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HigherGov MCP Server for VS Code CopilotGive VS Code Copilot instant access to 12 tools to Get Agency, Get Awardee, Get Contract, and more

Built by Vinkius GDPR 12 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

Use with Your AI Agent

Ask AI about this App Connector for VS Code Copilot

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

The HigherGov app connector for VS Code Copilot is a standout in the Sales Automation category — giving your AI agent 12 tools to work with, ready to go from day one.

Vinkius delivers Streamable HTTP and SSE to any MCP client

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Vinkius Desktop App

The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install HigherGov and 3,400+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

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Download Free Open SourceNo signup required
Classic Setup·json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "highergov": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}
HigherGov
Fully ManagedVinkius Servers
60%Token savings
High SecurityEnterprise-grade
IAMAccess control
EU AI ActCompliant
DLPData protection
V8 IsolateSandboxed
Ed25519Audit chain
<40msKill switch
Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About HigherGov MCP Server

Connect your HigherGov account to any AI agent and take full control of your government market research and procurement tracking through natural conversation.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings HigherGov data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 12 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

  • Opportunity Discovery — Search for federal, state, and local government contract opportunities using precise keywords and filters
  • Award Analysis — Analyze past contract and grant awards to understand market trends, competitor performance, and agency spending
  • Entity Research — Research detailed profiles of awardees, government agencies, and key decision-makers programmatically
  • Document Extraction — Access and retrieve opportunity documents, attachments, and solicitations directly through your agent
  • Market Monitoring — Track upcoming solicitations and follow specific agencies or industries for real-time intelligence

The HigherGov MCP Server exposes 12 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

All 12 HigherGov tools available for VS Code Copilot

When VS Code Copilot connects to HigherGov through Vinkius, your AI agent gets direct access to every tool listed below — spanning government-contracts, procurement, market-intelligence, and more. Every call is secured with network, filesystem, subprocess, and code evaluation entitlements inside a sandboxed runtime. Beyond a simple connection, you get a full AI Gateway with real-time visibility into agent activity, enterprise governance, and optimized token usage.

get_agency

Get agency details

get_awardee

Get awardee details

get_contract

Get contract award details

get_documents

Get opportunity documents

get_grant

Get grant award details

get_opportunity

Get opportunity details

list_agencies

List government agencies

list_awardees

List awardees (companies/orgs)

list_contracts

List government contract awards

list_grants

List government grant awards

list_opportunities

List government contract opportunities

search_by_id

Search using a HigherGov Search ID

Connect HigherGov to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to wire HigherGov into VS Code Copilot. The entire setup takes under two minutes — your credentials stay safe behind the Vinkius.

01

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root
02

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above
03

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown
04

Start using HigherGov

Ask Copilot: "Using HigherGov, help me...". 12 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the HigherGov MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with HigherGov through the Model Context Protocol.

01

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

02

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

03

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

04

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

HigherGov + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the HigherGov MCP Server delivers measurable value.

01

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

02

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

03

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

04

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

Example Prompts for HigherGov in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with HigherGov immediately.

01

"Find all current federal opportunities related to 'Cybersecurity' in Washington."

02

"Show me recent contract awards for 'Lockheed Martin'."

03

"List all grant awards in the state of 'Florida' for 2026."

Troubleshooting HigherGov MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting HigherGov to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

01

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

HigherGov + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating HigherGov MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

01

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.
02

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.
03

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.
04

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.