diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 27078086d..f89a09bcc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,10 @@ jobs:
 
   package:
     name: Python package
-    uses: beeware/.github/.github/workflows/python-package-create.yml@main
+#    uses: beeware/.github/.github/workflows/python-package-create.yml@main
+    uses: rmartin16/.github-beeware/.github/workflows/python-package-create.yml@build-verify-run  # TODO:PR: remove me
+    with:
+      tox-factors: -with-automation
 
   unit-tests:
     name: Unit tests
@@ -145,10 +148,13 @@ jobs:
   verify-projects:
     name: Verify project
     needs: unit-tests
-    uses: beeware/.github/.github/workflows/app-create-verify.yml@main
+#    uses: beeware/.github/.github/workflows/app-create-verify.yml@main
+    uses: rmartin16/.github-beeware/.github/workflows/app-create-verify.yml@build-verify-run  # TODO:PR: remove me
     with:
       runner-os: ${{ matrix.runner-os }}
       framework: ${{ matrix.framework }}
+      workflow-repo: rmartin16/.github-beeware  # TODO:PR: REMOVE ME
+      workflow-repo-ref: build-verify-run  # TODO:PR: REMOVE ME
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -158,7 +164,8 @@ jobs:
   verify-apps:
     name: Build app
     needs: unit-tests
-    uses: beeware/.github/.github/workflows/app-build-verify.yml@main
+#    uses: beeware/.github/.github/workflows/app-build-verify.yml@main
+    uses: rmartin16/.github-beeware/.github/workflows/app-build-verify.yml@build-verify-run  # TODO:PR: remove me
     with:
       # This *must* be the version of Python that is the system Python on the
       # Ubuntu version used to run Linux tests. We use a fixed ubuntu-22.04
@@ -168,6 +175,8 @@ jobs:
       python-version: "3.10"
       runner-os: ${{ matrix.runner-os }}
       framework: ${{ matrix.framework }}
+      workflow-repo: rmartin16/.github-beeware  # TODO:PR: REMOVE ME
+      workflow-repo-ref: build-verify-run  # TODO:PR: REMOVE ME
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
diff --git a/automation/README.md b/automation/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8497b4b21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/automation/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+## Briefcase Automation
+
+This package provides Briefcase plugins to facilitate automation in CI.
+
+This package is internal to Briefcase's own development and is not needed to create,
+develop, or distribute apps created with Briefcase.
+
+### Bootstraps
+
+There are bootstrap plugins for each GUI toolkit; each allows for Briefcase to create
+a project using the toolkit but when the project's app run, the app automatically exits
+after a few seconds.
diff --git a/automation/pyproject.toml b/automation/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7922c86a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/automation/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = [
+    # keep versions in sync with ../pyproject.toml
+    "setuptools==69.0.0",
+    "setuptools_scm==8.0.4",
+    "setuptools_dynamic_dependencies @ git+https://github.com/beeware/setuptools_dynamic_dependencies",
+]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
+[project]
+name = "x-briefcase-automation"
+description = "A Briefcase plugin for CI automation."
+readme = "README.md"
+license.text = "New BSD"
+classifiers = ["Private :: Do Not Upload"]
+dynamic = ["version", "dependencies"]
+
+[project.entry-points."briefcase.bootstraps"]
+"Toga Automation" = "automation.bootstraps.toga:TogaAutomationBootstrap"
+"PySide6 Automation" = "automation.bootstraps.pyside6:PySide6AutomationBootstrap"
+"Pygame Automation" = "automation.bootstraps.pygame:PygameAutomationBootstrap"
+"PursuedPyBear Automation" = "automation.bootstraps.pursuedpybear:PursuedPyBearAutomationBootstrap"
+
+[tool.setuptools_scm]
+root = "../"
+
+[tool.setuptools_dynamic_dependencies]
+dependencies = ["briefcase == {version}"]
diff --git a/automation/src/automation/__init__.py b/automation/src/automation/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/__init__.py b/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9190ec7cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+BRIEFCASE_EXIT_SUCCESS_SIGNAL = ">>>>>>>>>> EXIT 0 <<<<<<<<<<"
+EXIT_SUCCESS_NOTIFY = ">>> successfully started...exiting <<<"
diff --git a/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/pursuedpybear.py b/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/pursuedpybear.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..54e699d62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/pursuedpybear.py
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import sys
+
+import tomli_w
+
+if sys.version_info >= (3, 11):
+    import tomllib
+else:
+    import tomli as tomllib
+
+from automation.bootstraps import BRIEFCASE_EXIT_SUCCESS_SIGNAL, EXIT_SUCCESS_NOTIFY
+from briefcase.bootstraps import PursuedPyBearGuiBootstrap
+
+
+class PursuedPyBearAutomationBootstrap(PursuedPyBearGuiBootstrap):
+    def app_source(self):
+        return f"""\
+import importlib.metadata
+import os
+import sys
+
+import ppb
+
+
+class {{{{ cookiecutter.class_name }}}}(ppb.Scene):
+    def __init__(self, **props):
+        super().__init__(**props)
+        self.updates: int = 0
+
+        self.add(
+            ppb.Sprite(
+                image=ppb.Image("{{{{ cookiecutter.module_name }}}}/resources/{{{{ cookiecutter.app_name }}}}.png"),
+            )
+        )
+
+    def on_update(self, event, signal):
+        self.updates += 1
+        # quit after 2 seconds since on_update is run 60 times/second
+        if self.updates > 120:
+            print("{EXIT_SUCCESS_NOTIFY}")
+            print("{BRIEFCASE_EXIT_SUCCESS_SIGNAL}")
+            signal(ppb.events.Quit())
+
+
+def main():
+    # Linux desktop environments use an app's .desktop file to integrate the app
+    # in to their application menus. The .desktop file of this app will include
+    # the StartupWMClass key, set to app's formal name. This helps associate the
+    # app's windows to its menu item.
+    #
+    # For association to work, any windows of the app must have WMCLASS property
+    # set to match the value set in app's desktop file. For PPB, this is set
+    # using the SDL_VIDEO_X11_WMCLASS environment variable.
+
+    # Find the name of the module that was used to start the app
+    app_module = sys.modules["__main__"].__package__
+    # Retrieve the app's metadata
+    metadata = importlib.metadata.metadata(app_module)
+
+    os.environ["SDL_VIDEO_X11_WMCLASS"] = metadata["Formal-Name"]
+
+    ppb.run(
+        starting_scene={{{{ cookiecutter.class_name }}}},
+        title=metadata["Formal-Name"],
+    )
+"""
+
+    # The constraint of pysdl2-dll==2.0.22 is required for ppb==1.1.0;
+    # the libraries in later versions of pysdl2-dll are not compatible.
+
+    def pyproject_table_linux_flatpak(self):
+        table = tomllib.loads(super().pyproject_table_linux_flatpak())
+        table.setdefault("requires", []).append("pysdl2-dll==2.0.22")
+        return f"\n{tomli_w.dumps(table)}"
+
+    def pyproject_table_windows(self):
+        table = tomllib.loads(super().pyproject_table_windows())
+        table.setdefault("requires", []).append("pysdl2-dll==2.0.22")
+        return f"\n{tomli_w.dumps(table)}"
+
+    def pyproject_table_macOS(self):
+        table = tomllib.loads(super().pyproject_table_macOS())
+        table.setdefault("requires", []).append("pysdl2-dll==2.0.22")
+        return f"\n{tomli_w.dumps(table)}"
diff --git a/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/pygame.py b/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/pygame.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0f2fe8c9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/pygame.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+from automation.bootstraps import BRIEFCASE_EXIT_SUCCESS_SIGNAL, EXIT_SUCCESS_NOTIFY
+from briefcase.bootstraps import PygameGuiBootstrap
+
+
+class PygameAutomationBootstrap(PygameGuiBootstrap):
+    def app_source(self):
+        return f"""\
+import importlib.metadata
+import os
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pygame
+
+
+SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT = 800, 600
+WHITE = (255, 255, 255)
+
+
+def main():
+    # Linux desktop environments use an app's .desktop file to integrate the app
+    # in to their application menus. The .desktop file of this app will include
+    # the StartupWMClass key, set to app's formal name. This helps associate the
+    # app's windows to its menu item.
+    #
+    # For association to work, any windows of the app must have WMCLASS property
+    # set to match the value set in app's desktop file. For PyGame, this is set
+    # using the SDL_VIDEO_X11_WMCLASS environment variable.
+
+    # Find the name of the module that was used to start the app
+    app_module = sys.modules["__main__"].__package__
+    # Retrieve the app's metadata
+    metadata = importlib.metadata.metadata(app_module)
+
+    os.environ["SDL_VIDEO_X11_WMCLASS"] = metadata["Formal-Name"]
+
+    # Set the app's runtime icon
+    pygame.display.set_icon(
+        pygame.image.load(Path(__file__).parent / "resources/{{{{ cookiecutter.app_name }}}}.png")
+    )
+
+    pygame.init()
+    pygame.display.set_caption(metadata["Formal-Name"])
+    screen = pygame.display.set_mode((SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT))
+
+    pygame.time.set_timer(pygame.QUIT, 2000)
+
+    running = True
+    while running:
+        for event in pygame.event.get():
+            if event.type == pygame.QUIT:
+                print("{EXIT_SUCCESS_NOTIFY}")
+                print("{BRIEFCASE_EXIT_SUCCESS_SIGNAL}")
+                running = False
+                break
+
+        screen.fill(WHITE)
+        pygame.display.flip()
+
+    pygame.quit()
+"""
diff --git a/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/pyside6.py b/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/pyside6.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..20e1ec110
--- /dev/null
+++ b/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/pyside6.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+from automation.bootstraps import BRIEFCASE_EXIT_SUCCESS_SIGNAL, EXIT_SUCCESS_NOTIFY
+from briefcase.bootstraps import PySide6GuiBootstrap
+
+
+class PySide6AutomationBootstrap(PySide6GuiBootstrap):
+    def app_source(self):
+        return f"""\
+import importlib.metadata
+import sys
+
+from PySide6 import QtWidgets
+from PySide6.QtCore import QTimer
+
+
+class {{{{ cookiecutter.class_name }}}}(QtWidgets.QMainWindow):
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.init_ui()
+
+    def init_ui(self):
+        self.setWindowTitle("{{{{ cookiecutter.app_name }}}}")
+        self.show()
+
+        QTimer.singleShot(2000, self.exit_app)
+
+    def exit_app(self):
+        print("{EXIT_SUCCESS_NOTIFY}")
+        print("{BRIEFCASE_EXIT_SUCCESS_SIGNAL}")
+        QtWidgets.QApplication.quit()
+
+
+def main():
+    # Linux desktop environments use an app's .desktop file to integrate the app
+    # in to their application menus. The .desktop file of this app will include
+    # the StartupWMClass key, set to app's formal name. This helps associate the
+    # app's windows to its menu item.
+    #
+    # For association to work, any windows of the app must have WMCLASS property
+    # set to match the value set in app's desktop file. For PySide6, this is set
+    # with setApplicationName().
+
+    # Find the name of the module that was used to start the app
+    app_module = sys.modules["__main__"].__package__
+    # Retrieve the app's metadata
+    metadata = importlib.metadata.metadata(app_module)
+
+    QtWidgets.QApplication.setApplicationName(metadata["Formal-Name"])
+
+    app = QtWidgets.QApplication(sys.argv)
+    main_window = {{{{ cookiecutter.class_name }}}}()
+    sys.exit(app.exec())
+"""
diff --git a/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/toga.py b/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/toga.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af271a234
--- /dev/null
+++ b/automation/src/automation/bootstraps/toga.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+from automation.bootstraps import BRIEFCASE_EXIT_SUCCESS_SIGNAL, EXIT_SUCCESS_NOTIFY
+from briefcase.bootstraps import TogaGuiBootstrap
+
+
+class TogaAutomationBootstrap(TogaGuiBootstrap):
+    def app_source(self):
+        return f'''\
+import asyncio
+
+import toga
+from toga.style import Pack
+from toga.style.pack import COLUMN, ROW
+
+
+class {{{{ cookiecutter.class_name }}}}(toga.App):
+    def startup(self):
+        """Construct and show the Toga application.
+
+        Usually, you would add your application to a main content box.
+        We then create a main window (with a name matching the app), and
+        show the main window.
+        """
+        main_box = toga.Box()
+
+        self.main_window = toga.MainWindow(title=self.formal_name)
+        self.main_window.content = main_box
+        self.main_window.show()
+
+        self.add_background_task(self.exit_soon)
+
+    async def exit_soon(self, app: toga.App, **kwargs):
+        """Background task that closes the app after a few seconds."""
+        await asyncio.sleep(2)
+        print("{EXIT_SUCCESS_NOTIFY}")
+        print("{BRIEFCASE_EXIT_SUCCESS_SIGNAL}")
+        self.exit()
+
+
+def main():
+    return {{{{ cookiecutter.class_name }}}}()
+'''
diff --git a/changes/1549.misc.rst b/changes/1549.misc.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4ff04c3bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/1549.misc.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The Briefcase Automation package was created to facilitate automated testing in CI; for example, starting apps built in CI that can automatically exit.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index aaf4db8b9..c39288100 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 [build-system]
 requires = [
+    # keep versions in sync with automation/pyproject.toml
     "setuptools==69.0.0",
     "setuptools_scm==8.0.4",
 ]
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 6e9a284db..a32bee416 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -127,12 +127,13 @@ commands =
     lint : python -m sphinx {[docs]sphinx_args_extra} -b linkcheck . {[docs]build_dir}/links
     all  : python -m sphinx {[docs]sphinx_args_extra} -b html . {[docs]build_dir}/html
 
-[testenv:package]
+[testenv:package{,-with-automation}]
 skip_install = True
 passenv = FORCE_COLOR
 deps =
     build==1.0.3
     twine==4.0.2
 commands =
-    python -m build --outdir dist/ .
+    python -m build . --outdir dist/
+    with-automation: python -m build automation/ --outdir dist/
     python -m twine check dist/*