Capture
AI-native Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates SAM.gov, USASpending.gov, and Tango APIs to capture and analyze federal procurement and spending data through natural language queries. Responses include both human-readable text and struc
What is Capture?
Capture is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to ai-native model context protocol (mcp) server that integrates sam.gov, usaspending.gov, and tango apis to capture and analyze federal procurement and spending data through natural language queries. re...
AI-native Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates SAM.gov, USASpending.gov, and Tango APIs to capture and analyze federal procurement and spending data through natural language queries. Responses include both human-readable text and struc
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- AI-native Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrate
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx captureConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Capture
Capture MCP Server is an AI-native server that integrates SAM.gov, USASpending.gov, and Tango APIs to make federal procurement and spending data queryable through natural language. It exposes up to 15 tools depending on which API keys are configured, covering contractor searches, contract opportunity discovery, spending breakdowns by agency, vendor profile lookups, and multi-source data joining. Government contractors, BD analysts, and federal spending researchers use it to query and cross-reference procurement data without navigating multiple government portals.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or higher
- Git to clone the repository
- Optional: SAM.gov API key (free, ~24 hour approval) to unlock 6 additional tools
- Optional: Tango API key (immediate) to unlock 5 additional tools
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
Clone the repository and install dependencies
Clone the Capture MCP Server from GitHub and install the Node.js dependencies. No API keys are required to start — 4 USASpending.gov tools work without authentication.
git clone https://github.com/blencorp/capture-mcp-server.git
cd capture-mcp-server
npm installBuild the TypeScript source
Compile the TypeScript code to JavaScript. The output goes to the dist/ directory, and you will need the absolute path to dist/server.js for your MCP client config.
npm run buildObtain optional API keys
Register for a SAM.gov API key at sam.gov/profile/details to unlock contractor search and opportunity tools. Register for a Tango API key for vendor history and grant search. USASpending.gov requires no key.
Add the server to your MCP client configuration
Edit your claude_desktop_config.json with the absolute path to the built server file. Add API keys to the env section — any keys omitted will simply leave those tools unavailable without causing errors.
{
"mcpServers": {
"capture-mcp-server": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/capture-mcp-server/dist/server.js"],
"env": {
"SAM_GOV_API_KEY": "your-sam-gov-key",
"TANGO_API_KEY": "your-tango-key"
}
}
}
}Restart your MCP client and verify
Restart Claude Desktop completely. Navigate to Settings → Developer → MCP Servers and confirm capture-mcp-server shows as Connected. Ask Claude to list available tools to see which tools are active based on your configured keys.
Capture Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration for the Capture MCP Server with both optional API keys. Replace the path with the absolute path to your local clone and add your actual API key values.
{
"mcpServers": {
"capture-mcp-server": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/home/user/capture-mcp-server/dist/server.js"],
"env": {
"SAM_GOV_API_KEY": "your-sam-gov-api-key",
"TANGO_API_KEY": "your-tango-api-key"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Sample prompts showing how to query federal procurement and spending data at different levels of API key access.
- "Get the spending breakdown by category for the Department of Health and Human Services in fiscal year 2024"
- "Find IT consulting companies with NAICS code 541511 in Virginia and show their recent federal contract history"
- "Search for open contract opportunities in renewable energy research"
- "Find NAICS 541330 engineering contractors in Texas and identify the top 5 by total contract value in 2023"
- "Is this vendor excluded from federal contracting?" (provide a DUNS or UEI number)Troubleshooting Capture
Server starts but only 4 tools appear instead of 15
Tool availability is tied to which API keys are present in the env section. The 4 USASpending.gov tools require no key. Adding SAM_GOV_API_KEY unlocks 6 more tools; adding TANGO_API_KEY unlocks 5 more. Confirm your keys are set and not empty strings.
Error: Cannot find module or ENOENT on server.js
The args path must be an absolute path — tilde (~) and relative paths are not supported. Run pwd inside the capture-mcp-server directory to get the absolute path and paste it directly. Also confirm npm run build completed without errors.
SAM.gov API key returns 401 Unauthorized
SAM.gov API keys require approximately 24 hours to activate after registration. If the key was just created, wait until the next day. Verify the key at sam.gov/profile/details and confirm you are using the API key, not your SAM.gov account password.
Frequently Asked Questions about Capture
What is Capture?
Capture is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that ai-native model context protocol (mcp) server that integrates sam.gov, usaspending.gov, and tango apis to capture and analyze federal procurement and spending data through natural language queries. responses include both human-readable text and struc It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Capture?
Follow the installation instructions on the Capture GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Capture?
Capture works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Capture free to use?
Yes, Capture is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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