diff --git a/packages/api/src/routers/issues.ts b/packages/api/src/routers/issues.ts
index 8304f3cdb..43ac6d867 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/routers/issues.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/routers/issues.ts
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@ import { and, eq, exists, inArray, sql } from "@forge/db";
 import { db } from "@forge/db/client";
 import { Permissions } from "@forge/db/schemas/auth";
 import {
+  InsertTemplateSchema,
   Issue,
   IssueSchema,
   IssuesToTeamsVisibility,
   IssuesToUsersAssignment,
+  Template,
 } from "@forge/db/schemas/knight-hacks";
 import { permissions } from "@forge/utils";
 
@@ -30,6 +32,23 @@ async function requireIssue(id: string, label = "Issue") {
   return issue;
 }
 
+const baseTemplateSubIssueSchema = z.object({
+  title: z.string().min(1, "Title is required"),
+  description: z.string().optional(),
+  team: z.string().optional(),
+  assignee: z.string().optional(),
+  dateMs: z.number().int().optional(),
+});
+
+export type TemplateSubIssue = z.infer<typeof baseTemplateSubIssueSchema> & {
+  children?: TemplateSubIssue[];
+};
+
+const templateSubIssueSchema: z.ZodType<TemplateSubIssue> =
+  baseTemplateSubIssueSchema.extend({
+    children: z.lazy(() => z.array(templateSubIssueSchema)).optional(),
+  });
+
 export const issuesRouter = {
   createIssue: permProcedure
     .input(CreateIssueInputSchema.omit({ creator: true }))
@@ -275,4 +294,108 @@ export const issuesRouter = {
 
       return { success: true };
     }),
+  createTemplate: permProcedure
+    .input(
+      InsertTemplateSchema.extend({
+        name: z.string().min(1, "A template name is required"), // excludes empty strings
+        body: z.array(templateSubIssueSchema),
+      }),
+    )
+    .mutation(async ({ ctx, input }) => {
+      permissions.controlPerms.or(["EDIT_ISSUE_TEMPLATES"], ctx);
+
+      const [newTemplate] = await db.insert(Template).values(input).returning();
+
+      if (newTemplate === undefined) {
+        throw new TRPCError({
+          code: "INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR",
+          message: `There was an error creating the template: ${input.name}`,
+        });
+      }
+
+      return newTemplate;
+    }),
+  updateTemplate: permProcedure
+    .input(
+      InsertTemplateSchema.omit({
+        createdAt: true,
+        updatedAt: true,
+      })
+        .partial() // makes all future fields optional
+        .extend({
+          id: z.string().uuid(), // forces ID to not be an optional field
+          name: z.string().min(1, "A template name is required").optional(), // excludes empty strings
+          body: z.array(templateSubIssueSchema).optional(),
+        }),
+    )
+    .mutation(async ({ ctx, input }) => {
+      permissions.controlPerms.or(["EDIT_ISSUE_TEMPLATES"], ctx);
+
+      // We want to separate id from all optional fields
+      const { id, ...updateData } = input;
+
+      // this is true only if all fields of updateData are undefined
+      const hasUpdates = Object.values(updateData).some(
+        // value is unknown because it seems like ts can't resolve that value might be undefined
+        // and gives a type error thinking it can never overlap with undefined
+        (value: unknown) => value !== undefined,
+      );
+
+      if (!hasUpdates) {
+        throw new TRPCError({
+          code: "BAD_REQUEST",
+          message: "You must provide at least one field to update.",
+        });
+      }
+
+      const [updatedTemplate] = await db
+        .update(Template)
+        .set(updateData)
+        .where(eq(Template.id, id))
+        .returning();
+
+      if (updatedTemplate === undefined) {
+        throw new TRPCError({
+          code: "NOT_FOUND",
+          message: `Template with ID ${id} was not found`,
+        });
+      }
+
+      return updatedTemplate;
+    }),
+  deleteTemplate: permProcedure
+    .input(
+      z.object({
+        id: z.string().uuid(),
+      }),
+    )
+    .mutation(async ({ ctx, input }) => {
+      permissions.controlPerms.or(["EDIT_ISSUE_TEMPLATES"], ctx);
+
+      const [deleted] = await db
+        .delete(Template)
+        .where(eq(Template.id, input.id))
+        .returning();
+
+      if (!deleted) {
+        throw new TRPCError({
+          code: "NOT_FOUND",
+          message: `Template with ID ${input.id} was not found`,
+        });
+      }
+
+      return { deletedId: deleted.id };
+    }),
+  getTemplates: permProcedure.query(async ({ ctx }) => {
+    permissions.controlPerms.or(
+      ["READ_ISSUE_TEMPLATES", "EDIT_ISSUE_TEMPLATES"],
+      ctx,
+    );
+
+    const templates = await db.query.Template.findMany({
+      orderBy: (templates, { desc }) => [desc(templates.createdAt)],
+    });
+
+    return templates;
+  }),
 } satisfies TRPCRouterRecord;
diff --git a/packages/consts/src/permissions.ts b/packages/consts/src/permissions.ts
index 306d8cf05..70d201dcc 100644
--- a/packages/consts/src/permissions.ts
+++ b/packages/consts/src/permissions.ts
@@ -115,6 +115,16 @@ export const PERMISSION_DATA: Record<string, PermissionDataObj> = {
     name: "Edit Issues",
     desc: "Allows creating, editing, or deleting issues.",
   },
+  EDIT_ISSUE_TEMPLATES: {
+    idx: 22,
+    name: "Edit Issue Templates",
+    desc: "Allows creating, editing, or deleting templates.",
+  },
+  READ_ISSUE_TEMPLATES: {
+    idx: 23,
+    name: "Read Issue Templates",
+    desc: "Grants access to issue templates.",
+  },
 } as const satisfies Record<string, PermissionDataObj>;
 
 export const PERMISSIONS = Object.fromEntries(
diff --git a/packages/db/src/schemas/knight-hacks.ts b/packages/db/src/schemas/knight-hacks.ts
index 10332769f..434c4727e 100644
--- a/packages/db/src/schemas/knight-hacks.ts
+++ b/packages/db/src/schemas/knight-hacks.ts
@@ -615,3 +615,17 @@ export const IssuesToUsersAssignment = createTable(
     pk: primaryKey({ columns: [table.issueId, table.userId] }),
   }),
 );
+
+export const Template = createTable("template", (t) => ({
+  id: t.uuid().notNull().primaryKey().defaultRandom(),
+  name: t.text().notNull(),
+  body: t.jsonb().notNull(),
+  createdAt: t.timestamp().defaultNow().notNull(),
+  updatedAt: t
+    .timestamp()
+    .defaultNow()
+    .$onUpdate(() => new Date())
+    .notNull(),
+}));
+
+export const InsertTemplateSchema = createInsertSchema(Template);