diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ac8b1240..44a9bf14 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@
 /index.js
 /index.d.ts
 /yarn-error.log
+package-lock.json
diff --git a/.husky/.gitignore b/.husky/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 31354ec1..00000000
--- a/.husky/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-_
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 3e23f093..f02562fb 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ Versioned Tables are unsuitable.
 
 - Create a new module in `src/db/models` with the same
   name that the table will have. Inside this module:
-  - Pick an appropriate function to base your model definition om, i.e:
+  - Pick an appropriate function to base your model definition on, i.e:
     - `defineIDModel`:
       to describe a table that was previously defined using sequelize,
       and that has a unique ID field
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 51419487..675cfde8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/lodash": "^4.14.170",
     "@types/node": "^14.0.5",
-    "@unocha/hpc-repo-tools": "^0.1.1",
-    "eslint": "^7.27.0",
-    "husky": "^6.0.0",
+    "@unocha/hpc-repo-tools": "^0.1.4",
+    "eslint": "^7.32.0",
+    "husky": "^7.0.2",
     "lint-staged": "^11.0.0",
     "prettier": "2.3.2",
-    "typescript": "^4.2.3"
+    "typescript": "^4.3.5"
   },
   "lint-staged": {
     "*.{ts,js}": [
diff --git a/src/db/index.ts b/src/db/index.ts
index a75af9a8..391d0cbd 100644
--- a/src/db/index.ts
+++ b/src/db/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import Knex = require('knex');
-import attachmentVersion from './models/attachmentVersion';
 import attachment from './models/attachment';
+import attachmentVersion from './models/attachmentVersion';
 import authGrant from './models/authGrant';
 import authGrantee from './models/authGrantee';
 import authGrantLog from './models/authGrantLog';
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import form from './models/form';
 import governingEntity from './models/governingEntity';
 import operation from './models/operation';
 import operationCluster from './models/operationCluster';
+import participant from './models/participant';
 import reportingWindow from './models/reportingWindow';
 import reportingWindowAssignment from './models/reportingWindowAssignment';
 
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ export default (conn: Knex) => ({
   governingEntity: governingEntity(conn),
   operation: operation(conn),
   operationCluster: operationCluster(conn),
+  participant: participant(conn),
   reportingWindow: reportingWindow(conn),
   reportingWindowAssignment: reportingWindowAssignment(conn),
 });
diff --git a/src/db/models/authGrant.ts b/src/db/models/authGrant.ts
index f932618a..92ed093b 100644
--- a/src/db/models/authGrant.ts
+++ b/src/db/models/authGrant.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ const authGrantModel = (conn: Knex) => {
   // expose wrappers that require that a user is specified,
   // and transactionally create logs
 
-  const create = async (
+  const create = (
     data: UserData,
     actor: ParticipantId,
     date = new Date()
@@ -61,10 +61,7 @@ const authGrantModel = (conn: Knex) => {
     });
   };
 
-  const update = async (
-    data: UserData,
-    actor: ParticipantId
-  ): Promise<void> => {
+  const update = (data: UserData, actor: ParticipantId): Promise<void> => {
     return conn.transaction(async (trx) => {
       await authGrantLog.create(
         {
diff --git a/src/db/models/form.ts b/src/db/models/form.ts
index 04f14eb8..f2499cb1 100644
--- a/src/db/models/form.ts
+++ b/src/db/models/form.ts
@@ -47,12 +47,13 @@ export default defineVersionedModel({
         },
       },
     },
-    prepare: async (data) => ({
-      belongsToType: data.belongsTo.type,
-      belongsToId:
-        data.belongsTo.type === 'operation'
-          ? data.belongsTo.operation
-          : undefined,
-    }),
+    prepare: (data) =>
+      Promise.resolve({
+        belongsToType: data.belongsTo.type,
+        belongsToId:
+          data.belongsTo.type === 'operation'
+            ? data.belongsTo.operation
+            : undefined,
+      }),
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/db/models/operation.ts b/src/db/models/operation.ts
index 5f22f76a..3e68eb85 100644
--- a/src/db/models/operation.ts
+++ b/src/db/models/operation.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,6 @@ export default defineVersionedModel({
   data: OPERATION_DATA,
   lookupColumns: {
     columns: {},
-    prepare: async () => ({}),
+    prepare: () => Promise.resolve({}),
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/db/models/operationCluster.ts b/src/db/models/operationCluster.ts
index 78804670..b5233bab 100644
--- a/src/db/models/operationCluster.ts
+++ b/src/db/models/operationCluster.ts
@@ -52,8 +52,9 @@ export default defineVersionedModel({
         },
       },
     },
-    prepare: async (data) => ({
-      operationId: data.operation,
-    }),
+    prepare: (data) =>
+      Promise.resolve({
+        operationId: data.operation,
+      }),
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/db/models/participant.ts b/src/db/models/participant.ts
index 38a5414c..afb7609f 100644
--- a/src/db/models/participant.ts
+++ b/src/db/models/participant.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as t from 'io-ts';
 
 import { brandedType } from '../../util/io-ts';
 import { Brand } from '../../util/types';
+import { defineIDModel } from '../util/id-model';
 
 export type ParticipantId = Brand<
   number,
@@ -10,3 +11,22 @@ export type ParticipantId = Brand<
 >;
 
 export const PARTICIPANT_ID = brandedType<number, ParticipantId>(t.number);
+
+export default defineIDModel({
+  tableName: 'participant',
+  fields: {
+    generated: {
+      id: { kind: 'branded-integer', brand: PARTICIPANT_ID },
+    },
+    optional: {
+      hidId: { kind: 'checked', type: t.string },
+      hidSub: { kind: 'checked', type: t.string },
+      email: { kind: 'checked', type: t.string },
+      name_given: { kind: 'checked', type: t.string },
+      name_family: { kind: 'checked', type: t.string },
+    },
+    required: {},
+  },
+  idField: 'id',
+  softDeletionEnabled: false,
+});
diff --git a/src/db/models/reportingWindow.ts b/src/db/models/reportingWindow.ts
index c4a5562e..36dbba9a 100644
--- a/src/db/models/reportingWindow.ts
+++ b/src/db/models/reportingWindow.ts
@@ -59,12 +59,13 @@ export default defineVersionedModel({
         },
       },
     },
-    prepare: async (data) => ({
-      belongsToType: data.belongsTo.type,
-      belongsToId:
-        data.belongsTo.type === 'operation'
-          ? data.belongsTo.operation
-          : undefined,
-    }),
+    prepare: (data) =>
+      Promise.resolve({
+        belongsToType: data.belongsTo.type,
+        belongsToId:
+          data.belongsTo.type === 'operation'
+            ? data.belongsTo.operation
+            : undefined,
+      }),
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/db/util/id-model.ts b/src/db/util/id-model.ts
index 867e90b0..4a783c69 100644
--- a/src/db/util/id-model.ts
+++ b/src/db/util/id-model.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export const defineIDModel =
 
     const model = defineSequelizeModel(opts)(conn);
 
-    const get = async (id: ID): Promise<Instance | null> =>
+    const get = (id: ID): Promise<Instance | null> =>
       model.findOne({
         where: {
           [idField]: id,
diff --git a/src/db/util/sequelize-model.ts b/src/db/util/sequelize-model.ts
index ed598519..57c651a0 100644
--- a/src/db/util/sequelize-model.ts
+++ b/src/db/util/sequelize-model.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ export const defineSequelizeModel =
       fields,
     })(conn);
 
-    const create: CreateFn<Fields> = async (data, opts) => {
+    const create: CreateFn<Fields> = (data, opts) => {
       return model.create(
         {
           ...data,
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ export const defineSequelizeModel =
       );
     };
 
-    const update: UpdateFn<Fields> = async (args) => {
+    const update: UpdateFn<Fields> = (args) => {
       return model.update({
         ...args,
         values: {
diff --git a/src/util/types.ts b/src/util/types.ts
index 9a936898..b9b1c1df 100644
--- a/src/util/types.ts
+++ b/src/util/types.ts
@@ -18,3 +18,6 @@ export type Brand<T, S extends { s: symbol }, Label extends string = ''> = T & {
   readonly __brand__: S;
   readonly __label__: Label;
 };
+
+export const createBrandedValue = <T, B extends Brand<T, any, any>>(v: T): B =>
+  v as B;
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 5b8f66cc..e5a9b411 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@
     chalk "^2.0.0"
     js-tokens "^4.0.0"
 
-"@eslint/eslintrc@^0.4.2":
-  version "0.4.2"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@eslint/eslintrc/-/eslintrc-0.4.2.tgz#f63d0ef06f5c0c57d76c4ab5f63d3835c51b0179"
-  integrity sha512-8nmGq/4ycLpIwzvhI4tNDmQztZ8sp+hI7cyG8i1nQDhkAbRzHpXPidRAHlNvCZQpJTKw5ItIpMw9RSToGF00mg==
+"@eslint/eslintrc@^0.4.3":
+  version "0.4.3"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@eslint/eslintrc/-/eslintrc-0.4.3.tgz#9e42981ef035beb3dd49add17acb96e8ff6f394c"
+  integrity sha512-J6KFFz5QCYUJq3pf0mjEcCJVERbzv71PUIDczuh9JkwGEzced6CO5ADLHB1rbf/+oPBtoPfMYNOpGDzCANlbXw==
   dependencies:
     ajv "^6.12.4"
     debug "^4.1.1"
@@ -45,6 +45,20 @@
     minimatch "^3.0.4"
     strip-json-comments "^3.1.1"
 
+"@humanwhocodes/config-array@^0.5.0":
+  version "0.5.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@humanwhocodes/config-array/-/config-array-0.5.0.tgz#1407967d4c6eecd7388f83acf1eaf4d0c6e58ef9"
+  integrity sha512-FagtKFz74XrTl7y6HCzQpwDfXP0yhxe9lHLD1UZxjvZIcbyRz8zTFF/yYNfSfzU414eDwZ1SrO0Qvtyf+wFMQg==
+  dependencies:
+    "@humanwhocodes/object-schema" "^1.2.0"
+    debug "^4.1.1"
+    minimatch "^3.0.4"
+
+"@humanwhocodes/object-schema@^1.2.0":
+  version "1.2.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@humanwhocodes/object-schema/-/object-schema-1.2.0.tgz#87de7af9c231826fdd68ac7258f77c429e0e5fcf"
+  integrity sha512-wdppn25U8z/2yiaT6YGquE6X8sSv7hNMWSXYSSU1jGv/yd6XqjXgTDJ8KP4NgjTXfJ3GbRjeeb8RTV7a/VpM+w==
+
 "@nodelib/fs.scandir@2.1.5":
   version "2.1.5"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@nodelib/fs.scandir/-/fs.scandir-2.1.5.tgz#7619c2eb21b25483f6d167548b4cfd5a7488c3d5"
@@ -155,10 +169,10 @@
     "@typescript-eslint/types" "4.28.0"
     eslint-visitor-keys "^2.0.0"
 
-"@unocha/hpc-repo-tools@^0.1.1":
-  version "0.1.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@unocha/hpc-repo-tools/-/hpc-repo-tools-0.1.1.tgz#b3b7863605065977411607db5ddd5687d658da18"
-  integrity sha512-PISsdsxLvPnd1R+RrihSavEZc5S7Tdt/oui5GDC3Huk3LEvtRj1GXHNLplWfHoyquu0mLlTHtkmvOlkFk30ksQ==
+"@unocha/hpc-repo-tools@^0.1.4":
+  version "0.1.4"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@unocha/hpc-repo-tools/-/hpc-repo-tools-0.1.4.tgz#586e8028a338169175a9b3ae27c88b535ac7e14b"
+  integrity sha512-ODI050wwaYN9R3PVNZazv9+YI4/xj3SQx2QogMN9ZwfFIu3tWgTJFGoT0vVZngkPHnMHvLxa1zTYghKiHpGu7A==
   dependencies:
     "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin" "^4.26.0"
     "@typescript-eslint/parser" "^4.26.0"
@@ -641,13 +655,14 @@ eslint-visitor-keys@^2.0.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/eslint-visitor-keys/-/eslint-visitor-keys-2.1.0.tgz#f65328259305927392c938ed44eb0a5c9b2bd303"
   integrity sha512-0rSmRBzXgDzIsD6mGdJgevzgezI534Cer5L/vyMX0kHzT/jiB43jRhd9YUlMGYLQy2zprNmoT8qasCGtY+QaKw==
 
-eslint@^7.27.0:
-  version "7.29.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/eslint/-/eslint-7.29.0.tgz#ee2a7648f2e729485e4d0bd6383ec1deabc8b3c0"
-  integrity sha512-82G/JToB9qIy/ArBzIWG9xvvwL3R86AlCjtGw+A29OMZDqhTybz/MByORSukGxeI+YPCR4coYyITKk8BFH9nDA==
+eslint@^7.32.0:
+  version "7.32.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/eslint/-/eslint-7.32.0.tgz#c6d328a14be3fb08c8d1d21e12c02fdb7a2a812d"
+  integrity sha512-VHZ8gX+EDfz+97jGcgyGCyRia/dPOd6Xh9yPv8Bl1+SoaIwD+a/vlrOmGRUyOYu7MwUhc7CxqeaDZU13S4+EpA==
   dependencies:
     "@babel/code-frame" "7.12.11"
-    "@eslint/eslintrc" "^0.4.2"
+    "@eslint/eslintrc" "^0.4.3"
+    "@humanwhocodes/config-array" "^0.5.0"
     ajv "^6.10.0"
     chalk "^4.0.0"
     cross-spawn "^7.0.2"
@@ -1077,10 +1092,10 @@ human-signals@^2.1.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/human-signals/-/human-signals-2.1.0.tgz#dc91fcba42e4d06e4abaed33b3e7a3c02f514ea0"
   integrity sha512-B4FFZ6q/T2jhhksgkbEW3HBvWIfDW85snkQgawt07S7J5QXTk6BkNV+0yAeZrM5QpMAdYlocGoljn0sJ/WQkFw==
 
-husky@^6.0.0:
-  version "6.0.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/husky/-/husky-6.0.0.tgz#810f11869adf51604c32ea577edbc377d7f9319e"
-  integrity sha512-SQS2gDTB7tBN486QSoKPKQItZw97BMOd+Kdb6ghfpBc0yXyzrddI0oDV5MkDAbuB4X2mO3/nj60TRMcYxwzZeQ==
+husky@^7.0.2:
+  version "7.0.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/husky/-/husky-7.0.2.tgz#21900da0f30199acca43a46c043c4ad84ae88dff"
+  integrity sha512-8yKEWNX4z2YsofXAMT7KvA1g8p+GxtB1ffV8XtpAEGuXNAbCV5wdNKH+qTpw8SM9fh4aMPDR+yQuKfgnreyZlg==
 
 ignore@^4.0.6:
   version "4.0.6"
@@ -2314,10 +2329,10 @@ type-fest@^0.21.3:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/type-fest/-/type-fest-0.21.3.tgz#d260a24b0198436e133fa26a524a6d65fa3b2e37"
   integrity sha512-t0rzBq87m3fVcduHDUFhKmyyX+9eo6WQjZvf51Ea/M0Q7+T374Jp1aUiyUl0GKxp8M/OETVHSDvmkyPgvX+X2w==
 
-typescript@^4.2.3:
-  version "4.2.4"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/typescript/-/typescript-4.2.4.tgz#8610b59747de028fda898a8aef0e103f156d0961"
-  integrity sha512-V+evlYHZnQkaz8TRBuxTA92yZBPotr5H+WhQ7bD3hZUndx5tGOa1fuCgeSjxAzM1RiN5IzvadIXTVefuuwZCRg==
+typescript@^4.3.5:
+  version "4.3.5"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/typescript/-/typescript-4.3.5.tgz#4d1c37cc16e893973c45a06886b7113234f119f4"
+  integrity sha512-DqQgihaQ9cUrskJo9kIyW/+g0Vxsk8cDtZ52a3NGh0YNTfpUSArXSohyUGnvbPazEPLu398C0UxmKSOrPumUzA==
 
 unc-path-regex@^0.1.2:
   version "0.1.2"