# How to integrate Highergov MCP with Autogen ```json { "title": "How to integrate Highergov MCP with Autogen", "toolkit": "Highergov", "toolkit_slug": "highergov", "framework": "AutoGen", "framework_slug": "autogen", "url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/autogen", "markdown_url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/autogen.md", "updated_at": "2026-05-12T10:14:59.338Z" } ``` ## Introduction This guide walks you through connecting Highergov to AutoGen using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Highergov agent that can list recent federal contract awards for it services, show all active dla contract opportunities today, retrieve grant history for a specific agency through natural language commands. This guide will help you understand how to give your AutoGen agent real control over a Highergov account through Composio's Highergov MCP server. Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved. ## Also integrate Highergov with - [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk) - [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/claude-agents-sdk) - [Claude Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/claude-code) - [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/claude-cowork) - [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/codex) - [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/openclaw) - [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/hermes-agent) - [CLI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/cli) - [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/google-adk) - [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/langchain) - [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/ai-sdk) - [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/mastra-ai) - [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/llama-index) - [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/crew-ai) ## TL;DR Here's what you'll learn: - Get and set up your OpenAI and Composio API keys - Install the required dependencies for Autogen and Composio - Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Highergov - Wire that MCP URL into Autogen using McpWorkbench and StreamableHttpServerParams - Configure an Autogen AssistantAgent that can call Highergov tools - Run a live chat loop where you ask the agent to perform Highergov operations ## What is AutoGen? Autogen is a framework for building multi-agent conversational AI systems from Microsoft. It enables you to create agents that can collaborate, use tools, and maintain complex workflows. Key features include: - Multi-Agent Systems: Build collaborative agent workflows - MCP Workbench: Native support for Model Context Protocol tools - Streaming HTTP: Connect to external services through streamable HTTP - AssistantAgent: Pre-built agent class for tool-using assistants ## What is the Highergov MCP server, and what's possible with it? The Highergov MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Highergov account. It provides structured and secure access to government contracting and grant intelligence, so your agent can perform actions like searching contracts, analyzing award history, retrieving agency details, and fetching grant data on your behalf. - Comprehensive contract search and retrieval: Quickly have your agent look up federal contracts, filter by last modified date, or leverage saved searches to find exactly what you need. - Award and grant history analysis: Direct your agent to access detailed award and grant histories, making it simple to track funding trends across agencies or time periods. - Agency and program intelligence: Ask your agent to list and explore government agencies, defense programs, or contract vehicles to support your market research. - Document and opportunity extraction: Let your agent fetch associated documents or list DLA contract opportunities for deeper due diligence and competitive analysis. - IDV and contract vehicle tracking: Monitor Indefinite Delivery Vehicles (IDVs) and contract vehicles to better understand procurement patterns and strategic opportunities. ## Supported Tools | Tool slug | Name | Description | |---|---|---| | `HIGHERGOV_GET_AGENCIES` | Get Agencies | Retrieves government agency information from the HigherGov database with pagination support. Use this tool to: - List all federal agencies with details like name, abbreviation, type, and hierarchy - Search for a specific agency by its unique agency_key identifier - Navigate through paginated results of agencies (28,000+ agencies available) The response includes agency hierarchy levels (level_1 through level_7) showing parent-child relationships between agencies, along with pagination metadata for browsing through results. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_CONTRACTS` | Get Contracts | Retrieve federal government contract data from HigherGov. Returns paginated list of contracts with details including awardees, agencies, amounts, dates, NAICS/PSC codes, and performance information. Supports filtering by date, search criteria, award ID, awardee, agency, industry codes, and more. Data updates daily by 2am for two days prior. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_CONTRACT_VEHICLES` | Get Contract Vehicles | Retrieve federal multi-award contract vehicles from HigherGov. Contract vehicles are pre-established contracting mechanisms that streamline procurement. Use this to list available vehicles with optional filtering by vehicle key and sorting by award date. Supports pagination with up to 100 records per page. Updated ad hoc as new awards are made. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_DOCUMENTS` | Get Documents | Retrieve document metadata and download URLs for files associated with government opportunities, contracts, and grants from HigherGov. **When to use:** After calling Get Opportunities, Get Contracts, or Get Grants, use this tool to fetch the actual documents (RFPs, amendments, attachments, etc.) associated with those records. **How to use:** 1. First call Get Opportunities, Get Contracts, or Get Grants 2. Extract the 'document_path' field from the response 3. Parse the 'related_key' parameter from that document_path URL 4. Pass that related_key to this tool to retrieve the documents **Important notes:** - Download URLs expire after 60 minutes; retrieve new URLs by calling this endpoint again - Some opportunities/contracts/grants may have no associated documents (returns empty results) - Results are paginated; use page and page_size parameters for large document sets | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_GRANT_HISTORY` | Get Grant History | Tool to fetch historical data on grants from the HigherGov API. REQUIRED: At least one filter parameter (award_id or last_modified_date) must be provided. Use cases: - Retrieve history for a specific grant by award_id - Retrieve grants modified since a specific date using last_modified_date - Paginate through results using page and page_size parameters | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_GRANT_OPPORTUNITIES` | Get Grant Opportunities | Retrieve government grant and contract opportunities from HigherGov. Returns Federal contracts, SLED (State/Local) opportunities, grants, and SBIR opportunities with comprehensive details including agency info, dates, contacts, and award estimates. Use this when you need to: - Find government opportunities by date (posted_date or captured_date recommended) - Search for opportunities with specific keywords - Filter opportunities by agency, status, or other criteria - Get detailed opportunity information including contact details and documents REQUIRED: Must provide at least one filter (posted_date, captured_date, search_id, source_id, agency_key, opp_key, or version_key). For best results, use posted_date or captured_date with optional keyword filtering. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_GRANT_PROGRAMS` | Get Grant Programs | Tool to retrieve information on grant programs. Use when you need to list available grant programs with pagination. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_NAICS` | Get NAICS Codes | Retrieve NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes with detailed descriptions. Returns a paginated list of NAICS codes that can be filtered by code prefix and sorted. Useful for finding industry classifications, understanding NAICS hierarchies, and identifying relevant codes for business categorization. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_OPPORTUNITY_HISTORY` | Get Opportunity History | Retrieve historical opportunity data from HigherGov with pagination support. This tool requires at least one identifying filter (captured_date, opp_key, version_key, search_id, posted_date, source_id, or agency_key). Most commonly used with captured_date to get all opportunities from a specific date, optionally filtered by source_type ('sam' or 'sled'). Returns paginated results with comprehensive opportunity details including title, description, agency, dates, contact information, and links to documents. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_PEOPLE` | Get People | Retrieves contact information for federal and state/local government personnel from HigherGov. Returns detailed contact records including names, titles, emails, phone numbers, and affiliated agencies. Data is updated in real-time. Use this to find government contacts, especially when you have an email address or need to browse through personnel listings. Common use cases: - Find contact details for a specific government employee by email - Browse government personnel with pagination - Get the most recently updated contacts using ordering | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_PSC` | Get Product and Service Codes | Tool to retrieve information on Product and Service Codes. Use when fetching PSC entries with optional pagination and filtering by code. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_PURSUITS` | Get Pursuits | Tool to retrieve user-specific pursuits. Use when you need to fetch a user's pursuits with optional filtering by status and pagination. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_SBIR_OPPORTUNITIES` | Get SBIR Opportunities | Retrieve SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) opportunities from HigherGov. SBIR is a U.S. government program that provides funding to small businesses for research and development with commercialization potential. This action retrieves SBIR opportunities from federal agencies. By default, retrieves opportunities captured since 2024-01-01. Use filters to narrow results by specific dates, agencies, or opportunity identifiers. Supports pagination for large result sets. Key use cases: - Find recent SBIR opportunities for a specific federal agency - Track SBIR opportunities by capture/posting dates - Retrieve details for specific SBIR opportunities by ID - Monitor new SBIR opportunities added to the system Note: At least one filter parameter (captured_date, posted_date, search_id, source_id, agency_key, opp_key, or version_key) is required by the API. The action provides captured_date with a sensible default. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_SLED_CONTRACT_OPPORTUNITIES` | Get SLED Contract Opportunities | Tool to retrieve state and local (SLED) contract opportunities. Uses the general Opportunity endpoint with optional filters. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_SUBCONTRACT_AWARDS` | Get Subcontract Awards | Retrieves federal subcontract award data from HigherGov. Returns paginated subcontract records with details about subcontract recipients, amounts, prime contracts, and awarding agencies. **Important**: At least one filter parameter (last_modified_date or search_id) is required by the API. Use this when you need to: - Find subcontracts modified on a specific date - List subcontracts from a saved HigherGov search - Access detailed subcontract award information including recipient details and prime contract relationships Data is updated weekly. Use the last_modified_date field to track updates. | | `HIGHERGOV_GET_SUBGRANT_AWARDS` | Get Subgrant Awards | Retrieves federal subgrant award data from HigherGov. Returns paginated subgrant records with details about subgrant recipients, funding amounts, associated prime grants, and program information. **Important**: At least one filter parameter (last_modified_date or search_id) is required by the API. Use this when you need to: - Find subgrant awards modified on a specific date - List subgrant awards from a saved HigherGov search - Access detailed subgrant award information including recipient details and prime grant relationships Data is updated regularly. Use the last_modified_date field to track updates. | ## Supported Triggers None listed. ## Creating MCP Server - Stand-alone vs Composio SDK The Highergov MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agents and assistants directly to Highergov. Instead of manually wiring Highergov APIs, OAuth, and scopes yourself, you get a structured, tool-based interface that an LLM can call safely. With Composio's managed implementation, you don't have to create your own developer app. For production, if you're building an end product, we recommend using your own credentials. The managed server helps you prototype fast and go from 0-1 faster. ## Step-by-step Guide ### 1. Prerequisites You will need: - A Composio API key - An OpenAI API key (used by Autogen's OpenAIChatCompletionClient) - A Highergov account you can connect to Composio - Some basic familiarity with Autogen and Python async ### 1. Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio OpenAI API Key - Go to the [OpenAI dashboard](https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/api-keys) and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models, or you can connect to another model provider. - Keep the API key safe. Composio API Key - Log in to the [Composio dashboard](https://dashboard.composio.dev?utm_source=toolkits&utm_medium=framework_docs). - Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key. - Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication. ### 2. Install dependencies Install Composio, Autogen extensions, and dotenv. What's happening: - composio connects your agent to Highergov via MCP - autogen-agentchat provides the AssistantAgent class - autogen-ext-openai provides the OpenAI model client - autogen-ext-tools provides MCP workbench support ```bash pip install composio python-dotenv pip install autogen-agentchat autogen-ext-openai autogen-ext-tools ``` ### 3. Set up environment variables Create a .env file in your project folder. What's happening: - COMPOSIO_API_KEY is required to talk to Composio - OPENAI_API_KEY is used by Autogen's OpenAI client - USER_ID is how Composio identifies which user's Highergov connections to use ```bash COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your-composio-api-key OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key USER_ID=your-user-identifier@example.com ``` ### 4. Import dependencies and create Tool Router session What's happening: - load_dotenv() reads your .env file - Composio(api_key=...) initializes the SDK - create(...) creates a Tool Router session that exposes Highergov tools - session.mcp.url is the MCP endpoint that Autogen will connect to ```python import asyncio import os from dotenv import load_dotenv from composio import Composio from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench, StreamableHttpServerParams load_dotenv() async def main(): # Initialize Composio and create a Highergov session composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")) session = composio.create( user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"), toolkits=["highergov"] ) url = session.mcp.url ``` ### 5. Configure MCP parameters for Autogen Autogen expects parameters describing how to talk to the MCP server. That is what StreamableHttpServerParams is for. What's happening: - url points to the Tool Router MCP endpoint from Composio - timeout is the HTTP timeout for requests - sse_read_timeout controls how long to wait when streaming responses - terminate_on_close=True cleans up the MCP server process when the workbench is closed ```python # Configure MCP server parameters for Streamable HTTP server_params = StreamableHttpServerParams( url=url, timeout=30.0, sse_read_timeout=300.0, terminate_on_close=True, headers={"x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")} ) ``` ### 6. Create the model client and agent What's happening: - OpenAIChatCompletionClient wraps the OpenAI model for Autogen - McpWorkbench connects the agent to the MCP tools - AssistantAgent is configured with the Highergov tools from the workbench ```python # Create model client model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient( model="gpt-5", api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY") ) # Use McpWorkbench as context manager async with McpWorkbench(server_params) as workbench: # Create Highergov assistant agent with MCP tools agent = AssistantAgent( name="highergov_assistant", description="An AI assistant that helps with Highergov operations.", model_client=model_client, workbench=workbench, model_client_stream=True, max_tool_iterations=10 ) ``` ### 7. Run the interactive chat loop What's happening: - The script prompts you in a loop with You: - Autogen passes your input to the model, which decides which Highergov tools to call via MCP - agent.run_stream(...) yields streaming messages as the agent thinks and calls tools - Typing exit, quit, or bye ends the loop ```python print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n") print("Ask any Highergov related question or task to the agent.\n") # Conversation loop while True: user_input = input("You: ").strip() if user_input.lower() in ["exit", "quit", "bye"]: print("\nGoodbye!") break if not user_input: continue print("\nAgent is thinking...\n") # Run the agent with streaming try: response_text = "" async for message in agent.run_stream(task=user_input): if hasattr(message, "content") and message.content: response_text = message.content # Print the final response if response_text: print(f"Agent: {response_text}\n") else: print("Agent: I encountered an issue processing your request.\n") except Exception as e: print(f"Agent: Sorry, I encountered an error: {str(e)}\n") ``` ## Complete Code ```python import asyncio import os from dotenv import load_dotenv from composio import Composio from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench, StreamableHttpServerParams load_dotenv() async def main(): # Initialize Composio and create a Highergov session composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")) session = composio.create( user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"), toolkits=["highergov"] ) url = session.mcp.url # Configure MCP server parameters for Streamable HTTP server_params = StreamableHttpServerParams( url=url, timeout=30.0, sse_read_timeout=300.0, terminate_on_close=True, headers={"x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")} ) # Create model client model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient( model="gpt-5", api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY") ) # Use McpWorkbench as context manager async with McpWorkbench(server_params) as workbench: # Create Highergov assistant agent with MCP tools agent = AssistantAgent( name="highergov_assistant", description="An AI assistant that helps with Highergov operations.", model_client=model_client, workbench=workbench, model_client_stream=True, max_tool_iterations=10 ) print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n") print("Ask any Highergov related question or task to the agent.\n") # Conversation loop while True: user_input = input("You: ").strip() if user_input.lower() in ['exit', 'quit', 'bye']: print("\nGoodbye!") break if not user_input: continue print("\nAgent is thinking...\n") # Run the agent with streaming try: response_text = "" async for message in agent.run_stream(task=user_input): if hasattr(message, 'content') and message.content: response_text = message.content # Print the final response if response_text: print(f"Agent: {response_text}\n") else: print("Agent: I encountered an issue processing your request.\n") except Exception as e: print(f"Agent: Sorry, I encountered an error: {str(e)}\n") if __name__ == "__main__": asyncio.run(main()) ``` ## Conclusion You now have an Autogen assistant wired into Highergov through Composio's Tool Router and MCP. From here you can: - Add more toolkits to the toolkits list, for example notion or hubspot - Refine the agent description to point it at specific workflows - Wrap this script behind a UI, Slack bot, or internal tool Once the pattern is clear for Highergov, you can reuse the same structure for other MCP-enabled apps with minimal code changes. ## How to build Highergov MCP Agent with another framework - [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk) - [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/claude-agents-sdk) - [Claude Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/claude-code) - [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/claude-cowork) - [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/codex) - [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/openclaw) - [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/hermes-agent) - [CLI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/cli) - [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/google-adk) - [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/langchain) - [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/ai-sdk) - [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/mastra-ai) - [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/llama-index) - [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/highergov/framework/crew-ai) ## Related Toolkits - [Excel](https://composio.dev/toolkits/excel) - Microsoft Excel is a robust spreadsheet application for organizing, analyzing, and visualizing data. 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Get unified, reliable access to complex on-chain data for analytics, trading, and research. - [Brightdata](https://composio.dev/toolkits/brightdata) - Brightdata is a leading web data platform offering advanced scraping, SERP APIs, and anti-bot tools. It lets you collect public web data at scale, bypassing blocks and friction. - [Builtwith](https://composio.dev/toolkits/builtwith) - BuiltWith is a web technology profiler that uncovers the technologies powering any website. Gain actionable insights into analytics, hosting, and content management stacks for smarter research and lead generation. - [Byteforms](https://composio.dev/toolkits/byteforms) - Byteforms is an all-in-one platform for creating forms, managing submissions, and integrating data. It streamlines workflows by centralizing form data collection and automation. - [Cabinpanda](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cabinpanda) - Cabinpanda is a data collection platform for building and managing online forms. It helps streamline how you gather, organize, and analyze responses. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Highergov MCP? With a standalone Highergov MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Highergov tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Highergov and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint. ### Can I use Tool Router MCP with Autogen? Yes, you can. Autogen fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Highergov tools. ### Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Highergov while using Tool Router? Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Highergov scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do. ### How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router? All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Highergov data and credentials are handled as safely as possible. --- [See all toolkits](https://composio.dev/toolkits) · [Composio docs](https://docs.composio.dev/llms.txt)