERSION}` release
 
 ### What does this mean?
-Only critical/hotfix level issues should be merged into `branch-${VERSION}` until release (merging of this PR).
+Only critical/hotfix level issues should be merged into `branch-${CURRENT_VERSION}` until release (merging of this PR).
 
 All other development PRs should be retargeted towards the next release branch: `branch-${NEXT_VERSION}`.
 
 ### What is the purpose of this PR?
 - Update documentation
 - Allow testing for the new release
-- Enable a means to merge `branch-${VERSION}` into `main` for the release
+- Enable a means to merge `branch-${CURRENT_VERSION}` into `main` for the release
diff --git a/docs/quickstart/CMakeLists.txt b/docs/quickstart/CMakeLists.txt
index 3a6766c35..05d23a636 100644
--- a/docs/quickstart/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/docs/quickstart/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ list(PREPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../../external/utili
 include(morpheus_utils/load)
 
 project(mrc-quickstart
-  VERSION 23.11.00
+  VERSION 24.03.00
   LANGUAGES C CXX
 )
 
diff --git a/docs/quickstart/environment_cpp.yml b/docs/quickstart/environment_cpp.yml
index 775ab13ad..6989abf1b 100644
--- a/docs/quickstart/environment_cpp.yml
+++ b/docs/quickstart/environment_cpp.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ dependencies:
   - pkg-config=0.29
   - python=3.10
   - scikit-build>=0.12
-  - mrc=23.11
+  - mrc=24.03
   - sysroot_linux-64=2.17
   - pip:
     - cython
diff --git a/external/utilities b/external/utilities
index 403ecdfff..b62fb326d 160000
--- a/external/utilities
+++ b/external/utilities
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 403ecdfffa89da88bde4d9d83d51da82af94199f
+Subproject commit b62fb326daa5851ae2bced2eb1d3688ed60253c0