Data & Analytics · Highergov + Claude
HigherGov MCP with Claude: Find and Track U.S. Government Contract Opportunities
The short answer
Claude connects to HigherGov through the Model Context Protocol (MCP) or HigherGov's direct API, using an API key. Once connected, Claude can search government contracts and grants, analyse the results and monitor new opportunities, all through natural language requests. Permissions are set by the organisation, so people stay in control of what Claude can see and do.
What is Highergov?
HigherGov is a market intelligence platform for U.S. government contracts and grants. It gathers public sector data that companies and researchers use to find opportunities and understand the market. Business development teams use it to spot bids worth pursuing, while analysts and researchers use it to study spending patterns, agencies and awards. It is typically used by government contractors, grant seekers, consultancies and public sector research teams who need timely, comprehensive data in one place.
How Claude connects to Highergov through MCP
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets Claude securely use other software, reading information and taking actions with permissions the organisation controls. Think of it as a universal adapter between Claude and the tool. For HigherGov, the connection can run through an MCP server or through HigherGov's direct API, both using an API key for sign-in.
Once connected, Claude can typically search contract and grant records, analyse grants data, review newly published opportunities and look at the awards won by named competitors. A user might ask in plain English for recent cyber security tenders from a specific agency and receive a summarised list. Claude reads the data it is allowed to access and reports back in clear language.
Access is limited to what the organisation grants. The API key can be scoped and managed by IT, and actions that matter, such as sharing a summary with leadership or adding an opportunity to a pipeline in another system, can require a person's approval before they happen. Audit logs record what Claude accessed, so people remain in charge throughout.
What you can automate
Finding new contract opportunities
A business development manager asks Claude for new federal tenders in their service area, filtered by agency, value and closing date. Claude returns a short ranked list with the key details for each opportunity, saving hours of manual searching across portals and keeping the pipeline current.
Monitoring competitor awards
A strategy team asks Claude which competitors have won awards in a given category over the last twelve months. Claude summarises the awarding agencies, contract values and patterns, helping leaders understand who is winning work and where the market is moving.
Analysing grant funding
A research team asks Claude to review grants data for a particular programme area and identify which agencies are funding similar projects. Claude produces a summary that helps the team decide where to apply and how to shape proposals.
Preparing bid research
Before a bid decision, a capture manager asks Claude to gather past awards for a similar requirement and note the winning organisations. Claude compiles a briefing that the team can review, supporting faster and better-informed go or no-go decisions.
Keeping leadership informed
A department head asks Claude for a weekly digest of new opportunities and notable awards. Claude drafts a concise summary in the format the leadership team prefers, which a person reviews before it is shared.
An end-to-end workflow: Weekly opportunity pipeline review
TriggerEvery Monday morning, the business development lead asks Claude to review new opportunities from the past week.
Claude queries HigherGov through the connected API key for new contracts matching the company's service codes and target agencies.
Claude ranks the results by fit, closing date and estimated value, and flags any that match active competitor interests.
Claude drafts a summary and creates proposed entries for the opportunities in the company's CRM, such as Microsoft Dynamics or Salesforce.
The lead reviews the summary and the proposed CRM entries, approving or removing items.
Approved opportunities are assigned to bid teams in the ticketing or project system, with deadlines copied across.
The audit log records every search and update for compliance review.
OutcomeThe pipeline is refreshed every week with vetted opportunities, bid teams start earlier, and fewer relevant tenders are missed. Results depend on the organisation's sectors and processes.
How we set it up
Book a free automation audit
We review how your team currently finds and tracks government opportunities, and identify the workflows worth automating with HigherGov and Claude.
Set up secure API key access
We help you create a HigherGov API key and store it securely, with the access scope set to the minimum your workflows need.
Connect Claude through MCP
We connect Claude to HigherGov using the MCP server or direct API, then configure the searches, filters and permissions your team requires.
Design and test the workflow
We build the end-to-end process across HigherGov and your other systems, with approval steps for consequential actions, and test it against real past opportunities.
Launch, monitor and train
We go live with monitoring and audit logs in place, then train your team to use Claude with HigherGov confidently and safely.
Who benefits
- Business development directors
- Faster identification of relevant opportunities and a clearer view of competitor activity.
- Capture and bid managers
- Quicker, better-researched go or no-go decisions backed by past award data.
- Market research analysts
- Plain-English summaries of public sector spending and grant trends without manual data handling.
- IT and operations leaders
- Controlled, auditable access to public sector data using a managed API key and clear permissions.
Security and control
- API keys are stored securely and scoped to the minimum access each workflow needs.
- People approve any action that changes records or is shared outside the organisation.
- Audit logs record what Claude searched and what it changed, supporting review and compliance.
- Data handling follows your organisation's policies, and sensitive internal information is kept out of prompts where it is not needed.
For teams in the US, UK, India and the Middle East
Organisations in the United States, the United Kingdom, India and the Middle East can all use this workflow, though their data obligations differ. U.S. organisations work within federal and state rules, UK organisations under UK GDPR, and Indian organisations under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Organisations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia must meet their local data protection laws. Claude can be hosted in India, the United States, the United Kingdom or the European Union, so the hosting region is chosen to meet your requirements.
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 HigherGov MCP server do?
The HigherGov MCP server lets Claude use HigherGov data through a standard connection. It allows Claude to search government contracts and grants, analyse the results and monitor opportunities in response to natural language requests, using the access that your API key permits.
Is connecting HigherGov to Claude secure?
The connection is designed around permissions your organisation controls. Access uses an API key that can be scoped to the minimum needed, actions can require human approval, and audit logs record activity. Security also depends on how the key is stored and managed, which we set up as part of the project.
What can Claude do with HigherGov?
Typically, Claude can search contract and grant records, analyse grants data, review new opportunities and summarise awards won by competitors. It can then present findings as summaries or draft reports. Any action that changes other systems is only taken with the permissions and approvals you set.
How long does setup take?
Setup time depends on how many workflows you want and how many systems they touch. A focused project with one or two workflows often takes a few weeks, including the audit, connection, testing and team training. We confirm the timeline after the free automation audit.
What access or plan do I need to use HigherGov with Claude?
Generally, you need a HigherGov account that can issue an API key, and the key's permissions must allow the searches you want. Exact access depends on your HigherGov arrangement, so we check this with you during the audit before any work begins.