# Quickstart — UK tender data via API in 60 seconds

To get UK tender and government-contract data via an API: create a free Oro Intel
API key (250 free credits, no card), then call `https://api.oro-intel.com/v1/*`
with it as a bearer token — or connect the same data to any AI agent as an MCP
server. First successful call in about 60 seconds.

## 1. Get a key

Sign up and create a key at https://app.oro-intel.com/dashboard/developers.
The full key (`oro_...`) is shown once — store it as `ORO_API_KEY`.

## 2. Make your first call (free)

Check your balance — it costs nothing and proves the key works:

```bash
curl -s "https://api.oro-intel.com/v1/balance" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ORO_API_KEY"
```

```json
{ "balance": 250, "credits_charged": 0, "credits_remaining": 250 }
```

Then a real search — live tenders, 2 credits:

```bash
curl -s "https://api.oro-intel.com/v1/tenders/search?query=EV%20charging&limit=5" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ORO_API_KEY"
```

## 3. Or connect an AI agent (MCP)

The same data is an MCP server at `https://api.oro-intel.com/mcp/` (keep the
trailing slash). In Claude Code:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http oro-intel https://api.oro-intel.com/mcp/
```

Sign in in the browser window that opens, then ask: "search UK tenders for EV
charging in the last 30 days." Setup for Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, Cursor,
Windsurf, VS Code and more: https://documentation.oro-intel.com/mcp.md

## Next

- API reference (endpoints, credit costs, curl/Python/JS examples): https://documentation.oro-intel.com/api.md
- MCP server: https://documentation.oro-intel.com/mcp.md
- Examples: https://documentation.oro-intel.com/examples.md
- GitHub (LangChain, LlamaIndex, Vercel AI SDK, PydanticAI examples): https://github.com/oro-intel/oro-intel-mcp