How to integrate Highergov MCP with Codex

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Introduction

Codex is one of the most popular coding harnesses out there. And MCP makes the experience even better. With Highergov MCP integration, you can draft, triage, summarise emails, and much more, all without leaving the terminal or the app, whichever you prefer.

Also integrate Highergov with

Why use Composio?

Apart from a managed and hosted MCP server, you will get:

  • CodeAct: A dedicated workbench that allows GPT to write its code to handle complex tool chaining. Reduces to-and-fro with LLMs for frequent tool calling.
  • Large tool responses: Handle them to minimise context rot.
  • Dynamic just-in-time access to 20,000 tools across 870+ other Apps for cross-app workflows. It loads the tools you need, so GPTs aren't overwhelmed by tools you don't need.

How to install Highergov MCP in Codex

Run the setup command

Run this command in your terminal to add the Composio MCP server to Codex.

Terminal

It will initiate the authentication in a browser window, authorize Codex to access your Composio account.

Composio authentication page

(Optional) Authenticate with OAuth

To authenticate manually, run the login command to open a browser window and authorize Codex to access your Composio account.

bash
codex mcp login composio

Verify the connection

Run codex mcp list to confirm Composio appears as a registered MCP server.

bash
codex mcp list

Codex App

Codex App follows the same approach as VS Code.

  1. Click ⚙️ on the bottom left → MCP Servers → + Add servers → Streamable HTTP:
  2. Fill the header and Key fields with { "x-consumer-api-key" = "ck_*******" }.
  3. The Key is the Composio API key, that you can find on connect.composio.dev
  4. Click on Authenticate and authorize Codex to your Composio account and you're all set.
Codex App MCP setup
  1. Restart and verify if it's there in .codex/config.toml
bash
[mcp_servers.composio]
url = "https://connect.composio.dev/mcp"
http_headers = { "x-consumer-api-key" = "ck_*******" }

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 & Triggers

Tools
Get AgenciesTool to retrieve agencies information.
Get Award HistoryTool to retrieve award history.
Get Contract HistoryTool to retrieve contract history.
Get Contract IDVsTool to retrieve Indefinite Delivery Vehicle (IDV) contract records via the HigherGov Contracts endpoint.
Get ContractsTool to retrieve federal contract data.
Get Contract VehiclesTool to retrieve contract vehicles.
Get Defense ProgramsTool to retrieve defense programs information.
Get DLA Contract OpportunitiesTool to retrieve DLA contract opportunities.
Get DocumentsTool to fetch document metadata from HigherGov.
Get Grant HistoryTool to fetch historical data on grants.
Get Grant OpportunitiesTool to retrieve information on grant opportunities.
Get Grant ProgramsTool to retrieve information on grant programs.
Get NAICS CodesTool to retrieve NAICS codes.
Get OpportunitiesTool to retrieve opportunity data.
Get Opportunity HistoryTool to retrieve opportunity history.
Get PeopleTool to retrieve information on people related to government contracts and grants.
Get Prime Contract AwardsTool to retrieve prime contract awards.
Get Prime Grant AwardsTool to retrieve information on prime grant awards.
Get ProgramsTool to retrieve a list of government programs and categories.
Get Product and Service CodesTool to retrieve information on Product and Service Codes.
Get PursuitsTool to retrieve user-specific pursuits.
Get SBIR OpportunitiesTool to retrieve SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) opportunities.
Get SLED Contract OpportunitiesTool to retrieve state and local (SLED) contract opportunities.
Get Subcontract AwardsTool to retrieve subcontract awards.
Get Subgrant AwardsTool to retrieve subgrant awards information.
Get Task OrdersTool to retrieve task order data.
Get Tech ProgramsTool to retrieve information on technology programs.

Conclusion

You've successfully integrated Highergov with Codex using Composio's MCP server. Now you can interact with Highergov directly from your terminal, VS Code, or the Codex App using natural language commands.

Key benefits of this setup:

  • Seamless integration across CLI, VS Code, and standalone app
  • Natural language commands for Highergov operations
  • Managed authentication through Composio
  • Access to 20,000+ tools across 870+ apps for cross-app workflows
  • CodeAct workbench for complex tool chaining

Next steps:

  • Try asking Codex to perform various Highergov operations
  • Explore cross-app workflows by connecting more toolkits
  • Build automation scripts that leverage Codex's AI capabilities

How to build Highergov MCP Agent with another framework

FAQ

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 Codex?

Yes, you can. Codex 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.

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