diff --git a/dapr/version/version.py b/dapr/version/version.py
index ff4ea95e6..8c6c12960 100644
--- a/dapr/version/version.py
+++ b/dapr/version/version.py
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@
 limitations under the License.
 """
 
-__version__ = '1.16.0'
+__version__ = '1.16.1rc1'
diff --git a/examples/demo_actor/demo_actor/requirements.txt b/examples/demo_actor/demo_actor/requirements.txt
index a5d6d966e..9496602ed 100644
--- a/examples/demo_actor/demo_actor/requirements.txt
+++ b/examples/demo_actor/demo_actor/requirements.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-dapr-ext-fastapi>=1.16.0
+dapr-ext-fastapi>=1.16.1rc1
diff --git a/examples/demo_workflow/demo_workflow/requirements.txt b/examples/demo_workflow/demo_workflow/requirements.txt
index c91800c64..a70b02692 100644
--- a/examples/demo_workflow/demo_workflow/requirements.txt
+++ b/examples/demo_workflow/demo_workflow/requirements.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-dapr-ext-workflow>=1.16.0
\ No newline at end of file
+dapr-ext-workflow>=1.16.1rc1
diff --git a/examples/invoke-simple/requirements.txt b/examples/invoke-simple/requirements.txt
index 5d83c5872..e77f5d6e2 100644
--- a/examples/invoke-simple/requirements.txt
+++ b/examples/invoke-simple/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-dapr-ext-grpc >= 1.16.0
-dapr >= 1.16.0
+dapr-ext-grpc >= 1.16.1rc1
+dapr >= 1.16.1rc1
diff --git a/examples/w3c-tracing/requirements.txt b/examples/w3c-tracing/requirements.txt
index ec17054a8..514e2606a 100644
--- a/examples/w3c-tracing/requirements.txt
+++ b/examples/w3c-tracing/requirements.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-dapr-ext-grpc >= 1.16.0
-dapr >= 1.16.0
+dapr-ext-grpc >= 1.16.1rc1
+dapr >= 1.16.1rc1
 opentelemetry-sdk
 opentelemetry-instrumentation-grpc
 opentelemetry-exporter-zipkin
diff --git a/examples/workflow/requirements.txt b/examples/workflow/requirements.txt
index 3be7c3c78..fab86e728 100644
--- a/examples/workflow/requirements.txt
+++ b/examples/workflow/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-dapr-ext-workflow>=1.16.0
-dapr>=1.16.0
+dapr-ext-workflow>=1.16.1rc1
+dapr>=1.16.1rc1
diff --git a/ext/dapr-ext-fastapi/dapr/ext/fastapi/version.py b/ext/dapr-ext-fastapi/dapr/ext/fastapi/version.py
index ff4ea95e6..8c6c12960 100644
--- a/ext/dapr-ext-fastapi/dapr/ext/fastapi/version.py
+++ b/ext/dapr-ext-fastapi/dapr/ext/fastapi/version.py
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@
 limitations under the License.
 """
 
-__version__ = '1.16.0'
+__version__ = '1.16.1rc1'
diff --git a/ext/dapr-ext-fastapi/setup.cfg b/ext/dapr-ext-fastapi/setup.cfg
index ba467c42c..8b6080ebf 100644
--- a/ext/dapr-ext-fastapi/setup.cfg
+++ b/ext/dapr-ext-fastapi/setup.cfg
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ python_requires = >=3.9
 packages = find_namespace:
 include_package_data = True
 install_requires =
-    dapr >= 1.16.0
+    dapr >= 1.16.1rc1
     uvicorn >= 0.11.6
     fastapi >= 0.60.1
 
@@ -32,5 +32,5 @@ install_requires =
 include =
     dapr.*
 
-exclude = 
+exclude =
     tests
diff --git a/ext/dapr-ext-grpc/dapr/ext/grpc/version.py b/ext/dapr-ext-grpc/dapr/ext/grpc/version.py
index ff4ea95e6..8c6c12960 100644
--- a/ext/dapr-ext-grpc/dapr/ext/grpc/version.py
+++ b/ext/dapr-ext-grpc/dapr/ext/grpc/version.py
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@
 limitations under the License.
 """
 
-__version__ = '1.16.0'
+__version__ = '1.16.1rc1'
diff --git a/ext/dapr-ext-grpc/setup.cfg b/ext/dapr-ext-grpc/setup.cfg
index b05472b1e..d08757c78 100644
--- a/ext/dapr-ext-grpc/setup.cfg
+++ b/ext/dapr-ext-grpc/setup.cfg
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ python_requires = >=3.9
 packages = find_namespace:
 include_package_data = True
 install_requires =
-    dapr >= 1.16.0
+    dapr >= 1.16.1rc1
     cloudevents >= 1.0.0
 
 [options.packages.find]
 include =
     dapr.*
 
-exclude = 
+exclude =
     tests
diff --git a/ext/dapr-ext-workflow/dapr/ext/workflow/version.py b/ext/dapr-ext-workflow/dapr/ext/workflow/version.py
index ff4ea95e6..8c6c12960 100644
--- a/ext/dapr-ext-workflow/dapr/ext/workflow/version.py
+++ b/ext/dapr-ext-workflow/dapr/ext/workflow/version.py
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@
 limitations under the License.
 """
 
-__version__ = '1.16.0'
+__version__ = '1.16.1rc1'
diff --git a/ext/dapr-ext-workflow/setup.cfg b/ext/dapr-ext-workflow/setup.cfg
index 1d54cc08b..83869566c 100644
--- a/ext/dapr-ext-workflow/setup.cfg
+++ b/ext/dapr-ext-workflow/setup.cfg
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ python_requires = >=3.9
 packages = find_namespace:
 include_package_data = True
 install_requires =
-    dapr >= 1.16.0
+    dapr >= 1.16.1rc1
     durabletask-dapr >= 0.2.0a9
 
 [options.packages.find]
diff --git a/ext/flask_dapr/flask_dapr/version.py b/ext/flask_dapr/flask_dapr/version.py
index ff4ea95e6..8c6c12960 100644
--- a/ext/flask_dapr/flask_dapr/version.py
+++ b/ext/flask_dapr/flask_dapr/version.py
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@
 limitations under the License.
 """
 
-__version__ = '1.16.0'
+__version__ = '1.16.1rc1'
diff --git a/ext/flask_dapr/setup.cfg b/ext/flask_dapr/setup.cfg
index b86bb2841..531a9aea5 100644
--- a/ext/flask_dapr/setup.cfg
+++ b/ext/flask_dapr/setup.cfg
@@ -26,4 +26,4 @@ include_package_data = true
 zip_safe = false
 install_requires =
     Flask >= 1.1
-    dapr >= 1.16.0
+    dapr >= 1.16.1rc1