How to Use the DOD Contracts (FPDS) MCP in OpenAI Agents SDK

Q: How do I configure the DOD Contracts (FPDS) toolset in my OpenAI Agents SDK project?

Install the package using pip install openai-agents and initialize the MCP Server using MCPServerStreamableHttp. Pass the configured server instance inside the mcpservers list when instantiating your main Agent object.

Q: How do I target specific military branches using this MCP server?

Use specific sub-agency codes within your sQuery parameter during the tool call. For example, your agent can append Navy or Air Force identifiers alongside DEPARTMENTID:"9700" to isolate branch-specific awards.

Get raw DOD procurement XML directly into your OpenAI Agents SDK workflow with safety guardrails and zero-config MCP tool discovery.

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Connect DOD Contracts (FPDS) MCP to OpenAI Agents SDK

Create your Vinkius account to connect DOD Contracts (FPDS) to OpenAI Agents SDK and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup DOD Contracts (FPDS) with OpenAI Agents SDK

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Expose DOD contract data to your OpenAI Agents SDK

The `search_contracts` tool pulls live XML feeds from the FPDS system directly into your OpenAI agent loop. By passing the DOD department code `DEPARTMENT_ID:"9700"` inside your agent's system prompt, you allow the model to query active military procurement files on demand. Your production OpenAI agents auto-discover this tool without manual JSON schema mapping. The MCP Server manages schema translation behind the scenes, letting your agent parse the raw XML structure to extract award amounts and vendor details.

Enforce safety guardrails on defense procurement queries

For security-minded developers, the `search_contracts` tool provides built-in validation before querying federal servers. This prevents the agent from sending malformed query strings that trigger empty XML responses from the FPDS server. You can monitor every single contract lookup transaction in real time using the OpenAI developer dashboard. If an agent tries to pull massive historical datasets, you can intercept the call or enforce strict payload limits.

Delegate contract analysis across specialized agents

Routing procurement queries through multi-agent systems is simple with the `search_contracts` tool. This handoff happens natively within the OpenAI Python runtime, keeping your main execution thread clean. By enabling `cacheToolsList=True` in your agent configuration, you eliminate discovery latency on subsequent steps. The system retains the tool definitions across agent handoffs, ensuring fast parsing of defense award trends.

Setup guide

Set up DOD Contracts (FPDS) MCP in OpenAI Agents SDK

Prerequisites

Python 3.10+ installed
openai-agents package (pip install openai-agents)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Install the SDK

Run pip install openai-agents to install the OpenAI Agents SDK. The MCP integration is built-in — no extra dependencies needed.
2

Connect via SSE transport

Use MCPServerSse with your Vinkius endpoint URL. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your token from cloud.vinkius.com. The SDK auto-discovers all DOD Contracts (FPDS) tools at runtime.
3

Create your Agent

Pass the MCP to Agent(mcp_servers=[server]). The agent receives DOD Contracts (FPDS) tools as native definitions — JSON schemas resolve automatically.
4

Run the agent

Call Runner.run(agent, prompt) to execute. The agent invokes the appropriate DOD Contracts (FPDS) tools and returns structured results. Copy the full example on the right to get started.

agent.py

import asyncio
from agents import Agent, Runner
from agents.mcp import MCPServerSse

async def main():
    async with MCPServerSse(
        url="https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    ) as server:
        agent = Agent(
            name="DOD Contracts (FPDS) Agent",
            instructions="You have access to DOD Contracts (FPDS) tools.",
            mcp_servers=[server],
        )
        result = await Runner.run(agent, "List recent transactions")
        print(result.final_output)

asyncio.run(main())

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Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by FPDS. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about DOD Contracts (FPDS) MCP in OpenAI Agents SDK

Install the package using `pip install openai-agents` and initialize the MCP Server using `MCPServerStreamableHttp`. Pass the configured server instance inside the `mcp_servers` list when instantiating your main `Agent` object.

Define explicit parsing instructions in your agent's system prompt to extract only specific tags like vendor details or award values. This prevents the raw XML payload from overwhelming your context window and keeps token usage to a minimum.

The SDK receives whatever data the FPDS Atom feed serves, which includes the standard 90-day delay for military actions. Instruct your agent to explicitly check the transaction dates in the XML entries to account for this lag.

Use specific sub-agency codes within your `sQuery` parameter during the tool call. For example, your agent can append Navy or Air Force identifiers alongside `DEPARTMENT_ID:"9700"` to isolate branch-specific awards.

No, this server only processes public federal procurement transactions from the official FPDS Atom feed. The raw XML contract entries are routed through a secure, ephemeral V8 sandbox before reaching your SDK client, ensuring no data leaks or persistent storage.

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