diff --git a/Source/Python/Mods/tools.py b/Source/Python/Mods/tools.py
index a6f745d5d12444f7d41e88bfe553fc30b3d5e5b4..203dcbe069c50bd7f226ec4e7f6ebf033ce789e2 100644
--- a/Source/Python/Mods/tools.py
+++ b/Source/Python/Mods/tools.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #    July 2022 - Anne Tipka (formerly Philipp)
 #        - modified function put_file_to_ecserver to put the file automatically
 #          to $HOME directory, to avoid static path creation
+#        - added function to submit a batch job
 #
 # @License:
 #    (C) Copyright 2014-2020.
@@ -695,6 +696,14 @@ def put_file_to_ecserver(ecd, filename):
 
     return
 
+def submit_sbatch_job(jobname):
+    '''
+    '''
+
+    job_id = subprocess.check_output(['sbatch', jobname])
+    print('SUBMITTED SBATCH JOB ',jobname)
+    return job_id.decode()
+
 def submit_job_to_ecserver(target, jobname):
     '''Uses ecaccess-job-submit command to submit a job to the ECMWF server.