diff --git a/v-next/hardhat/test/internal/example-mock-artifacts-plugin-using-test.ts b/v-next/hardhat/test/internal/example-mock-artifacts-plugin-using-test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..05d1a4275a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/v-next/hardhat/test/internal/example-mock-artifacts-plugin-using-test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import type { Artifact } from "../../src/types/artifacts.js";
+import type { HardhatRuntimeEnvironment } from "../../src/types/hre.js";
+import type { HardhatPlugin } from "../../src/types/plugins.js";
+
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { describe, it } from "node:test";
+
+import { task } from "../../src/config.js";
+import { createMockHardhatRuntimeEnvironment } from "../test-helpers/create-mock-hardhat-runtime-environment.js";
+
+// TODO: This test is an example and should be removed with the completion of
+// the build system and the artifacts plugin.
+describe("createMockHardhatRuntimeEnvironment", () => {
+  it("should allow plugins that leverage the artifact hre object", async () => {
+    // arrange
+    const exampleArtifact: Artifact = {
+      _format: "hh-sol-artifact-1",
+      contractName: "MyContract",
+      sourceName: "source.sol",
+      abi: [],
+      bytecode: "0x",
+      linkReferences: {},
+      deployedBytecode: "0x",
+      deployedLinkReferences: {},
+    };
+
+    const myPlugin: HardhatPlugin = {
+      id: "my-plugin",
+      tasks: [
+        task("hello-artifact-using-world", "Tests artifact loading")
+          .setAction(async ({}, hre: HardhatRuntimeEnvironment) => {
+            return hre.artifacts.readArtifact("MyContract");
+          })
+          .build(),
+      ],
+    };
+
+    const mockHre = await createMockHardhatRuntimeEnvironment({
+      plugins: [myPlugin],
+    });
+
+    await mockHre.artifacts.saveArtifact(exampleArtifact);
+
+    // act
+    const helloArtifactUsingWorld = mockHre.tasks.getTask(
+      "hello-artifact-using-world",
+    );
+
+    const result = await helloArtifactUsingWorld.run({});
+
+    // Assert
+    assert.equal(result, exampleArtifact);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/v-next/hardhat/test/test-helpers/create-mock-hardhat-runtime-environment.ts b/v-next/hardhat/test/test-helpers/create-mock-hardhat-runtime-environment.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7013ad9c587
--- /dev/null
+++ b/v-next/hardhat/test/test-helpers/create-mock-hardhat-runtime-environment.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import type { HardhatUserConfig } from "../../src/config.js";
+import type { UnsafeHardhatRuntimeEnvironmentOptions } from "../../src/internal/core/types.js";
+import type { GlobalOptions } from "../../src/types/global-options.js";
+import type { HardhatRuntimeEnvironment } from "../../src/types/hre.js";
+import type { HardhatPlugin } from "../../src/types/plugins.js";
+
+import "../../src/internal/builtin-plugins/artifacts/type-extensions.js";
+
+import { createHardhatRuntimeEnvironment } from "../../src/hre.js";
+import artifacts from "../../src/internal/builtin-plugins/artifacts/index.js";
+import { resolveProjectRoot } from "../../src/internal/core/hre.js";
+
+import { MockArtifactsManager } from "./mock-artifacts-manager.js";
+
+export async function createMockHardhatRuntimeEnvironment(
+  config: HardhatUserConfig,
+  userProvidedGlobalOptions: Partial<GlobalOptions> = {},
+  projectRoot?: string,
+  unsafeOptions: UnsafeHardhatRuntimeEnvironmentOptions = {},
+): Promise<HardhatRuntimeEnvironment> {
+  const resolvedProjectRoot = await resolveProjectRoot(projectRoot);
+
+  return createHardhatRuntimeEnvironment(
+    { ...config, plugins: [mockArtifactsPlugin, ...(config.plugins ?? [])] },
+    userProvidedGlobalOptions,
+    resolvedProjectRoot,
+    unsafeOptions,
+  );
+}
+
+const mockArtifactsPlugin: HardhatPlugin = {
+  id: "mock-artifacts",
+  dependencies: [async () => artifacts],
+  hookHandlers: {
+    hre: async () => {
+      return {
+        created: async (
+          context,
+          hre,
+          next,
+        ): Promise<HardhatRuntimeEnvironment> => {
+          const updatedHre = await next(context, hre);
+
+          updatedHre.artifacts = new MockArtifactsManager();
+
+          return updatedHre;
+        },
+      };
+    },
+  },
+};
diff --git a/v-next/hardhat/test/test-helpers/mock-artifacts-manager.ts b/v-next/hardhat/test/test-helpers/mock-artifacts-manager.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..46f406416c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/v-next/hardhat/test/test-helpers/mock-artifacts-manager.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+import type {
+  ArtifactsManager,
+  Artifact,
+  BuildInfo,
+  CompilerInput,
+  CompilerOutput,
+} from "../../src/types/artifacts.js";
+
+import { HardhatError } from "@ignored/hardhat-vnext-errors";
+
+export class MockArtifactsManager implements ArtifactsManager {
+  readonly #artifacts: Map<string, Artifact>;
+
+  constructor() {
+    this.#artifacts = new Map();
+  }
+
+  public async readArtifact(
+    contractNameOrFullyQualifiedName: string,
+  ): Promise<Artifact> {
+    const artifact = this.#artifacts.get(contractNameOrFullyQualifiedName);
+
+    if (artifact === undefined) {
+      throw new HardhatError(HardhatError.ERRORS.INTERNAL.ASSERTION_ERROR, {
+        message:
+          "Unable to find the artifact during mock readArtifact " +
+          contractNameOrFullyQualifiedName,
+      });
+    }
+
+    return artifact;
+  }
+
+  public artifactExists(
+    _contractNameOrFullyQualifiedName: string,
+  ): Promise<boolean> {
+    throw new HardhatError(HardhatError.ERRORS.INTERNAL.ASSERTION_ERROR, {
+      message: "Not implemented in MockArtifactsManager",
+    });
+  }
+
+  public getAllFullyQualifiedNames(): Promise<string[]> {
+    throw new HardhatError(HardhatError.ERRORS.INTERNAL.ASSERTION_ERROR, {
+      message: "Not implemented in MockArtifactsManager",
+    });
+  }
+
+  public getBuildInfo(
+    _fullyQualifiedName: string,
+  ): Promise<BuildInfo | undefined> {
+    throw new HardhatError(HardhatError.ERRORS.INTERNAL.ASSERTION_ERROR, {
+      message: "Not implemented in MockArtifactsManager",
+    });
+  }
+
+  public getArtifactPaths(): Promise<string[]> {
+    throw new HardhatError(HardhatError.ERRORS.INTERNAL.ASSERTION_ERROR, {
+      message: "Not implemented in MockArtifactsManager",
+    });
+  }
+
+  public getDebugFilePaths(): Promise<string[]> {
+    throw new HardhatError(HardhatError.ERRORS.INTERNAL.ASSERTION_ERROR, {
+      message: "Not implemented in MockArtifactsManager",
+    });
+  }
+
+  public getBuildInfoPaths(): Promise<string[]> {
+    throw new HardhatError(HardhatError.ERRORS.INTERNAL.ASSERTION_ERROR, {
+      message: "Not implemented in MockArtifactsManager",
+    });
+  }
+
+  public async saveArtifact(artifact: Artifact): Promise<void> {
+    this.#artifacts.set(artifact.contractName, artifact);
+  }
+
+  public saveBuildInfo(
+    _solcVersion: string,
+    _solcLongVersion: string,
+    _input: CompilerInput,
+    _output: CompilerOutput,
+  ): Promise<string> {
+    throw new HardhatError(HardhatError.ERRORS.INTERNAL.ASSERTION_ERROR, {
+      message: "Not implemented in MockArtifactsManager",
+    });
+  }
+
+  public formArtifactPathFromFullyQualifiedName(
+    _fullyQualifiedName: string,
+  ): string {
+    throw new HardhatError(HardhatError.ERRORS.INTERNAL.ASSERTION_ERROR, {
+      message: "Not implemented in MockArtifactsManager",
+    });
+  }
+
+  public getArtifactPath(
+    _contractNameOrFullyQualifiedName: string,
+  ): Promise<string> {
+    throw new HardhatError(HardhatError.ERRORS.INTERNAL.ASSERTION_ERROR, {
+      message: "Not implemented in MockArtifactsManager",
+    });
+  }
+}