Bring Government Contracts
to Cursor
Learn how to connect HigherGov to Cursor and start using 12 AI agent tools in minutes. Fully managed, enterprise secure, and ready to use without writing a single line of code.
What is the 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.
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
How it works
1. Subscribe to this server
2. Retrieve your API Key from the HigherGov dashboard (Settings > API)
3. Start uncovering government opportunities from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client
No more manual searching through fragmented government portals. Your AI acts as your dedicated B2G market analyst.
Who is this for?
- Government Contractors — instantly identify relevant RFPs and solicitations matching your core capabilities
- Market Analysts — perform deep-dive competitor research and agency spending analysis through automated queries
- Business Development Leads — track procurement pipelines and find key agency contacts without leaving your workspace
Built-in capabilities (12)
Get agency details
Get awardee details
Get contract award details
Get opportunity documents
Get grant award details
Get opportunity details
List government agencies
List awardees (companies/orgs)
List government contract awards
List government grant awards
List government contract opportunities
Search using a HigherGov Search ID
Why Cursor?
Cursor's Agent mode turns HigherGov into an in-editor superpower. Ask Cursor to generate code using live data from HigherGov and it fetches, processes, and writes. all in a single agentic loop. 12 tools appear alongside file editing and terminal access, creating a unified development environment grounded in real-time information.
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Agent mode turns Cursor into an autonomous coding assistant that can read files, run commands, and call MCP tools without switching context
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Cursor's Composer feature can generate entire files using real-time data fetched through MCP. no copy-pasting from external dashboards
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MCP tools appear alongside built-in tools like file reading and terminal access, creating a unified agentic environment
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VS Code extension compatibility means your existing workflow, keybindings, and extensions all work alongside MCP tools
HigherGov in Cursor
HigherGov and 3,400+ other MCP servers. One platform. One governance layer.
Teams that connect HigherGov to Cursor through Vinkius don't need to source, host, or maintain individual MCP servers. Every tool call runs inside a hardened runtime with credential isolation, DLP, and a signed audit chain.
Raw MCP | Vinkius | |
|---|---|---|
| Server catalog | Find and host yourself | 3,400+ managed |
| Infrastructure | Self-hosted | Sandboxed V8 isolates |
| Credential handling | Plaintext in config | Vault + runtime injection |
| Data loss prevention | None | Configurable DLP policies |
| Kill switch | None | Global instant shutdown |
| Financial circuit breakers | None | Per-server limits + alerts |
| Audit trail | None | Ed25519 signed logs |
| SIEM log streaming | None | Splunk, Datadog, Webhook |
| Honeytokens | None | Canary alerts on leak |
| Custom domains | Not applicable | DNS challenge verified |
| GDPR compliance | Manual effort | Automated purge + export |
Why teams choose Vinkius for HigherGov in Cursor
The HigherGov 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. All 12 tools execute in hardened sandboxes optimized for native MCP execution.
Your AI agents in Cursor only access the data you authorize, with DLP that blocks sensitive information from ever reaching the model, kill switch for instant shutdown, and up to 60% token savings. Enterprise-grade infrastructure, zero maintenance.
* 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
How Vinkius secures
HigherGov for Cursor
Every tool call from Cursor to the HigherGov MCP Server is protected by DLP redaction, cryptographic audit chains, V8 sandbox isolation, kill switch, and financial circuit breakers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I search for contract opportunities by industry code (NAICS)?
Yes! You can use industry codes like NAICS as parameters in the list_opportunities and list_contracts tools to precisely target your market sector.
How do I retrieve solicitation documents for an opportunity?
First, use the get_opportunity tool to find document paths. Then, use the get_documents tool with the opportunity ID to retrieve secure, temporary download links.
Does the integration allow monitoring competitor awards?
Absolutely. You can search past awards by company name or unique identifier using the list_contracts tool to understand your competitors' government footprint.
What is Agent mode and why does it matter for MCP?
Agent mode is Cursor's autonomous execution mode where the AI can perform multi-step tasks: reading files, editing code, running terminal commands, and calling MCP tools. Without Agent mode, Cursor operates in a simpler ask-and-answer mode that doesn't support tool calling. Always ensure you're in Agent mode when working with MCP servers.
Where does Cursor store MCP configuration?
Cursor looks for MCP server configurations in a mcp.json file. You can configure servers at the project level (.cursor/mcp.json in your project root) or globally (~/.cursor/mcp.json). Project-level configs take precedence.
Can Cursor use MCP tools in inline edits?
No. MCP tools are only available in Agent mode through the chat panel. Inline completions and Tab suggestions do not trigger MCP tool calls. This is by design. tool calls require user visibility and approval.
How do I verify MCP tools are loaded?
Open Settings → Features → MCP and look for your server name. A green indicator means the server is connected. You can also check Agent mode's available tools by clicking the tools dropdown in the chat panel.
Tools not appearing in Cursor
Ensure you are in Agent mode (not Ask mode). MCP tools only work in Agent mode.
Server shows as disconnected
Check Settings → Features → MCP and verify the server status. Try clicking the refresh button.