Finance & Accounting · Granted MCP + Claude
Granted MCP with Claude: Find and Compare Grant Funding Faster
The short answer
Claude connects to Granted MCP through the Model Context Protocol, an open standard that lets Claude use outside software securely. Once connected, Claude can search grant opportunities, compare eligibility criteria, track application deadlines and shortlist funders from a plain-English request, with your team reviewing every shortlist before any application work begins.
What is Granted MCP?
Granted MCP is a grant discovery service that helps teams find funding opportunities across many funders. Instead of checking scattered grant portals one by one, users can compare eligibility details and deadlines in one place. It is used by charities, social enterprises, research teams, startups and community organisations that rely on grants to fund their work. Finance, fundraising and programme staff are typical users.
How Claude connects to Granted MCP through MCP
The Model Context Protocol, or MCP, is an open standard that lets Claude securely use other software. Think of it as a universal adapter between Claude and a tool. Granted MCP exposes its grant search capabilities this way, so Claude can work with them directly rather than relying on copied text.
Once connected, Claude can typically search for funding opportunities matching your organisation's focus, read eligibility criteria, note application deadlines and build a shortlist of relevant funders. You can ask in ordinary language, for example for arts grants open to organisations in Karnataka with deadlines in the next quarter, and Claude will return a comparison.
Access is controlled by your organisation. Granted MCP in this setup uses no sign-in, so the permissions your team sets in the surrounding workflow decide what Claude can do. Claude prepares shortlists and summaries, while people decide which funders to pursue and approve any consequential step, keeping control with your team.
What you can automate
Shortlisting funders for a new programme
A programme lead describes the project, target beneficiaries and budget range. Claude searches Granted MCP for matching opportunities and returns a shortlist with eligibility notes. The team reviews the list in a short meeting instead of spending days across portals, and removes funders that do not fit.
Tracking upcoming deadlines
Development teams often miss windows because deadlines sit in separate calendars. Claude can pull deadlines for shortlisted funders and present them in date order, flagging those due within the next few weeks so the team can plan writing time and internal sign-offs well ahead.
Checking eligibility before writing
Before a bid is started, someone must confirm the organisation qualifies. Claude can compare each funder's eligibility criteria against your organisation's profile, such as legal structure, location and sector, and list the items that need checking by a person before effort is spent.
Reporting to leadership
Finance and fundraising leaders need a clear view of the funding pipeline. Claude can summarise shortlisted opportunities by value, deadline and fit, producing a concise weekly note for the leadership team that highlights decisions needed and gaps in the pipeline.
Monitoring new opportunities by theme
Organisations working in several areas want to know when relevant calls open. Claude can run regular searches on agreed themes and report new matches, so the team reviews fresh opportunities on a set schedule rather than by chance.
An end-to-end workflow: Grant pipeline review with the CRM
TriggerEvery Monday morning, or when a new programme is approved in the CRM
Claude reads the programme details recorded in the CRM, including sector, location and funding need.
Claude searches Granted MCP for matching opportunities and notes eligibility criteria and deadlines.
Claude compares results against the organisation's eligibility profile and drops clear mismatches.
Claude writes a shortlist with deadlines, and records it as a task list in the CRM for each owner.
The fundraising lead reviews the shortlist and approves which funders to pursue.
OutcomeTypically, the team gets a current, reviewed funding pipeline each week, with fewer missed deadlines and less time spent manually searching portals.
How we set it up
Free automation audit
We review how your team currently finds and tracks grants, and identify the workflows worth automating with Granted MCP and Claude.
Connect the tool
We connect Claude to Granted MCP through its MCP server, or a secure managed connector where needed. This tool uses no sign-in, so we configure the connection and apply least-privilege settings around it.
Design the workflow
We map the end-to-end process across Granted MCP and your other systems, such as your CRM or Microsoft 365, and agree which actions need human approval.
Test and launch
We test the workflow against real past grant applications, then launch with monitoring and audit logs so every step can be traced.
Train the team
We train fundraisers, finance staff and leaders to use Claude with Granted MCP, and hand over clear guidance on reviewing shortlists.
Who benefits
- Fundraising director
- A reviewed, deadline-aware shortlist of funders each week, without manual portal searching.
- Finance lead
- A clearer view of the funding pipeline and its expected value for budgeting.
- Programme manager
- Faster checks of eligibility before time is spent on a bid.
- Chief executive or board chair
- A concise, regular summary of funding opportunities and gaps.
Security and control
- Humans review every shortlist and approve any application step before work begins.
- Claude is given only the access needed for grant searching and summarising.
- Audit logs record what Claude searched and produced, so decisions can be traced.
- Eligibility notes are flagged for confirmation by a person, not treated as final.
- Organisational data is handled under agreed retention and access rules.
For teams in the US, UK, India and the Middle East
Organisations in the United States and the United Kingdom can set up this workflow with data handling aligned to their local requirements. Indian organisations are supported in line with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Organisations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are supported in line with their national data protection laws. Hosting region is chosen during design to meet your specific data residency and compliance needs.
Learn more about Claude and MCP
Anthropic's AI model and assistant.
Secure links between Claude and business tools.
How engineers build and change software with Claude.
Hosted agents that run multi-step work.
The open standard Claude uses to connect to tools.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Granted MCP server do?
The Granted MCP server lets AI tools such as Claude use Granted's grant discovery service in a structured way. It can typically search for funding opportunities, compare eligibility details and surface deadlines. This makes grant research possible through plain-language requests rather than manual portal searches.
Is connecting Granted MCP to Claude secure?
Security depends on how the connection is set up. The Model Context Protocol is designed so organisations control what each tool can access. We apply least-privilege settings, add audit logs and require human approval for consequential actions. Because this tool uses no sign-in, we pay particular attention to how the surrounding workflow is secured.
What can Claude do with Granted MCP?
Once connected, Claude can typically search for funding opportunities, compare eligibility criteria, track application deadlines and shortlist funders from natural language requests. It can then summarise results for your team. Final decisions on which funders to approach remain with people in your organisation.
How long does setup take?
Timelines depend on how many systems are involved and how complex the workflow is. A focused single-tool setup can often be completed in a few weeks, including testing and team training. We confirm the timeline during the free automation audit, once we understand your process.
Which plan or permissions are needed?
Requirements depend on how Granted MCP is accessed and what your organisation wants Claude to do. Generally, you need an account that allows the grant search capabilities you plan to use, and the right internal permissions for the connected systems. We confirm exactly what is needed during the audit.