diff --git a/.changeset/orange-flowers-trade.md b/.changeset/orange-flowers-trade.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..499aacac069
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/orange-flowers-trade.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@kaizen/components": patch
+---
+
+InlineNotification: allow ref to be passed in, and add focus styling
diff --git a/packages/components/src/Notification/InlineNotification/InlineNotification.tsx b/packages/components/src/Notification/InlineNotification/InlineNotification.tsx
index 43705bf4962..e84258f5516 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/Notification/InlineNotification/InlineNotification.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/Notification/InlineNotification/InlineNotification.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { HTMLAttributes } from "react"
+import React, { forwardRef, HTMLAttributes } from "react"
 import classnames from "classnames"
 import { HeadingProps } from "~components/Heading"
 import { OverrideClassName } from "~components/types/OverrideClassName"
@@ -30,21 +30,30 @@ export type InlineNotificationProps = InlineNotificationBase &
  * {@link https://cultureamp.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DesignSystem/pages/3082093392/Inline+Notification Guidance} |
  * {@link https://cultureamp.design/storybook/?path=/docs/components-notifications-inline-notification--docs Storybook}
  */
-export const InlineNotification = ({
-  isSubtle,
-  hideCloseIcon = false,
-  persistent = false,
-  classNameOverride,
-  ...otherProps
-}: InlineNotificationProps): JSX.Element => (
-  <GenericNotification
-    style="inline"
-    persistent={persistent || hideCloseIcon}
-    classNameOverride={classnames(classNameOverride, [
-      isSubtle && styles.subtle,
-    ])}
-    {...otherProps}
-  />
+export const InlineNotification = forwardRef<
+  HTMLDivElement,
+  InlineNotificationProps
+>(
+  (
+    {
+      isSubtle,
+      hideCloseIcon = false,
+      persistent = false,
+      classNameOverride,
+      ...otherProps
+    },
+    ref
+  ): JSX.Element => (
+    <GenericNotification
+      style="inline"
+      persistent={persistent || hideCloseIcon}
+      classNameOverride={classnames(classNameOverride, [
+        isSubtle && styles.subtle,
+      ])}
+      ref={ref}
+      {...otherProps}
+    />
+  )
 )
 
 InlineNotification.displayName = "InlineNotification"
diff --git a/packages/components/src/Notification/InlineNotification/_docs/InlineNotification.stickersheet.stories.tsx b/packages/components/src/Notification/InlineNotification/_docs/InlineNotification.stickersheet.stories.tsx
index eab8734452a..7ae4e0e970e 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/Notification/InlineNotification/_docs/InlineNotification.stickersheet.stories.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/Notification/InlineNotification/_docs/InlineNotification.stickersheet.stories.tsx
@@ -131,6 +131,19 @@ const VARIANTS_PROPS: Array<{
       forceMultiline: true,
     },
   },
+  {
+    title: "Focus",
+    props: {
+      // @ts-ignore
+      "data-sb-pseudo-styles": "focus",
+      variant: "informative",
+      headingProps: {
+        variant: "heading-6",
+        tag: "span",
+        children: "Focused title",
+      },
+    },
+  },
 ]
 
 const TYPE_PROPS: Array<{
@@ -206,6 +219,11 @@ const StickerSheetTemplate: StickerSheetStory = {
       </StickerSheet>
     </>
   ),
+  parameters: {
+    pseudo: {
+      focus: '[data-sb-pseudo-styles="focus"]',
+    },
+  },
 }
 
 export const StickerSheetDefault: StickerSheetStory = {
diff --git a/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/GenericNotification.stories.tsx b/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/GenericNotification.stories.tsx
index 5bdb2b66eb6..306c801acaa 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/GenericNotification.stories.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/GenericNotification.stories.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useState } from "react"
+import React, { useRef, useState } from "react"
 import { Meta, StoryObj } from "@storybook/react"
 import { userEvent, within, expect, waitFor } from "@storybook/test"
 import { GenericNotification } from "./index"
@@ -58,3 +58,46 @@ export const GenericNotificationTest: Story = {
     })
   },
 }
+
+export const RefTest: Story = {
+  render: () => {
+    const customRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
+    const [isHidden, setIsHidden] = useState<boolean>(false)
+
+    return (
+      <div>
+        <span data-testid="hidden-state">{isHidden ? "Hidden" : "Shown"}</span>
+        <GenericNotification
+          ref={customRef}
+          variant="success"
+          style="inline"
+          title="Success"
+          data-testid="generic-notification"
+          onHide={() => setIsHidden(true)}
+        >
+          This is my positive notification
+        </GenericNotification>
+      </div>
+    )
+  },
+  name: "Test: still renders and closes properly when custom ref passed in",
+  play: async ({ canvasElement }) => {
+    const canvas = within(canvasElement)
+    const element = canvas.getByTestId("generic-notification")
+    const hiddenState = canvas.getByTestId("hidden-state")
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(element).toBeInTheDocument()
+      expect(hiddenState).toHaveTextContent("Shown")
+    })
+
+    await userEvent.click(canvas.getByTestId("close-button"))
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        expect(hiddenState).toHaveTextContent("Hidden")
+        expect(element).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+      }, 1000)
+    })
+  },
+}
diff --git a/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/GenericNotification.tsx b/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/GenericNotification.tsx
index ea86f0756ab..51787ca57c4 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/GenericNotification.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/GenericNotification.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-import React, { HTMLAttributes, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react"
+import React, {
+  forwardRef,
+  HTMLAttributes,
+  useEffect,
+  useRef,
+  useState,
+} from "react"
 import classnames from "classnames"
 import { HeadingProps } from "~components/Heading"
 import {
@@ -6,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   NotificationVariant,
 } from "~components/Notification/types"
 import { OverrideClassName } from "~components/types/OverrideClassName"
+import { isRefObject } from "~components/utils/isRefObject"
 import { CancelButton } from "../CancelButton"
 import { NotificationHeading } from "../NotificationHeading"
 import {
@@ -49,89 +56,103 @@ export type GenericNotificationVariant = {
 export type GenericNotificationProps = GenericNotificationBase &
   (GenericNotificationType | GenericNotificationVariant)
 
-export const GenericNotification = ({
-  type,
-  variant,
-  style,
-  children,
-  title,
-  persistent = false,
-  onHide,
-  noBottomMargin,
-  forceMultiline,
-  headingProps,
-  classNameOverride,
-  ...restProps
-}: GenericNotificationProps): JSX.Element | null => {
-  const [isHidden, setIsHidden] = useState<boolean>(true)
-  const [isRemoved, setIsRemoved] = useState<boolean>(false)
+export const GenericNotification = forwardRef<
+  HTMLDivElement,
+  GenericNotificationProps
+>(
+  (
+    {
+      type,
+      variant,
+      style,
+      children,
+      title,
+      persistent = false,
+      onHide,
+      noBottomMargin,
+      forceMultiline,
+      headingProps,
+      classNameOverride,
+      ...restProps
+    },
+    ref
+  ): JSX.Element | null => {
+    const [isHidden, setIsHidden] = useState<boolean>(true)
+    const [isRemoved, setIsRemoved] = useState<boolean>(false)
 
-  const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
+    const fallbackRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
+    const containerRef = isRefObject(ref) ? ref : fallbackRef
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    requestAnimationFrame(() => {
-      if (containerRef.current) {
-        setIsHidden(false)
-      }
-    })
-  }, [])
+    useEffect(() => {
+      requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+        if (containerRef.current) {
+          setIsHidden(false)
+        }
+      })
+    }, [])
 
-  const getMarginTop = (): string => {
-    if (isHidden && containerRef.current) {
-      return -containerRef.current.clientHeight + "px"
+    const getMarginTop = (): string => {
+      if (isHidden && containerRef.current) {
+        return -containerRef.current.clientHeight + "px"
+      }
+      return "0"
     }
-    return "0"
-  }
 
-  const onTransitionEnd = (e: React.TransitionEvent<HTMLDivElement>): void => {
-    // Be careful: this assumes the final CSS property to be animated is "margin-top".
-    if (isHidden && e.propertyName === "margin-top") {
-      setIsRemoved(true)
-      onHide?.()
+    const onTransitionEnd = (
+      e: React.TransitionEvent<HTMLDivElement>
+    ): void => {
+      // Be careful: this assumes the final CSS property to be animated is "margin-top".
+      if (isHidden && e.propertyName === "margin-top") {
+        setIsRemoved(true)
+        onHide?.()
+      }
     }
-  }
 
-  if (isRemoved) {
-    return null
-  }
+    if (isRemoved) {
+      return null
+    }
 
-  return (
-    <div
-      ref={containerRef}
-      className={classnames(
-        styles.notification,
-        variant ? styles[variant] : styles[type],
-        styles[style],
-        isHidden && styles.hidden,
-        noBottomMargin && styles.noBottomMargin,
-        classNameOverride,
-        persistent && styles.persistent
-      )}
-      style={{ marginTop: getMarginTop() }}
-      onTransitionEnd={onTransitionEnd}
-      {...restProps}
-    >
-      <div className={styles.icon}>
-        {type ? (
-          <NotificationIconType type={type} />
-        ) : (
-          <NotificationIconVariant variant={variant} />
-        )}
-      </div>
+    return (
       <div
+        ref={containerRef}
         className={classnames(
-          styles.textContainer,
-          forceMultiline && styles.forceMultiline
+          styles.notification,
+          variant ? styles[variant] : styles[type],
+          styles[style],
+          isHidden && styles.hidden,
+          noBottomMargin && styles.noBottomMargin,
+          classNameOverride,
+          persistent && styles.persistent
         )}
+        style={{ marginTop: getMarginTop() }}
+        onTransitionEnd={onTransitionEnd}
+        {...restProps}
       >
-        {style !== "global" && (
-          <NotificationHeading titleProp={title} headingProps={headingProps} />
-        )}
-        {children && <div className={styles.text}>{children}</div>}
+        <div className={styles.icon}>
+          {type ? (
+            <NotificationIconType type={type} />
+          ) : (
+            <NotificationIconVariant variant={variant} />
+          )}
+        </div>
+        <div
+          className={classnames(
+            styles.textContainer,
+            forceMultiline && styles.forceMultiline
+          )}
+        >
+          {style !== "global" && (
+            <NotificationHeading
+              titleProp={title}
+              headingProps={headingProps}
+            />
+          )}
+          {children && <div className={styles.text}>{children}</div>}
+        </div>
+        {!persistent && <CancelButton onClick={() => setIsHidden(true)} />}
       </div>
-      {!persistent && <CancelButton onClick={() => setIsHidden(true)} />}
-    </div>
-  )
-}
+    )
+  }
+)
 
 GenericNotification.displayName = "GenericNotification"
diff --git a/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/_mixins.scss b/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/_mixins.scss
index ef39009336e..6b0a53261a3 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/_mixins.scss
+++ b/packages/components/src/Notification/subcomponents/GenericNotification/_mixins.scss
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ $notification-slide-right: transform 300ms ease-out;
   box-sizing: border-box;
   pointer-events: all;
 
+  &:focus {
+    outline-offset: 1px;
+    outline: 2px solid var(--color-blue-500);
+  }
+
   // Variants
   &%ca-notification---inline,
   &%ca-notification---toast {