diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/8989-github-app-token-from-fact.yml b/changelogs/fragments/8989-github-app-token-from-fact.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6b36d95a62b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/8989-github-app-token-from-fact.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+  - github_app_access_token lookup plugin - adds new ``private_key`` parameter (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/8989).
diff --git a/plugins/lookup/github_app_access_token.py b/plugins/lookup/github_app_access_token.py
index 5cd99b81c75..1d3c526c334 100644
--- a/plugins/lookup/github_app_access_token.py
+++ b/plugins/lookup/github_app_access_token.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
       key_path:
         description:
         - Path to your private key.
-        required: true
+        - Either O(key_path) or O(private_key) must be specified.
         type: path
       app_id:
         description:
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@
         - Alternatively, you can use PyGithub (U(https://github.com/PyGithub/PyGithub)) to get your installation ID.
         required: true
         type: str
+      private_key:
+        description:
+        - GitHub App private key in PEM file format as string.
+        - Either O(key_path) or O(private_key) must be specified.
+        type: str
+        version_added: 10.0.0
       token_expiry:
         description:
         - How long the token should last for in seconds.
@@ -71,7 +77,7 @@
 import json
 from ansible.module_utils.urls import open_url
 from ansible.module_utils.six.moves.urllib.error import HTTPError
-from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
+from ansible.errors import AnsibleError, AnsibleOptionsError
 from ansible.plugins.lookup import LookupBase
 from ansible.utils.display import Display
 
@@ -84,8 +90,10 @@
 display = Display()
 
 
-def read_key(path):
+def read_key(path, private_key=None):
     try:
+        if private_key:
+            return jwk_from_pem(private_key.encode('utf-8'))
         with open(path, 'rb') as pem_file:
             return jwk_from_pem(pem_file.read())
     except Exception as e:
@@ -132,8 +140,8 @@ def post_request(generated_jwt, installation_id):
     return json_data.get('token')
 
 
-def get_token(key_path, app_id, installation_id, expiry=600):
-    jwk = read_key(key_path)
+def get_token(key_path, app_id, installation_id, private_key, expiry=600):
+    jwk = read_key(key_path, private_key)
     generated_jwt = encode_jwt(app_id, jwk, exp=expiry)
     return post_request(generated_jwt, installation_id)
 
@@ -146,10 +154,16 @@ def run(self, terms, variables=None, **kwargs):
 
         self.set_options(var_options=variables, direct=kwargs)
 
+        if not (self.get_option("key_path") or self.get_option("private_key")):
+            raise AnsibleOptionsError("One of key_path or private_key is required")
+        if self.get_option("key_path") and self.get_option("private_key"):
+            raise AnsibleOptionsError("key_path and private_key are mutually exclusive")
+
         t = get_token(
             self.get_option('key_path'),
             self.get_option('app_id'),
             self.get_option('installation_id'),
+            self.get_option('private_key'),
             self.get_option('token_expiry'),
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/files/app-private-key.pem b/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/files/app-private-key.pem
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..06c6786ee6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/files/app-private-key.pem
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----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+-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/files/app-private-key.pem.license b/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/files/app-private-key.pem.license
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a1390a69ed9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/files/app-private-key.pem.license
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Copyright (c) Ansible Project
+GNU General Public License v3.0+ (see LICENSES/GPL-3.0-or-later.txt or https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt)
+SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/tasks/main.yml b/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9b7ba5d2c1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+####################################################################
+# WARNING: These are designed specifically for Ansible tests       #
+# and should not be used as examples of how to write Ansible roles #
+####################################################################
+
+# Test code for the github_app_access_token plugin.
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2017-2018, Abhijeet Kasurde <akasurde@redhat.com>
+# GNU General Public License v3.0+ (see LICENSES/GPL-3.0-or-later.txt or https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt)
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+
+- name: Install JWT
+  ansible.builtin.pip:
+    name:
+    - jwt
+
+- name: Read file
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    github_app_private_key: "{{ lookup('ansible.builtin.file', 'app-private-key.pem') }}"
+
+- name: Generate Github App Token
+  register: github_app_access_token
+  ignore_errors: true
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    github_app_token: "{{ lookup('community.general.github_app_access_token', app_id=github_app_id, installation_id=github_app_installation_id, private_key=github_app_private_key) }}"
+
+- assert:
+    that:
+    - github_app_access_token is failed
+    - '"Github return error" in github_app_access_token.msg'
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/vars/main.yml b/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/vars/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..35bd49cd3e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/github_app_access_token/vars/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Copyright (c) Ansible Project
+# GNU General Public License v3.0+ (see LICENSES/GPL-3.0-or-later.txt or https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt)
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+
+github_app_id: 123456
+github_app_installation_id: 123456
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/lookup/test_github_app_access_token.py b/tests/unit/plugins/lookup/test_github_app_access_token.py
index 4bf9c7e704e..7971335a476 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/lookup/test_github_app_access_token.py
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/lookup/test_github_app_access_token.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def read(self):
 
 class TestLookupModule(unittest.TestCase):
 
-    def test_get_token(self):
+    def test_get_token_with_file(self):
         with patch.multiple("ansible_collections.community.general.plugins.lookup.github_app_access_token",
                             open=mock_open(read_data="foo_bar"),
                             open_url=MagicMock(return_value=MockResponse()),
@@ -50,3 +50,21 @@ def test_get_token(self):
                     token_expiry=600
                 )
             )
+
+    def test_get_token_with_fact(self):
+        with patch.multiple("ansible_collections.community.general.plugins.lookup.github_app_access_token",
+                            open_url=MagicMock(return_value=MockResponse()),
+                            jwk_from_pem=MagicMock(return_value='private_key'),
+                            jwt_instance=MockJWT(),
+                            HAS_JWT=True):
+            lookup = lookup_loader.get('community.general.github_app_access_token')
+            self.assertListEqual(
+                [MockResponse.response_token],
+                lookup.run(
+                    [],
+                    app_id="app_id",
+                    installation_id="installation_id",
+                    private_key="foo_bar",
+                    token_expiry=600
+                )
+            )